[STROHEIM ERICH VON]: (1885-1957) Austrian Actor and Film Director. GERMONPREZ VALERIE ...

[STROHEIM ERICH VON]: (1885-1957) Austrian Actor and Film Director. GERMONPREZ VALERIE (1897-1988) American Actress, the third wife of Erich von Stroheim from 1920-57. Two A.Ls.S., Valerie, nine pages (total), 4to and folio, n.p., 22nd March and 7th April 1950, both being retained copies of letters sent to her estranged husband in Paris. In her first letter Germonprez writes in bitter tones to von Stroheim, in particular in relation to his finances and an additional salary of $18,000 received from Paramount, 'Because you wanted $18,000 salary to be called expense is really fantastic, but, who were you trying to double-cross? After all these years and at your age - when it was so simple to do things the right way. Less trouble & expense for you - less trouble & expense for me. What a surprise you were going to give me when the Internal Revenue Collector demanded an additional $5000 in cash, which I don't have, for taxes on money I did not receive, with the same incident repeated for state tax!! I think I told you once, don't try to put it over on me, because sooner or later I find out about it, and then it's too bad. So there will be no more misunderstandings and delays, and because you have showed your true colors, and the way you want to play the game, and because you cannot send my support to U.S.A. I am coming to Paris to live. I hope you have sense enough to be there when I arrive, so that I do not have to send out the reserves to find you, and explain why…..Feb. has passed - in your letter you say you will send money to me in March, if & when you get permission, and in the next breath you say you are not allowed to send me money - so what kind of double-talk is that?......As far as you & I are concerned - there is never supposed to be any secret about your earnings. We file income tax returns, and it's impossible for me to make out a return without you telling what you've made…..You say your Paramount deal was supposed to be kept a secret. I'll tell you how secret it was. Before you ever arrived in L.A. I got a phone call from someone telling me you were coming to L.A. to make a picture. I said ''I knew it''. The person said ''Erich's certainly going to get a wonderful salary this time''. I said ''The usual salary, for so many weeks'' (the figures & amount & time you told me). The person said, Oh! You're all wrong, it's going to be much more than that, and I hope he takes care of you & he gives you your share''. I got sore - but from now on I'll listen to all gossip and investigate all deals'. The second letter continues in the same vein, 'As far as the tax affair is concerned - I'm going to dump the whole thing in your lap - if anything comes up, I'll refer them to you. I am the innocent party and cannot be held responsible for the so-called complicated deals of my husband. So that settles that! No! I don't have spring fever. The millions of people going to Rome and Europe this year might have it, and I'm sure all those people are not wealthy. I am going to France on business - you really could call it ''monkey-business''……You say you are to divide ½ of your earnings with me, after taxes and expenses are deducted, but because you want to call $18,000 for costumes etc, etc, etc, expenses, is really something, when Paramount considered Hollywood a location for you and paid your expenses……The way you figure - the next picture you make, when you receive millions of francs, is - call the whole amount - expenses, and so in your mind, that lets me out……I don't think you are very worried over the fact you have not worked for 8 months - because to refuse an offer of $25,000 by Universal…..is good reason to believe you are very well fixed financially - you can't sing the blues one minute, and refuse work the next……All I can say is - Hitler etc., & those around him had a wonderful time while it lasted, defied and fought the world, thought they had everything hidden and under control etc. But - how do these things end? It's the ending that counts! So just keep on smart cracking & hurting me as you see fit - as you must know from past experiences - I can take it - but I don't know whether you, & those around you can, because you've never been put to the real test yet! I may still get the last laugh, although at the moment my outlook is very grim - as they say - it's always darkest before the storm'. Both letters are annotated in pencil by Germonprez with the dates on which they were sent. Two letters of extraordinary content. VG, 2

In 1950 Erich von Stroheim appeared in Sunset Boulevard, a Paramount Pictures production directed by Billy Wilder and today regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. The film was released on 10th August 1950 and Stroheim was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Max von Mayerling, a former Hollywood silent film director now employed as a butler. Stroheim and Germonprez never divorced, however the actor lived with the French actress Denise Vernac from 1939 until his death.