Anyone who knows me knows of my lifelong love of movies, particularly those of the silent and early sound era. I could go on for hours, boring everyone in my path. About a month ago, Christiane and I sat down to watch a couple of Conrad Veidt (1893 – 1943) features: a restoration of the pioneering gay rights film Anders als die Andern (Different From The Others, 1919), and the Warner Brothers - Humphrey Bogart vehicle All Through The Night (1941). Veidt is wonderful in both films, as he is in such seminal classics as The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) (1920), The Hands Of Orlac (Orlacs Hände) (1924) and Casablanca (1942). He effortlessly steals every scene he's in, and I for one can never get enough of him. He died far too young, suddenly of a heart attack while playing golf in Los Angeles.  It's a shame that we were robbed of so great a talent; it would have been wonderful to see what he could have done in the post-war years.

I did this pencil sketch of him not long after we watched Different From The Others. I prefer it as a pencil; I think inking it might have killed the spontaneity of the line.

By the way, one of the few living artists that's a real visual hero of mine is the great Robert Andrew Parker. A brand new, limited edition (100 copies) book of his art and writings has just come out, entitled Travels With Bob. It's got a fairly hefty price tag ($250.00), but if you're as much of a fan of his work as I am, it's a must.

Now I've just got to find the dough.