# The WTC Was Erich von Stroheim, not Conrad Veidt, you Moron! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890 "2003-09-11T01:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/1 "2003-09-11T01:52:38Z")
I was just watching a rebroadcast of last night’s Ric Burns documentary on the Rise & Fall of the World Trade Center. I taped it; I’ll wach the whole thing when I feel more up to it. But I turned it on just in time to see some “expert” say, “The World Trade Center was the Conrad Veidt of buildings–you know, Conrad Veidt was The Man You Love to Hate.” _Augh!!_ Does Ric Burns have no fact-checkers, no editors?! It’s bad enough no one at the taping stopped and said, “Ummm, excellent point, but you meant to say ‘Erich von Stroheim’–shall we take it again?” But the fact that _no one in the entire editing process_ caught this and said, “Oh, damn–that would have been a good quote, if he’d have gotten the right actor,” and reluctantly cut it . . . ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/2 "2003-09-11T02:06:15Z")
Though he was [The Man Who Laughs](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019130/). ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/3 "2003-09-11T02:11:07Z")
Now you know how jazz fans felt about Ken Burns’s documentary. It runs in the family. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/4 "2003-09-11T02:14:03Z")
I was under the impression that Conrad Veidt was The Man You Love To Commit Your Evil Deads For You, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/5 "2003-09-11T02:15:18Z")
I was under the impression that Conrad Veidt was The Man You Love To Commit Your Evil Deeds For You, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/6 "2003-09-11T02:15:18Z")
I was under the impression that Conrad Veidt was The Man You Love To Commit Your Evil Deeds For You, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/7 "2003-09-11T04:10:43Z")
So what does that make Norma Desmond? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/8 "2003-09-11T04:31:01Z")
I’ve always said Willis C. Hawley was “the Man I Love to Hate”. But I realize not everyone’s as passionate as I am over trade issues. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/9 "2003-09-11T04:36:02Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays.” (I’m sorry, I think of that whenever I see triple-posts.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/10 "2003-09-11T05:26:05Z")
[hijack]I had no idea there was a movie version of “The Man Who Laughs”. I must check that out… “when you’re smiling, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you…”[/hijack] OTOH, Erich von Stroheim and the WTC did both become legendary for GREED. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/11 "2003-09-11T12:41:58Z")
I’ve heard the variation that EvS was the Hun You Love to Hate. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/12 "2003-09-11T13:19:11Z")
1. Who the hell is Erich von Stroheim? 2. Who the hell is Conrad Veidt? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/13 "2003-09-11T13:27:13Z")
1. Erich von Stroheim was a film director of the 1920’s, who is better known to many audiences for his work in the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s as a character actor. 2. Conrad Veidt was an actor, active from the late 1910’s to 1943, best known for “The Cabnet of Dr. Caglistrati” (the film I referenced in my triple-post) and “Casablanca”. 3. I have a fairly evil computer. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/14 "2003-09-11T13:28:12Z")
I just recently watched (again) _Sunset Boulevard_ and _Foolish Wives_ as a double feature; a private Von Stroheim festival, so for me right now he’s the man I love to love. Might watch _Foolish Wives_ again tonight; can never get enough of him in that. Maybe double it with _Sunrise_ . . . ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/15 "2003-09-11T13:29:25Z")
that’s Dr. Caligari, no? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/16 "2003-09-11T13:35:20Z")
Thank, **lissener** , my memory isn’t what I’d like it to be. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/17 "2003-09-11T13:39:30Z")
No. No. NO! My brother is the Man you love to hate. At least I love to hate him. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/18 "2003-09-11T13:43:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zebra \* > \*\*No. No. NO! > > My brother is the Man you love to hate. > > At least I love to hate him. \*\* What he obviously meant to say, then, was, “The World Trade Center was the **Zebra** ’s brother of buildings.” ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/19 "2003-09-11T14:06:02Z")
“The abbot used to say that the emotional health of a village depends on having a man that everyone loves to hate, and that Heaven had blessed us with two of them.” –Number Ten Ox, _Bridge of Birds_ by Barry Hughart ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890/20 "2003-09-11T15:49:52Z")
I really should have paid more attention in college. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wtc-was-erich-von-stroheim-not-conrad-veidt-you-moron/200890.md?page=2)