Art and cars #26 - Solved! Erich von Stroheim chauffeurs a 1929 Isotta-Fraschini

[Ray B.]

Who is he, and what car can he be associated with?

Art and cars. Painters, writers, musicians, actors, movie makers: in a nutshell, artists. Cars of special importance in their work, or in their life.
Rule is: you identify the artist, you have one week to find the car. After that, the hunt is opened and anyone can rob you of your point.

Thanks!

[streamliner]

How about Buster Keaton and a railway car (The General, 1927)?  If not the railway car, then how about his 1930 Packard?

[Ray B.]

Nope, I already did Keaton.
http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=7242.0
But you're on to something.

[streamliner]

He also has a resemblance to Pablo Picasso.  Is it possible? Or is this further away?

[Ray B.]

Well, more Picasso than Keaton maybe, but resemblance doesn't matter here (unless you stumble upon the right guy).
Then, as you say, you're getting colder.

Still, you may have been fooled by the hat, because I don't see ANY physical resemblance between him and Keaton.

[streamliner]

No resemblance? 



It's not just the porkpie hat that threw me, it was the overall package there.

I'll keep hunting...  Something to do with railroading?

[Ray B.]

Yes, more than the hat. But Keaton has sadder eyes, a squarer chin... As my "artists" are usually very well-known, I try to fool you a bit by choosing non-typical photos.
You forgot that Keaton was supposed to be "the man who never smiles". And I don't remember seeing him with a cigar.

The something that ties them is not railroading.

[Ray B.]

Here is a younger Keaton:

[streamliner]

Silent movie star?

[Ray B.]

"Movie star", yes. But, as an actor, not really in the silent era, although he did act in those times too.
His career as an actor extended well into the talkies.

[Ray B.]

[streamliner]

American?

[Ray B.]

Although most of his career was in the USA, he wasn't born an American. I can't say if he ever became a US citizen.

[streamliner]

Did  his accent play a major part in his movie roles?

[jimjarron]

Is he Ole Olsen of Olsen & Johnson by any chance?  In 1950 Olsen was involved in a serious traffic accident that left him partially crippled.  Don't know what make of car it was though.  The only car related information I can find on Olsen is that his daughter, Moya Olsen, in 1942, married William P. Lear, Senior, who was associated in some way with the development of car radios.

[Ray B.]

It's not Ole Olsen, no.

@ streamliner: I don't have any of his films on DVD to listen to him again. I don't remember how strong an accent he had kept, but the sure thing is that his origins played the major part in his movie roles, yes.

[streamliner]

Did his nationality get him roles in WWII films?

[Ray B.]

Yes, definitely, and you'd better make a guess before someone else steals the point.

[streamliner]

Is it Curd Jurgens, perhaps?

[max]

Those ears, those tailfins.  I guess it's Maurice Chevalier and, if so, try the Facel Vega Excellence from Count your blessings

[Ray B.]

Sorry guys, I had missed your posts.
Since I couldn't recognize Patrick McGoohan, I gave up teasing my fellows autopuzzlers... but he sure is neither Maurice Chevalier (don't get fooled by the hat), neither Curd Jurgens (who never was in a silent film).

[streamliner]

Was he in "The Longest Day"?

[Ray B.]

Nope (contrarily to Curd Jürgens) and for a very good reason: he was dead when they shot this film.

[streamliner]

Could it be, possibly, maybe Max Willenz?

[Ray B.]

No. Much more famous in his time than Max Willenz (who is uncredited in most of the pictures where he appears, I read. I confess I had never heard of this one). And remember he was an actor, but not only that.
I usually choose famous people. Of course if it's a painter or a musician, you may have to know a bit about painting or music to know him.