In the 1929 film Pandora's Box, which actor played Alwa Schön?

Francis Lederer played Alwa Schön in the 1929 film Pandora’s Box.

Directed by G. W. Pabst, the German silent film stars Louise Brooks as Lulu, a seductive performer whose relationships lead to tragedy. Alwa Schön is the son of Dr. Ludwig Schön, one of Lulu’s important associates, and Lederer portrayed the character in one of his early screen roles.

The film was adapted from Frank Wedekind’s plays Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box. Its cast also includes Fritz Kortner as Dr. Schön, Carl Goetz as Schigolch, and Alice Roberts as Countess Geschwitz. These names can be easy to confuse because several characters belong to the same interconnected circle around Lulu.

Francis Lederer later became known for a long international film career, working in European and American productions. Pandora’s Box is especially associated with Brooks’s performance, but its supporting cast helped establish the film’s complex dramatic world.