Gavin Schmitt, Author, Historian, Podcaster
Author Gavin Schmitt has researched Wisconsin’s darker history for decades, and has written multiple books related to crime in Wisconsin. Gavin began co-hosting two podcasts that have been heard all around the world: The Milwaukee Mafia podcast, and Fox Cities Murder & Mayhem.
When not digging through dusty archives and FBI files, Gavin spends his days drinking too much coffee, watching films, and being a local historian.
Posts by Topic
Recent Posts
Leroy Sommers: Murder or Suicide?
While it is the duty of law enforcement to investigate crimes and rumors of crimes,…
Harry Hebard: Teenage Killer
As a young man, Jack Hebard worked as a daredevil named Lucky O’Hara. He would…
The Golden Pheasant Mutilations
Peter A VanVeghel (1862-1934) was twice the sheriff of Brown County. With wife Antoinette Herman…
The Weyauwega Train Derailment
In 1996, federal code required that railroad tracks be inspected twice weekly. The turnout inspection…
Richard Pierce Finally Caught (Sturgeon Bay)
Sturgeon BayDecember 4, 1939: Carol Jean Fillion is born to Raymond Joseph Fillion and Pauline…
Oshkosh Officer Louis Hardy
Louis J Hardy was born in Germany in the 1840s, and settled in Oshkosh some…
Gavin’s Books
Newest Book: Karl Freund
Karl Freund is the most important film pioneer you’ve never heard of. From the silent film era to the rise of the American sitcom, Freund was there at every turn. Countless camera techniques can be traced back to his “unchained camera.” His lighting setup for filming I Love Lucy live remains standard to this day. He was the man behind the lens for many influential and award-winning films, from Metropolis to The Good Earth to Key Largo. This biography is the first book-length look at one of the world’s greatest cameramen. It details the events of his early life, his entrance into the world of film, his work in both Germany and America, and his legacy, while also putting his life and films into the historical context of the 20th century. The author gives particular attention to Freund’s role in the early horror films Der Golem, Dracula, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mummy, and Mad Love.
Karl Freund: The Life and Films (affiliate link)
