Conrad Veidt

Conrad Veidt

Date of Birth:

Jan 22, 1893

Place of Birth:

Berlin, Germany

Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as Different from the Others (1919), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), and The Man Who Laughs (1928). After a successful career in German silent film, where he was one of the best-paid stars of Ufa, he was forced to leave Germany in 1933 with his new Jewish wife after the Nazis came to power. They settled in Britain, where he participated in a number of films, including The Thief of Bagdad (1940), before emigrating to the United States around 1941, which lead to him having a supporting role in Casablanca (1942).

From 1916 until his death, Veidt appeared in more than 100 films. One of his earliest performances was as the murderous somnambulist Cesare in director Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), a classic of German Expressionist cinema, with Werner Krauss and Lil Dagover. His starring role in The Man Who Laughs (1928), as a disfigured circus performer whose face is cut into a permanent grin, provided the (visual) inspiration for the Batman villain the Joker, created in 1940 by Bill Finger. Veidt also starred in other silent horror films such as The Hands of Orlac (1924), another film directed by Robert Wiene, The Student of Prague (1926) and Waxworks (1924) where he played Ivan the Terrible.

Veidt also appeared in Magnus Hirschfeld's film Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others, 1919), one of the first films to sympathetically portray homosexuality, although the characters in it do not end up happily. He had a leading role in Germany's first talking picture, Das Land ohne Frauen (Land Without Women, 1929).

He moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s and made a few films, but the advent of talking pictures and his difficulty with speaking English led him to return to Germany. During this period he lent his expertise to tutoring aspiring performers, one of whom was the later American character actress Lisa Golm.

filmography:

Kurfürstendamm Kurfürstendamm

1920

Impetuous Youth Impetuous Youth

1926

Der Spion Der Spion

1917

Figures of the Night Figures of the Night

1920

Napoleon Napoleon

1927

Lady Hamilton Lady Hamilton

1921

Prostitution II Prostitution II

1919

Around the World in 80 Days Around the World in 80 Days

1919

Opium Opium

1919

Don Carlos und Elisabeth Don Carlos und Elisabeth

1924

Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon

1921

Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand

1920

Bella Donna Bella Donna

1934

Manolescu's Memoirs Manolescu's Memoirs

1920

The Other Side The Other Side

1931

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

1940

The Last Company The Last Company

1930

The Man Who Committed the Murder The Man Who Committed the Murder

1931

Landstraße und Großstadt Landstraße und Großstadt

1921

Rasputin, Demon of the Women Rasputin, Demon of the Women

1932

The Great Longing The Great Longing

1930

Two Brothers Two Brothers

1926

Peer Gynt - 2. Teil: Peer Gynts Wanderjahre und Tod Peer Gynt - 2. Teil: Peer Gynts Wanderjahre und Tod

1919

Die Mexikanerin Die Mexikanerin

1919

Tempête sur l'Asie Tempête sur l'Asie

1938

The Men in Her Life The Men in Her Life

1941

Opfer der Gesellschaft Opfer der Gesellschaft

1919

Nocturno der Liebe Nocturno der Liebe

1919

Die Japanerin Die Japanerin

1919

Paganini Paganini

1923

A Man's Past A Man's Past

1927

Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter

1918

Das Rätsel von Bangalor Das Rätsel von Bangalor

1918

Das Dreimäderlhaus Das Dreimäderlhaus

1918

Evening - Night - Morning Evening - Night - Morning

1920

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert

1918

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby

1918

The Movie City of Hollywood The Movie City of Hollywood

1928

Universal Horror Universal Horror

1998

Die Augen der Welt Die Augen der Welt

1920

Die Nacht auf Goldenhall Die Nacht auf Goldenhall

1920

Künstlerlaunen Künstlerlaunen

1920

Glanz gegen Glück Glanz gegen Glück

1923

Die Okarina Die Okarina

1919

Der Weg des Todes Der Weg des Todes

1917

Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore

1921

Colomba Colomba

1918

Liebestaumel Liebestaumel

1921

Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft

1921

The Story of Dida Ibsen The Story of Dida Ibsen

1918

The Film in the Film The Film in the Film

1924

Diary of a Lost Woman Diary of a Lost Woman

1918

The Count of Cagliostro The Count of Cagliostro

1920

Prinz Kuckuck Prinz Kuckuck

1919

Le Comte Kostia Le Comte Kostia

1925

Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed! Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed!

1927

Das Land ohne Frauen Das Land ohne Frauen

1929

Moriturus Moriturus

1920

Das Geheimnis von Bombay Das Geheimnis von Bombay

1921

Prostitution Prostitution

1919

Congress Dances Congress Dances

1931

The Spy in Black The Spy in Black

1939

Liebe macht blind Liebe macht blind

1926

Dark Journey Dark Journey

1937

Whistling in the Dark Whistling in the Dark

1941

Nazi Agent Nazi Agent

1942

Schicksal Schicksal

1925

The Last Performance The Last Performance

1929

The Night of the Decision The Night of the Decision

1931

Escape Escape

1940

The Many Faces of Dracula The Many Faces of Dracula

2000

The Passing of the Third Floor Back The Passing of the Third Floor Back

1935

The Beloved Rogue The Beloved Rogue

1927

Contraband Contraband

1940

The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute

1974

All Through the Night All Through the Night

1942

Desire Desire

1921

The Thief of Bagdad The Thief of Bagdad

1940

The Hands of Orlac The Hands of Orlac

1924

Wenn Tote sprechen Wenn Tote sprechen

1917

Casablanca Casablanca

1943

The Head of Janus The Head of Janus

1920

Above Suspicion Above Suspicion

1943

The Man Who Laughs The Man Who Laughs

1928

A Woman's Face A Woman's Face

1941

Eerie Tales Eerie Tales

1919

Waxworks Waxworks

1924

Wahnsinn Wahnsinn

1919

The Student of Prague The Student of Prague

1926

Under the Red Robe Under the Red Robe

1937

Rome Express Rome Express

1932

Wilhelm Tell Wilhelm Tell

1934

Menschen im Rausch Menschen im Rausch

1921

The Wife's Crusade The Wife's Crusade

1926

Should We Be Silent? Should We Be Silent?

1926

The Black Hussar The Black Hussar

1932

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia

1922

The Love Storm The Love Storm

1930

Patience Patience

1920

Not of the Woman Born Not of the Woman Born

1918

Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad

2008

King of the Damned King of the Damned

1935

Der Reigen - Ein Werdegang Der Reigen - Ein Werdegang

1920

F.P.1 F.P.1

1933

The Congress Dances The Congress Dances

1931

Different from the Others Different from the Others

1919

Fear Fear

1917

Journey into the Night Journey into the Night

1921

Husbands or Lovers Husbands or Lovers

1924

The Ingmar Inheritance The Ingmar Inheritance

1925

The Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew

1933

Jew Süss Jew Süss

1934

The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi

1921

The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur

1921

The Only Girl The Only Girl

1933

The Chess Player The Chess Player

1938

The Flight in the Night The Flight in the Night

1926

I Was a Spy I Was a Spy

1933

Wilhelm Tell Wilhelm Tell

1923

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

1920

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