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Conrad Veidt

Conrad Veidt

Acting

Born: January 22, 1893Berlin, 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.

Known For
Filmography

Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad

Jaffar (archival footage)

2008
The Many Faces of Dracula

The Many Faces of Dracula

Self (archive footage)

2000
Universal Horror

Universal Horror

(archive footage)

1998

The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute

Self (archive footage)

1974
Above Suspicion

Above Suspicion

Hassert Seidel

1943
Casablanca

Casablanca

Major Heinrich Strasser

1943
Nazi Agent

Nazi Agent

Otto Becker / Baron Hugo von Detner

1942
All Through the Night

All Through the Night

Franz Ebbing

1942
The Men in Her Life

The Men in Her Life

Stanislas Rosing

1941
Whistling in the Dark

Whistling in the Dark

Joseph Jones

1941
A Woman's Face

A Woman's Face

Torsten Barring

1941
Escape

Escape

General Kurt von Kolb

1940
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

Self

1940
Contraband

Contraband

Capt. Andersen

1940
The Thief of Bagdad

The Thief of Bagdad

Jaffar

1940
The Spy in Black

The Spy in Black

Captain Ernst Hardt

1939
The Chess Player

The Chess Player

Le baron de Kempelen

1938
Tempête sur l'Asie

Tempête sur l'Asie

Erich Keith

1938
Dark Journey

Dark Journey

Baron Karl Von Marwitz

1937
Under the Red Robe

Under the Red Robe

Gil de Berault

1937
King of the Damned

King of the Damned

Convict 83

1935
The Passing of the Third Floor Back

The Passing of the Third Floor Back

The Stranger

1935
Bella Donna

Bella Donna

Mahmoud Baroudi

1934
Jew Süss

Jew Süss

Josef 'Jew Süss' Oppenheimer

1934

Wilhelm Tell

Gessler

1934
The Wandering Jew

The Wandering Jew

Matathias / The Unknown Knight / Dr Matteos Battadios

1933
I Was a Spy

I Was a Spy

Commandant Oberaertz

1933
F.P.1

F.P.1

Maj. Ellissen

1933
The Only Girl

The Only Girl

Marquis de Pontignac

1933
Rome Express

Rome Express

Zurta

1932
The Black Hussar

The Black Hussar

Captain Hansgeorg von Hochberg

1932
The Congress Dances

The Congress Dances

Prince Metternich

1932
Rasputin, Demon of the Women

Rasputin, Demon of the Women

Grigori Rasputin

1932
The Other Side

The Other Side

Hauptmann Stanhope

1931
The Congress Dances

The Congress Dances

Fürst Metternich

1931
The Night of the Decision

The Night of the Decision

General Gregori Platoff

1931
The Man Who Committed the Murder

The Man Who Committed the Murder

Oberst Marquis de Sévigné

1931
The Love Storm

The Love Storm

Kingsley

1930
The Great Passion

The Great Passion

Himself

1930
The Last Company

The Last Company

Hauptmann Burk

1930
The Last Performance

The Last Performance

Erik the Great

1929
Das Land ohne Frauen

Das Land ohne Frauen

Dick Ashton

1929

The Movie City of Hollywood

Self

1928
The Man Who Laughs

The Man Who Laughs

Gwynplaine / Lord Clancharlie

1928
Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed!

Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed!

1927
A Man's Past

A Man's Past

Paul La Roche

1927
The Beloved Rogue

The Beloved Rogue

King Louis XI

1927
Napoleon

Napoleon

Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade

1927
The Flight in the Night

The Flight in the Night

Count di Nolli, Heinrich IV

1926
The Student of Prague

The Student of Prague

Balduin, Student

1926
Love is Blind

Love is Blind

1926
Should We Be Silent?

Should We Be Silent?

Paul Hartwig, Maler

1926

Two Brothers

Wenzel Schellenberg / Michael Schellenberg

1926
Impetuous Youth

Impetuous Youth

Renées Vater

1926
The Wife's Crusade

The Wife's Crusade

Der Staatsanwalt

1926
The Ingmar Inheritance

The Ingmar Inheritance

Hellgum

1925
Le Comte Kostia

Le Comte Kostia

Comte Kostia

1925

Schicksal

1925
Husbands or Lovers

Husbands or Lovers

Der Liebhaber, ein Dichter

1924
Waxworks

Waxworks

Ivan the Terrible

1924
The Hands of Orlac

The Hands of Orlac

Paul Orlac

1924
The Film in the Film

The Film in the Film

Self

1924
Don Carlos und Elisabeth

Don Carlos und Elisabeth

Don Carlos

1924
Wilhelm Tell

Wilhelm Tell

Hermann Gessler

1923
Paganini

Paganini

Niccolo Paganini

1923

Glanz gegen Glück

1923
Lucrezia Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia

Cesare Borgia

1922
The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur

The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur

Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur

1921
The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi

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

Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur

1921
Lady Hamilton

Lady Hamilton

Lord Nelson

1921
Danton

Danton

Minor Role (rumored)

1921
Landstraße und Großstadt

Landstraße und Großstadt

Raphael, der Geiger

1921
Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon

Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon

Christian Wahnschaffe

1921

Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft

1921
Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore

Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore

Hektor Dalmore

1921

Liebestaumel

Jalenko

1921
Journey into the Night

Journey into the Night

Der Maler

1921
Das Geheimnis von Bombay

Das Geheimnis von Bombay

Tossi

1921
People in Ecstasy

People in Ecstasy

Professor Munk

1921
Desire: The Tragedy of a Dancer

Desire: The Tragedy of a Dancer

Ivan

1921
The Count of Cagliostro

The Count of Cagliostro

Minister

1920
Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand

Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand

Christian Wahnschaffe

1920

Manolescu's Memoirs

Manolescu

1920
Evening – Night – Morning

Evening – Night – Morning

Brilburn - Maud's brother

1920
Moriturus

Moriturus

Wilmos, sanatorium director

1920
The Head of Janus

The Head of Janus

Dr. Warren

1920

Künstlerlaunen

1920

Kurfürstendamm

The devil

1920

Die Augen der Welt

Johannes Kay

1920

Die Nacht auf Goldenhall

1920

Patience

Sir Percy Parker

1920
The Merry-Go-Round

The Merry-Go-Round

Petre Karvan

1920
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Cesare

1920
Figures of the Night

Figures of the Night

The clown

1920
Eerie Tales

Eerie Tales

Der Tod / Various Other Roles

1919

Wahnsinn

Bankier Lorenzen

1919
Prinz Kuckuck

Prinz Kuckuck

Carl Kraker

1919
Prostitution II

Prostitution II

Alfred Werner

1919

Die Okarina

1919
Different from the Others

Different from the Others

Paul Körner

1919

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

1919
Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days

Phineas Fogg

1919
Prostitution

Prostitution

Alfred Werner

1919
The Japanese Woman

The Japanese Woman

1919
Opium

Opium

Dr. Richard Armstrong Jr.

1919

Opfer der Gesellschaft

1919

The Mexican

Dr. von Dossen

1919

Nocturno der Liebe

Frederic Chopin

1919
Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby

Doktor Köstling

1918
The Story of Dida Ibsen

The Story of Dida Ibsen

Erik Norrensen

1918
Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter

Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter

Kramer

1918
Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert

Doktor Köstling

1918
Colomba

Colomba

Henryk von Rhyn

1918
Diary of a Lost Woman

Diary of a Lost Woman

Dr. Julius

1918
Not of the Woman Born

Not of the Woman Born

Satan

1918
Das Dreimäderlhaus

Das Dreimäderlhaus

Schober

1918
The Mystery of Bangalore

The Mystery of Bangalore

Dinja

1918
Fear

Fear

Indian Priest

1917

Der Spion

Steinau

1917
Wenn Tote sprechen

Wenn Tote sprechen

Richard von Worth

1917
Der Weg des Todes

Der Weg des Todes

1917