Conrad Veidt

Also known as: Hans Walter Conrad Veidt

Acting

Born:January 22, 1893
Died:April 3, 1943(aged 50)
Birthplace:Berlin, Germany
Nationality:United Kingdom
N/A
Community

Biography

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 (117 movies)

Casablanca movie poster
8.1
8.1

Casablanca

1943

as Major Heinrich Strasser

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari movie poster
7.9
7.9

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

1920

as Cesare

The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute movie poster
7.7
7.7

The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute

1974

as Self (archive footage)

The Wandering Jew movie poster
7.6
7.6

The Wandering Jew

1933

as Matathias / The Unknown Knight / Dr Matteos Battadios

The Passing of the Third Floor Back movie poster
7.6
7.6

The Passing of the Third Floor Back

1935

as The Stranger

The Film in the Film movie poster
7.5
7.5

The Film in the Film

1924

as Self

Rasputin, Demon of the Women movie poster
7.5
7.5

Rasputin, Demon of the Women

1932

as Grigori Rasputin

Escape movie poster
7.4
7.4

Escape

1940

as General Kurt von Kolb

The Man Who Laughs movie poster
7.3
7.3

The Man Who Laughs

1928

as Gwynplaine / Lord Clancharlie

The Ingmar Inheritance movie poster
7.2
7.2

The Ingmar Inheritance

1925

as Hellgum

The Congress Dances movie poster
7.2
7.2

The Congress Dances

1931

as Fürst Metternich

The Thief of Bagdad movie poster
7.1
7.1

The Thief of Bagdad

1940

as Jaffar

Contraband movie poster
7.1
7.1

Contraband

1940

as Capt. Andersen

Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad movie poster
7.0
7.0

Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad

2008

as Jaffar (archival footage)

The Other Side movie poster
7.0
7.0

The Other Side

1931

as Hauptmann Stanhope

Different from the Others movie poster
7.0
7.0

Different from the Others

1919

as Paul Körner

The Hands of Orlac movie poster
6.8
6.8

The Hands of Orlac

1924

as Paul Orlac

A Woman's Face movie poster
6.8
6.8

A Woman's Face

1941

as Torsten Barring

All Through the Night movie poster
6.8
6.8

All Through the Night

1942

as Franz Ebbing

Impetuous Youth movie poster
6.7
6.7

Impetuous Youth

1926

as Renées Vater

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound movie poster
6.7
6.7

A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound

1940

as Self

Nazi Agent movie poster
6.6
6.6

Nazi Agent

1942

as Otto Becker / Baron Hugo von Detner

The Beloved Rogue movie poster
6.6
6.6

The Beloved Rogue

1927

as King Louis XI

The Student of Prague movie poster
6.6
6.6

The Student of Prague

1926

as Balduin, Student

The Great Passion movie poster
6.5
6.5

The Great Passion

1930

as Himself

The Black Hussar movie poster
6.5
6.5

The Black Hussar

1932

as Captain Hansgeorg von Hochberg

F.P.1 movie poster
6.4
6.4

F.P.1

1933

as Maj. Ellissen

Dark Journey movie poster
6.4
6.4

Dark Journey

1937

as Baron Karl Von Marwitz

Waxworks movie poster
6.4
6.4

Waxworks

1924

as Ivan the Terrible

The Spy in Black movie poster
6.4
6.4

The Spy in Black

1939

as Captain Ernst Hardt

Opium movie poster
6.2
6.2

Opium

1919

as Dr. Richard Armstrong Jr.

The Last Performance movie poster
6.2
6.2

The Last Performance

1929

as Erik the Great

The Men in Her Life movie poster
6.2
6.2

The Men in Her Life

1941

as Stanislas Rosing

Above Suspicion movie poster
6.1
6.1

Above Suspicion

1943

as Hassert Seidel

Rome Express movie poster
6.0
6.0

Rome Express

1932

as Zurta

Under the Red Robe movie poster
6.0
6.0

Under the Red Robe

1937

as Gil de Berault

The Only Girl movie poster
6.0
6.0

The Only Girl

1933

as Marquis de Pontignac

Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore movie poster
6.0
6.0

Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore

1921

as Hektor Dalmore

The Movie City of Hollywood movie poster
6.0
6.0

The Movie City of Hollywood

1928

as Self

King of the Damned movie poster
6.0
6.0

King of the Damned

1935

as Convict 83

The Last Company movie poster
6.0
6.0

The Last Company

1930

as Hauptmann Burk

Don Carlos und Elisabeth movie poster
6.0
6.0

Don Carlos und Elisabeth

1924

as Don Carlos

A Man's Past movie poster
6.0
6.0

A Man's Past

1927

as Paul La Roche

The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur movie poster
5.9
5.9

The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur

1921

as Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur

Journey into the Night movie poster
5.9
5.9

Journey into the Night

1921

as Der Maler

Whistling in the Dark movie poster
5.8
5.8

Whistling in the Dark

1941

as Joseph Jones

Lady Hamilton movie poster
5.8
5.8

Lady Hamilton

1921

as Lord Nelson

The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi movie poster
5.6
5.6

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

1921

as Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur

Around the World in 80 Days movie poster
5.5
5.5

Around the World in 80 Days

1919

as Phineas Fogg

I Was a Spy movie poster
5.5
5.5

I Was a Spy

1933

as Commandant Oberaertz

Fear movie poster
5.4
5.4

Fear

1917

as Indian Priest

Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed! movie poster
5.4
5.4

Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed!

1927

Eerie Tales movie poster
5.3
5.3

Eerie Tales

1919

as Der Tod / Various Other Roles

Husbands or Lovers movie poster
5.3
5.3

Husbands or Lovers

1924

as Der Liebhaber, ein Dichter

Wilhelm Tell movie poster
5.2
5.2

Wilhelm Tell

1923

as Hermann Gessler

The Man Who Committed the Murder movie poster
5.2
5.2

The Man Who Committed the Murder

1931

as Oberst Marquis de Sévigné

Wilhelm Tell movie poster
5.0
5.0

Wilhelm Tell

1934

as Gessler

The Merry-Go-Round movie poster
5.0
5.0

The Merry-Go-Round

1920

as Petre Karvan

Jew Süss movie poster
5.0
5.0

Jew Süss

1934

as Josef 'Jew Süss' Oppenheimer

Should We Be Silent? movie poster
5.0
5.0

Should We Be Silent?

1926

as Paul Hartwig, Maler

Two Brothers movie poster
4.7
4.7

Two Brothers

1926

as Wenzel Schellenberg / Michael Schellenberg

The Chess Player movie poster
4.7
4.7

The Chess Player

1938

as Le baron de Kempelen

Lucrezia Borgia movie poster
4.4
4.4

Lucrezia Borgia

1922

as Cesare Borgia

Liebestaumel movie poster
4.0
4.0

Liebestaumel

1921

as Jalenko

Bella Donna movie poster
2.7
2.7

Bella Donna

1934

as Mahmoud Baroudi

Not of the Woman Born movie poster

Not of the Woman Born

1918

as Satan

Congress Dances movie poster

Congress Dances

1931

as Prince Metternich

Patience movie poster

Patience

1920

as Sir Percy Parker

Landstraße und Großstadt movie poster

Landstraße und Großstadt

1921

as Raphael, der Geiger

Nocturno der Liebe movie poster

Nocturno der Liebe

1919

as Frederic Chopin

Die Japanerin movie poster

Die Japanerin

1919

Die Mexikanerin movie poster

Die Mexikanerin

1919

as Dr. von Dossen

Opfer der Gesellschaft movie poster

Opfer der Gesellschaft

1919

Die Okarina movie poster

Die Okarina

1919

Glanz gegen Glück movie poster

Glanz gegen Glück

1923

Künstlerlaunen movie poster

Künstlerlaunen

1920

Die Augen der Welt movie poster

Die Augen der Welt

1920

as Johannes Kay

Die Nacht auf Goldenhall movie poster

Die Nacht auf Goldenhall

1920

Producer

Prostitution movie poster

Prostitution

1919

as Alfred Werner

Der Spion movie poster

Der Spion

1917

as Steinau

Desire: The Tragedy of a Dancer movie poster

Desire: The Tragedy of a Dancer

1921

as Ivan

The Head of Janus movie poster

The Head of Janus

1920

as Dr. Warren

Diary of a Lost Woman movie poster

Diary of a Lost Woman

1918

as Dr. Julius

The Story of Dida Ibsen movie poster

The Story of Dida Ibsen

1918

as Erik Norrensen

The Wife's Crusade movie poster

The Wife's Crusade

1926

as Der Staatsanwalt

The Count of Cagliostro movie poster

The Count of Cagliostro

1920

as Minister

Kurfürstendamm movie poster

Kurfürstendamm

1920

as The devil

Wahnsinn movie poster

Wahnsinn

1919

Director

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

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

1919

The Love Storm movie poster

The Love Storm

1930

as Kingsley

Tempête sur l'Asie movie poster

Tempête sur l'Asie

1938

as Erich Keith

Figures of the Night movie poster

Figures of the Night

1920

as The clown

Prostitution II movie poster

Prostitution II

1919

as Alfred Werner

Manolescu's Memoirs movie poster

Manolescu's Memoirs

1920

as Manolescu

Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand movie poster

Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand

1920

as Christian Wahnschaffe

Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon movie poster

Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon

1921

as Christian Wahnschaffe

Paganini movie poster

Paganini

1923

as Niccolo Paganini

Colomba movie poster

Colomba

1918

as Henryk von Rhyn

Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft movie poster

Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft

1921

Prinz Kuckuck movie poster

Prinz Kuckuck

1919

as Carl Kraker

Das Geheimnis von Bombay movie poster

Das Geheimnis von Bombay

1921

as Tossi

Moriturus movie poster

Moriturus

1920

as Wilmos, sanatorium director

Das Land ohne Frauen movie poster

Das Land ohne Frauen

1929

as Dick Ashton

Le Comte Kostia movie poster

Le Comte Kostia

1925

as Comte Kostia

Der Weg des Todes movie poster

Der Weg des Todes

1917

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert movie poster

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert

1918

as Doktor Köstling

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby movie poster

Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby

1918

as Doktor Köstling

Das Dreimäderlhaus movie poster

Das Dreimäderlhaus

1918

as Schober

Evening – Night – Morning movie poster

Evening – Night – Morning

1920

as Brilburn - Maud's brother

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

Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter

1918

as Kramer

Das Rätsel von Bangalor movie poster

Das Rätsel von Bangalor

1918

as Dinja

Wenn Tote sprechen movie poster

Wenn Tote sprechen

1917

as Richard von Worth

Schicksal movie poster

Schicksal

1925

Liebe macht blind movie poster

Liebe macht blind

1926

The Night of the Decision movie poster

The Night of the Decision

1931

The Flight in the Night movie poster

The Flight in the Night

1926

as Count di Nolli, Heinrich IV

Menschen im Rausch movie poster

Menschen im Rausch

1921

as Professor Munk

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