Conrad Veidt Movies
Like so many German actors who played Nazis during World War II, Conrad Veidt was a fervent anti-Nazi and had fled Europe just one step ahead of the storm troopers. Veidt began his career at age 20 under the guidance of the great Max Reinhardt. His first taste of worldwide fame came by way of his highly stylized portrayal of the tormented Cesare in Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919). His performance in The Student of Prague (1926) led to his being briefly snatched by Hollywood, where he launched his American film career by donning several layers of age makeup and portraying the doddering Louis XI in The Beloved Rogue (1927). Veidt returned to Germany in 1929, but left for England with his Jewish wife when Hitler came to power. On a brief visit to his homeland, Veidt was detained by the German authorities for highly suspect reasons, and had to be rescued by his British studio. In 1940, he was back in America to complete his scenes in the U.S./British co-production The Thief of Baghdad. He remained in Hollywood for the rest of his career, essaying such villainous characters as the cunning Major Strasser in Casablanca (1942). Conrad Veidt died of a sudden heart attack after playing an Austrian undercover agent in Above Suspicion (1943). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1933
Filmed in the Yiddish language, The Wandering Jew features Jacob Ben-Ami as a young Jewish artist living in Germany in the early 1930s. As the Nazis gain in influence, the artist's life and livelihood are slowly eroded: his non-Jewish fiancee leaves him and his paintings are rejected by the Academy of Art. Growing to despise his heritage, the artist prepares to destroy his latest painting, a portrait of his father titled The Eternal Jew. Suddenly the figure in the portrait comes to life, and as the astonished artist listens in rapt attention, the figure relates the history of Jewish perseverance in the face of such horrors as the Spanish Inquisition and the Russian pogroms. Inspired, the artist vows to devote his life to the anti-Nazi cause. The Wandering Jew is a remarkable film for its era, so far and yet so near to the "Final Solution." In retrospect, the film's most poignant moments occur when the hero's father describes the comparatively benign treatment of Jews in the Soviet Union. The filmmakers weren't in possession of all the facts in 1933--nor was the rest of the world, for that matter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Adler, Conrad Veidt, (more)
- 1933
Rome Express is a fast-moving British imitation of Hollywood's Grand Hotel formula. The film concentrates on the various passengers of a European express train. On this particular run, the train is a veritable hotbed of intrigue, with crooks and blackmail victims seemingly in every coach. Among the naughty and nice characters are continental favorites Conrad Veidt, Cedric Hardwicke and Finlay Currie, as well as American silent film star Esther Ralston. Rome Express enabled director Walter Forde to graduate from inexpensive regional comedies to prestige British productions. The film was also an obvious inspiration for such later intrigue-on-the-rails epics as The Lady Vanishes (38) and Night Train (39). Rome Express was remade in 1948 as Sleeping Car to Trieste. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Esther Ralston, (more)
- 1933
This deluxe German/British production was originally released as simply F.P. 1. The story and characterizations take a back seat to the massive sets and state-of-art (for 1933) special effects. The floating aerodrome which provides the film's centerpiece is a truly impressive creation, far more so than the penny-dreadful espionage plotline involving plans to sabotage the mid-Atlantic airport. Among the scripters were future directors Curt Siodmak, Walter Reisch and Robert Stevenson, all of whom flourished in the dual Berlin/London market that would be broken up with the emergence of Hitler. Retitled F.P. 1 Doesn't Answer, the film was released in the U.S. by Hollywood's Fox Studios, which bestowed top billing upon American actor Leslie Fenton--over and above the more illustrious Conrad Veidt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hans Albers, Paul Hartmann, (more)
- 1933
This drama is set upon a floating platform, used for oil drilling, located in the Atlantic. The owners of a rival platform are desperate to destroy it. The film was originally made in German and titled F.P.1 Antwortet Nicht. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Fenton, Conrad Veidt, (more)
- 1932
This version of the notorious Russian monk/charlatan's life, presents Rasputin, not as an evil manipulator of the czar's family, but as more of a victim. The story begins in a tiny village where he miraculously healed peasants. He is then taken to court to treat the czarina's hemophiliac son, but because Rasputin was a wild drunk and womanizer, he is sent back to his home. When war breaks out, he goes back to St. Petersburg to con the czar into taking over the high command. En route, Rasputin meets a duke and the soldier whose fiancee with whom he had once dallied. In the end, they lure him to a palace and shoot him. The script has an added touch of historical accuracy in that an actual acquaintance of Rasputin, Ossip Dymow, assisted with the script. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Paul Otto, (more)
- 1931
During the 1814 Congress in Vienna, the crowned heads of Europe gather together to decide the shape (and fate) of the continent (which would hold -- with some serious cracks -- for exactly 100 years) and devise a strategy for dealing with Napoleon. The ordinary Austrians chafe at the cost of hosting these dignitaries, while the dignitaries find some of the efforts at entertaining them well-intentioned but absurd; the Russian czar Alexander (Willy Fritsch), for instance, doesn't understand why anyone would think he came all the way to Vienna to watch a Russian ballet. Meanwhile, the Austrian prince chancellor Metternich (Conrad Veidt) hopes to keep the Czar away from the congressional table by diverting him with a bevy of beautiful women. But Alexander is one step ahead of Metternich; the Russian leader has engaged the services of an exact double, Oralski (also played by Fritsch), to fulfill his least important social obligations. Into this game of political deception comes glove-maker Christel Weinzinger (Lilian Harvey), whose efforts at greeting the dignitaries (and promoting her shop) leave her mistaken for an anarchist, until the Czar -- advised of her beauty -- intercedes on her behalf. She ends up being romanced by both the Russian ruler and his double, until Metternich's intrigues and Napoleon's distant machinations combine to bring the focus back to official events. Filmed in German, French, and English-language versions, Der Kongress Tanzt was a worldwide success, and one of Harvey's most popular films. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, (more)
- 1931
Released in English-speaking countries as The Man Who Murdered, this German melodrama was based on a play by Pierre Frondale (itself inspired by a novel by Claude Farere). Set in pre-WWI Constantinople, the story concerns French diplomatic attache Conrad Veidt, who seduces Trude von Molo, the wife of British aristocrat Heinrich George. Confronted by George, Veidt kills the man, then turns himself into the authorities. But because George was known to be a sadist and a wife-beater, a compassionate Turkish official allows Veidt to return to Paris -- and the arms of Molo -- without fear of arrest or repercussions. Director Kurt Bernhardt regarded Der Mann der den Mord Beging as one of his best films, not so much because of what happens in the film, but because of the omnipresent atmosphere of tension over what might happen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Heinrich George, (more)
- 1931
The "great yearning" of the title refers to the desire of heroine Camilla Horn to become a famous movie star. Fortunately, director Theodor Loos happens to be combing the countryside, searching for "something new" to put before the cameras. He discovers Horn, and the rest can be filled in by the audience blindfolded. The charm of this picture lies not in its corny plotline, but in its handling by young director Stefan Szekely, who refuses to sugar-coat his depiction of movie-studio life but instead offers something very close to the truth. Die Grosse Sehnsucht features cameo appearances by such German film faves as Lil Dagover, Liane Haid, Anny Ondra, Fritz Kortner, Franz Lederer, Luis Trenker, Conrad Veidt, and many, many more. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Camilla Horn, Theodor Loos, (more)
- 1930
This German drama was advertised as "2% Talkie," meaning that all but 2 1/2 minutes of its running time are silent. The story is set in Australia, where 413 "lottery brides" are shipped to keep the population from depleting. Bride Number 68 is Evelyn Bernheim (Elga Brink), who though she's fallen in love with Australian telegraph operator Dick Ashton (Conrad Veidt) is legally obligated to wed Steve Parker (Clifford McLaglen). Rather than seek out another soulmate, Dick vows to remain an unsullied bachelor for the rest of his life -- which, as it turns out, isn't very long. Likewise coming to a sorry end is an American physician (Matthias), who rescues Steve from an angry mob then falls hopelessly in love with Evelyn himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Elga Brink, (more)
- 1930
Mesnchen im Kaefig is the German-language version of the British melodrama Cape Forlorn (aka Love Storm). Based on a play by Frank Harvey, this is the story of William, a taciturn lighthouse keeper who marries dance-hall girl Eileen. Their already shaky relationship is further damaged when the husband hires a handsome young assistant named Gordon, who immediately inaugurates an affair with the wife. When Gordon is arrested for a killing committed by Eileen, she leaves her husband and returns to the dance-hall whence she came, there to patiently await her lover's release from jail. The stars of the British Cape Forlorn were Fay Compton (Eileen), Frank Harvey (William) and Ian Hunter (Gordon); in Menschen im Kaefig, these roles were essayed by Tala Birrell, Fritz Kortner and Heinrich George (also appearing in a lesser role was Conrad Veidt, the star of the 1919 silent classic Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Fay Compton, (more)
- 1929
Produced and directed by onetime comedy impresario Joe Rock, the early talkie The Great Power was a literal adaptation of the same-named stage play by Myron Fagan. Using the facilities of a small studio in Waterbury, Connecticut, Rock hired the cast members of the original play to repeat their roles. Hirshell Mayall stars as John Power, a ruthless millionaire forced to take an accounting of himself when he faces his Judgement Day in the Hereafter. Unfortunately, Mayall can find no one to testify in his behalf; apparently, he has spent his entire life making nothing but enemies. Faced with material that was apparently beyond his creative ken, director Rock was forced to film the entire movie twice when the first version came out looking like a high-school pageant. Despite its flaws, The Great Power managed to obtain a release through MGM. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Herschel Mayall, Minna Gombell, (more)
- 1929
Carlee Thorpe (Buddy Rogers) and Claire Jernigan (Nancy Carol) enjoy considerable success with their vaudeville magic act. Offstage, Carlee thrives as a solo, performing various bits of sleight-of-hand at fancy society parties. At one such function, he falls in love with Hilt (June Collyer), the daughter of wealthy social-climber Jake Schmidlap (Knute Erickson). Heartbroken, Claire breaks up her act with Carlee and signs on as a "human target" for stage sharpshooter Magus (Rychard Cramer). Her depression deepening over Carlee's affair with Hilda, Claire suicidally replaces Magus' blank pistol cartridges with real bullets, hoping to be killed in the course of their act. Sure enough, Claire ends up being wounded on stage, but when she awakens in the hospital, the repentant Carlee is at her bedside. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Nancy Carroll, (more)
- 1929
In this crime drama, a aging illusionist falls in love with his comely young assistant. Unfortunately, she is enamored with the young thief who has become the magician's student. Another assistant gets jealous of the affair and tells the master. In retaliation, the thief kills the snitch and then himself at his trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin, (more)
- 1928
Love Makes Us Blind was the English-language title of the "all star" German romantic drama Liebe Macht Blind. Emil Jannings, Conrad Veidt and Lil Dagover perform their roles in such a capricious fashion that some viewers mistook the picture for a satire of its genre. The story concerns a worldly woman who captivates an impressionable young man. When the heroine makes a fool of her husband, he retaliates in such a way as to convince her to watch her step in all future endeavors. The film was the fourth directorial effort of Lothar Mendes, who would do his best work in Hollywood and England. Filmed in 1925, Love Makes Us Blind didn't get to the U.S. until two years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Lil Dagover, (more)
- 1928
A German director (Richard Oswald) and two German leading men (Conrad Veidt, Paul Wegener) dominate the proceedings in the German-Italian costume melodrama Lucrecia Borgia. Lina Haid plays the title character, who according to the screenplay was not the power-hungry poisoner of history, but instead the innocent victim of her brother Cesare's (Veidt) machinations. The film stirred up a controversy at the time of its release by suggesting that the Pope was in the pocket of the Borgias, looking the other way as the Renaissance family committed its most heinous sins. Filmed in 1922, Lucrecia Borgiadidn't see the light of day in the U.S. until 1928. Its American distributor, appropriately enough, was "Unusual Photoplays." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Paul Wegener, (more)
- 1927
Popular German leading man Conrad Veidt made his Hollywood film debut (through the auspices of his friend John Barrymore) in Universal's A Man's Past. Veidt is cast as Paul La Roche, a doctor who is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to a brutal penal colony. During a medical crisis, La Roche saves the life of the colony's commanding officer Lt. Destin (Arthur Edmund Carewe), who promises to secure the doctor's freedom. But the ungrateful Destin reneges on his agreement, forcing La Roche to escape from the colony on his own. Upon returning to the mainland, La Roche remains in the shadows as the "assistant" of Dr. Fontaine (Ian Keith), who is slowly going blind. To save his job, Fontaine persuades La Roche to cover for him in the operating room, in exchange for not turning the escaped convict over to the police. When Fontaine loses his sight completely, he agrees to allow LaRoche to take his name and his place at a prestigious hospital in Algiers. It is here where LaRoche inevitably comes face to face with his old nemesis, Lt. Destin. Before the story comes to its excessively melodramatic conclusion, La Roche finds himself in the untenable position of being in love with Yvonne Fontaine (Barbara Bedford), the woman who is supposed to be his own sister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Barbara Bedford, (more)
- 1927
The European mentality of this German silent was a bit racy for mainstream American tastes of the era; nevertheless, the images created by director Paul Czinner told this story well. A wife (Elizabeth Bergner) is bored by her overweight slob of a husband (Emil Jannings). She gives in to the temptation of a slickly seductive poet (Conrad Veidt). The cuckolded husband (a common role for Jannings) tries to convince the pair to stop the philandering, but the wife runs off with her lover anyway. The lover shortly grows tired of her (just as the husband predicted he would) and dumps her. Without either her lover or her husband, the desperate woman throws herself off a cliff. Although Husbands or Lovers was not released in the U.S. until 1927, it was filmed in 1924, before Jannings came to America to make his mark on films there. In European release it was called Nju, which was the Bergner character's name. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emil Jannings, Elisabeth Bergner, (more)
Released with sound effects and a music score that included the song "When Love Comes Smiling" by Walter Hirsch, Lew Pollack and Erno Rapee, Paul Leni's near masterpiece remains one of the silent era's last great romantic melodramas. Based on Victor Hugo's 1869 novel L'Homme qui Rit, The Man Who Laughs starred German import Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine, a carnival freak doomed to live life wearing a perpetual grin carved on his face by Dr Hardquannone (George Siegman because his father, Lord Clancharlie (Allan Cavan), had offended England's King James II (Sam De Grasse). Taken in as a child by Ursus, a mountebank (Cesare Gravina), Gwynplaine grows up alongside the beautiful but blind Dea (Mary Philbin). They fall in love but Gwynplaine refuses to marry her because his hideous face makes him feel unworthy. Queen Anne (Josephine Crowell), meanwhile, has ascended the throne and when she learns from her predecessor's evil jester Barkilphedro (Brandon Hurst) that the recalcitrant Duchess Josiana (Olga Baclanova) is in possession of Lord Clancharlie's estates, she decrees that the royal femme fatale must marry Gwynplaine, the rightful heir. Josiana, who has caught Gwynplaine's act incognito and arranged a rendezvous, is at the same time sexually attracted to and repelled by the "Laughing Man," but Gwynplaine, who realizes that the duchess' attraction has legitimized his right to love Dea, renounces his title and follows his heart to the new World. Although Kirk Douglas was long interested in producing a remake, The Man Who Laughs was instead filmed again as L'Uomo che Ride by Italian director Sergio Corbucci in 1966. Corbucci, however, changed the setting from Queen Anne to the infamous sixteenth century Italian court of the Borgias. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin, (more)
Considered the magnum-opus of filmmaker/screenwriter Henrik Galeen, and featuring actor Conrad Veit in one of his finest performances Student of Prague is considered an important work in German Expressionist cinema. It is also the first to present a dark exploration of the inner realms of the self that would obsess German filmmakers for years to come. The decidedly Faustian tale centers on a student (Veit) who encounters a minion of the devil and in exchange for the love of a woman and wealth, sells him his reflection. The student's mirror image turns into a doppelganger. The student marries a baroness, but his happiness is ruined by his troublesome, malevolent double who destroys his marriage and his life. In hopes of ending the torment, the student tricks the doppelganger back into the mirror and then shoots him. Ironically, it is the student who dies. While the haunting story itself is intriguing, it is film's exquisite production design, careful expressionistic lighting that imbues the film with its moody, humanism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Werner Krauss, (more)
Beloved Rogue stars John Barrymore as legendary Parisian poet/vagabond Francois Villon. The film follows the basic chronology of all Villon dramatizations (If I Were King, The Vagabond King etc.): To ensure the loyalty of his subjects, crotchety King Louis XI (Conrad Veidt) appoints the waggish Villon king for one day. This proves to be a blessing when Villon rouses the thieves, tramps, trollops and other assorted Parisian lowlifes to defend the walled city against the invading Burgundians. Marceline Day, Mack Swain and Slim Summerville also star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Barrymore, Conrad Veidt, (more)
