1893-01-22 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.
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Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad | Jaffar (archival footage) | 2008-05-27 |
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The Many Faces of Dracula | Self (archive footage) | 2000-01-01 |
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Universal Horror | (archive footage) | 1998-10-08 |
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The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute | Self (archive footage) | 1974-02-20 |
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Above Suspicion | Hassert Seidel | 1943-05-31 |
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Casablanca | Major Heinrich Strasser | 1943-01-15 |
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All Through the Night | Franz Ebbing | 1942-01-10 |
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Nazi Agent | Otto Becker / Baron Hugo von Detner | 1942-03-01 |
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A Woman's Face | Torsten Barring | 1941-05-09 |
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Whistling in the Dark | Joseph Jones | 1941-08-08 |
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The Men in Her Life | Stanislas Rosing | 1941-10-30 |
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The Thief of Bagdad | Jaffar | 1940-02-19 |
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Escape | General Kurt von Kolb | 1940-11-01 |
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A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound | Self | 1940-10-24 |
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Contraband | Capt. Andersen | 1940-05-11 |
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The Spy in Black | Captain Ernst Hardt | 1939-08-03 |
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Le Joueur d'échecs | Le baron de Kempelen | 1938-11-25 |
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Tempête sur l'Asie | Erich Keith | 1938-04-20 |
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Under the Red Robe | Gil de Berault | 1937-05-31 |
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Dark Journey | Baron Karl Von Marwitz | 1937-07-02 |
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The Passing of the Third Floor Back | The Stranger | 1935-09-01 |
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King of the Damned | Convict 83 | 1935-12-31 |
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Wilhelm Tell | Gessler | 1934-01-12 |
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Jew Süss | Josef 'Jew Süss' Oppenheimer | 1934-10-13 |
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Bella Donna | Mahmoud Baroudi | 1934-12-11 |
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The Wandering Jew | Matathias / The Unknown Knight / Dr Matteos Battadios | 1933-11-15 |
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F.P.1 | Maj. Ellissen | 1933-04-02 |
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Ich und die Kaiserin | Marquis de Pontignac | 1933-02-22 |
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I Was a Spy | Commandant Oberaertz | 1933-09-04 |
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Der schwarze Husar | Captain Hansgeorg von Hochberg | 1932-10-12 |
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Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen | Grigori Rasputin | 1932-02-19 |
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Rome Express | Zurta | 1932-10-31 |
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Die andere Seite | Hauptmann Stanhope | 1931-10-29 |
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Congress Dances | Prince Metternich | 1931-12-03 |
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Der Kongress tanzt | Fürst Metternich | 1931-09-29 |
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Die Nacht der Entscheidung | General Gregori Platoff | 1931-09-17 |
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Der Mann, der den Mord beging | Oberst Marquis de Sévigné | 1931-01-23 |
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Die letzte Kompagnie | Hauptmann Burk | 1930-03-14 |
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Menschen im Käfig | Kingsley | 1930-11-21 |
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Die große Sehnsucht | Himself | 1930-08-24 |
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Das Land ohne Frauen | Dick Ashton | 1929-09-30 |
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The Last Performance | Erik the Great | 1929-10-13 |
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The Man Who Laughs | Gwynplaine / Lord Clancharlie | 1928-11-04 |
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Die Filmstadt Hollywood | Self | 1928-11-18 |
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Napoléon | Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade | 1927-01-10 |
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Gesetze der Liebe | 1927-11-16 | |
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A Man's Past | Paul La Roche | 1927-10-01 |
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The Beloved Rogue | King Louis XI | 1927-03-12 |
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Der Student von Prag | Balduin, Student | 1926-10-19 |
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Die Brüder Schellenberg | Wenzel Schellenberg / Michael Schellenberg | 1926-03-22 |
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Liebe macht blind | 1926-08-16 | |
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Die Flucht in die Nacht | Count di Nolli, Heinrich IV | 1926-12-13 |
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Kreuzzug des Weibes | Der Staatsanwalt | 1926-01-02 |
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Der Geiger von Florenz | Renées Vater | 1926-03-10 |
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Dürfen wir schweigen? | Paul Hartwig, Maler | 1926-04-05 |
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Le Comte Kostia | Comte Kostia | 1925-05-29 |
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Schicksal | 1925-02-12 | |
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Ingmarsarvet | Hellgum | 1925-12-26 |
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Das Wachsfigurenkabinett | Ivan the Terrible | 1924-11-13 |
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Nju - Eine unverstandene Frau | Der Liebhaber, ein Dichter | 1924-11-21 |
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Don Carlos und Elisabeth | Don Carlos | 1924-02-24 |
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Der Film im Film | Self | 1924-06-26 |
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Orlacs Hände | Paul Orlac | 1924-09-24 |
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Glanz gegen Glück | 1923-01-01 | |
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Wilhelm Tell | Hermann Gessler | 1923-08-22 |
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Paganini | Niccolo Paganini | 1923-03-31 |
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Lucrezia Borgia | Cesare Borgia | 1922-10-20 |
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Landstraße und Großstadt | Raphael, der Geiger | 1921-04-22 |
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Das indische Grabmal, erster Teil: Die Sendung des Yoghi | Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur | 1921-10-22 |
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Lady Hamilton | Lord Nelson | 1921-10-19 |
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Christian Wahnschaffe, 2. Teil: Die Flucht aus dem goldenen Kerker | Christian Wahnschaffe | 1921-03-30 |
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Das Geheimnis von Bombay | Tossi | 1921-01-06 |
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Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft | 1921-03-11 | |
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Danton | Minor Role (rumored) | 1921-05-03 |
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Sehnsucht | Ivan | 1921-01-01 |
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Der Gang in die Nacht | Der Maler | 1921-01-21 |
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Das indische Grabmal, zweiter Teil: Der Tiger von Eschnapur | Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur | 1921-11-19 |
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Liebestaumel | Jalenko | 1921-02-01 |
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Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore | Hektor Dalmore | 1921-02-22 |
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Menschen im Rausch | Professor Munk | 1921-01-06 |
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Weltbrand | Christian Wahnschaffe | 1920-11-12 |
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Die Nacht auf Goldenhall | 1920-04-16 | |
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Der Janus-Kopf | Dr. Warren | 1920-08-26 |
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Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari | Cesare | 1920-02-26 |
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Der Graf von Cagliostro | Minister | 1920-12-21 |
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Abend – Nacht – Morgen | Brilburn - Maud's brother | 1920-09-24 |
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Der Reigen - Ein Werdegang | Petre Karvan | 1920-02-27 |
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Die Karten des Todes | Sir Percy Parker | 1920-04-16 |
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Kurfürstendamm | The devil | 1920-07-29 |
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Nachtgestalten | The clown | 1920-01-09 |
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Manolescus Memoiren | Manolescu | 1920-09-30 |
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Künstlerlaunen | 1920-07-30 | |
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Die Augen der Welt | Johannes Kay | 1920-07-23 |
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Moriturus | Wilmos, sanatorium director | 1920-09-23 |
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Die Okarina | 1919-08-08 | |
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Prinz Kuckuck | Carl Kraker | 1919-09-24 |
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Die Prostitution, 1. Teil - Das gelbe Haus | Alfred Werner | 1919-03-19 |
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Die Mexikanerin | Dr. von Dossen | 1919-01-01 |
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Nocturno der Liebe | Frederic Chopin | 1919-01-01 |
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Die Japanerin | 1919-01-24 | |
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Peer Gynt - 2. Teil: Peer Gynts Wanderjahre und Tod | 1919-04-06 | |
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Opfer der Gesellschaft | 1919-01-01 | |
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Anders als die Andern | Paul Körner | 1919-05-28 |
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Unheimliche Geschichten | Der Tod / Various Other Roles | 1919-11-05 |
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Opium | Dr. Richard Armstrong Jr. | 1919-01-07 |
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Die Reise um die Erde in 80 Tagen | Phineas Fogg | 1919-03-20 |
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Die Prostitution, 2. Teil - Die sich verkaufen | Alfred Werner | 1919-08-29 |
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Wahnsinn | Bankier Lorenzen | 1919-10-14 |
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Das Rätsel von Bangalor | Dinja | 1918-01-11 |
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Der nicht vom Weibe Geborene | Satan | 1918-10-01 |
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Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter | Kramer | 1918-11-22 |
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Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby | Doktor Köstling | 1918-12-13 |
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Dida Ibsens Geschichte | Erik Norrensen | 1918-12-12 |
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Das Dreimäderlhaus | Schober | 1918-09-22 |
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Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert | Doktor Köstling | 1918-11-08 |
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Colomba | Henryk von Rhyn | 1918-11-08 |
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Das Tagebuch einer Verlorenen | Dr. Julius | 1918-10-29 |
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Wenn Tote sprechen | Richard von Worth | 1917-07-27 |
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Der Spion | Steinau | 1917-08-31 |
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Der Weg des Todes | 1917-02-01 | |
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Furcht | Indian Priest | 1917-09-21 |
