--- name: "Conrad Veidt" canonical: "https://film.one/person/conrad-veidt" fi1m_id: "conrad-veidt" imdb_id: "nm0891998" tmdb_id: 3001 wikidata_id: "Q58801" roles: ["Actor"] born: "22 January 1893" died: "3 April 1943" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_fi1m_score: 90 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-17T17:18:01.888786+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Conrad Veidt ## Identity Conrad Veidt - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/conrad-veidt - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** conrad-veidt - **IMDb ID:** nm0891998 - **TMDB ID:** 3001 - **Wikidata ID:** Q58801 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Veidt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58801, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891998/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3001 Actor. Born 22 January 1893 in Berlin, Germany. Died 3 April 1943. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 22 January 1893, Berlin, Germany - **Died:** 3 April 1943 - **Active:** 1920–1943 - **Also known as:** Hans Walter Conrad Veidt - **Average Fi1m score:** 90, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1920s 87 (1), 1940s 93 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Veidt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58801, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0891998/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3001 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Casablanca*](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md) (93) - **Apple TV:** [*The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*](https://film.one/film/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari.md) (87) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Conrad Veidt > Conrad Veidt made theatrical acting unsettling through the precision of his movements. His Cesare in *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* remains disturbing; the later officer roles show only part of what he could do. Cesare belongs among the crooked sets of *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* (1920), and that is the first thing to understand about Conrad Veidt. His gaunt face attracts attention, but his eyes and expressive hands keep it. The movements are slow enough for small changes to register, without his having to make everything larger. We were unsettled by him because he gives the exaggerated acting such precision; we cannot simply dismiss it as posing. There is no attempt to make Cesare seem ordinary, and no need for one. Robert Wiene gives him a setting in which that approach makes sense. Werner Krauss, as Dr. Caligari, plays more broadly, while Friedrich Feher and Lil Dagover can seem to be telling us how distressed to feel. Veidt is more persuasive, and the difference makes the other performances harder to accept. We recommend the film warmly, though the relentless crookedness of its sets sometimes becomes tiresome. Watching Veidt remains rewarding even when we have begun to tire of the scenery around him. The silent films gave him more to play than menace. In the Hollywood production *The Man Who Laughs* (1928), he played the disfigured aristocrat Gwynplaine, whose fixed grin put particular demands on an actor so expressive around the eyes. His move into sound did not require him to abandon that theatrical presence. The British fantasy *The Thief of Bagdad* (1940), with Veidt as Jaffar, gave him another substantial villainous part. Such casting made sense, but the troubled outsiders of the silent films give us good reason to look beyond it when considering his work. *Casablanca* (1943) finds him playing Major Heinrich Strasser, one of the officer roles that came to restrict his Hollywood work. We recommend that film without allowances for its age, chiefly for the hurt of its romance and the wit that keeps it moving. It should not, however, be the only film by which we know Veidt. Start with Cesare, and allow a little time to adjust to acting that has no interest in resembling everyday behaviour. ## Biography Conrad Veidt, also credited as Hans Walter Conrad Veidt, was a German actor. Born in Berlin on 22 January 1893, he began his stage career in the city under Max Reinhardt and made his film debut in 1917. He appeared in numerous German silent films, among them *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* (1920) as Cesare and *The Man Who Laughs* (1928) as Gwynplaine. After leaving Germany in 1933 with his Jewish wife, Veidt worked in Britain, taking British citizenship in 1938, and later moved to the United States. His later roles included Jaffar in *The Thief of Bagdad* (1940) and Major Heinrich Strasser in *Casablanca* (1942). He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on 3 April 1943. *Sources: imdb.com, screenonline.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org.* ## On Fi1m (2) - *Casablanca* (1943), Fi1m 93, as Major Heinrich Strasser — [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md) - *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* (1920), Fi1m 87, as Cesare — [page](https://film.one/film/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari.md) ## Complete filmography (114) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Visual Effects: The Thief of Bagdad* (2008), as Jaffar (archival footage) - *Universal Horror* (1998), as (archive footage) - *Above Suspicion* (1943), as Hassert Seidel - *Casablanca* (1943), as Major Heinrich Strasser — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md) - *Nazi Agent* (1942), as Otto Becker / Baron Hugo von Detner - *All Through the Night* (1942), as Franz Ebbing - *The Men in Her Life* (1941), as Stanislas Rosing - *Whistling in the Dark* (1941), as Joseph Jones - *A Woman's Face* (1941), as Torsten Barring - *Escape* (1940), as General Kurt von Kolb - *Contraband* (1940), as Capt. Andersen - *The Thief of Bagdad* (1940), as Jaffar - *The Spy in Black* (1939), as Captain Ernst Hardt - *The Chess Player* (1938), as Le baron de Kempelen - *Tempête sur l'Asie* (1938), as Erich Keith - *Dark Journey* (1937), as Baron Karl Von Marwitz - *Under the Red Robe* (1937), as Gil de Berault - *King of the Damned* (1935), as Convict 83 - *The Passing of the Third Floor Back* (1935), as The Stranger - *Bella Donna* (1934), as Mahmoud Baroudi - *Jew Süss* (1934), as Josef 'Jew Süss' Oppenheimer - *Wilhelm Tell* (1934), as Gessler - *The Wandering Jew* (1933), as Matathias / The Unknown Knight / Dr Matteos Battadios - *I Was a Spy* (1933), as Commandant Oberaertz - *F.P.1* (1933), as Maj. Ellissen - *The Only Girl* (1933), as Marquis de Pontignac - *Rome Express* (1932), as Zurta - *The Black Hussar* (1932), as Captain Hansgeorg von Hochberg - *Rasputin, Demon of the Women* (1932), as Grigori Rasputin - *The Other Side* (1931), as Hauptmann Stanhope - *Congress Dances* (1931), as Fürst Metternich - *The Night of the Decision* (1931), as General Gregori Platoff - *The Man Who Committed the Murder* (1931), as Oberst Marquis de Sévigné - *The Love Storm* (1930), as Kingsley - *The Last Company* (1930), as Hauptmann Burk - *The Last Performance* (1929), as Erik the Great - *Das Land ohne Frauen* (1929), as Dick Ashton - *The Man Who Laughs* (1928), as Gwynplaine / Lord Clancharlie - *Laws of Love: Innocently Outlawed!* (1927), Actor - *A Man's Past* (1927), as Paul La Roche - *The Beloved Rogue* (1927), as King Louis XI - *Napoleon* (1927), as Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade - *The Flight in the Night* (1926), as Count di Nolli, Heinrich IV - *The Student of Prague* (1926), as Balduin, Student - *Love Is Blind* (1926), Actor - *Should We Be Silent?* (1926), as Paul Hartwig, Maler - *Two Brothers* (1926), as Wenzel Schellenberg / Michael Schellenberg - *Impetuous Youth* (1926), as Renées Vater - *The Wife's Crusade* (1926), as Der Staatsanwalt - *The Ingmar Inheritance* (1925), as Hellgum - *Le Comte Kostia* (1925), as Comte Kostia - *Schicksal* (1925), Actor - *Husbands or Lovers* (1924), as Der Liebhaber, ein Dichter - *Waxworks* (1924), as Ivan the Terrible - *The Hands of Orlac* (1924), as Paul Orlac - *Don Carlos und Elisabeth* (1924), as Don Carlos - *Wilhelm Tell* (1923), as Hermann Gessler - *Paganini* (1923), as Niccolo Paganini - *Glanz gegen Glück* (1923), Actor - *Lucrezia Borgia* (1922), as Cesare Borgia - *The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur* (1921), as Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur - *The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi* (1921), as Ayan, Majarajah of Eschnapur - *Lady Hamilton* (1921), as Lord Nelson - *Danton* (1921), as Minor Role (rumored) - *Landstraße und Großstadt* (1921), as Raphael, der Geiger - *Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon* (1921), as Christian Wahnschaffe - *Der Leidensweg der Inge Krafft* (1921), Actor - *Die Liebschaften des Hektor Dalmore* (1921), as Hektor Dalmore - *Liebestaumel* (1921), as Jalenko - *Journey into the Night* (1921), as Der Maler - *Das Geheimnis von Bombay* (1921), as Tossi - *People in Ecstasy* (1921), as Professor Munk - *Desire: The Tragedy of a Dancer* (1921), as Ivan - *The Count of Cagliostro* (1920), as Minister - *Christian Wahnschaffe I: Weltbrand* (1920), as Christian Wahnschaffe - *Manolescu's Memoirs* (1920), as Manolescu - *Evening – Night – Morning* (1920), as Brilburn - Maud's brother - *Moriturus* (1920), as Wilmos · sanatorium director - *The Head of Janus* (1920), as Dr. Warren - *Künstlerlaunen* (1920), Actor - *Kurfürstendamm* (1920), as The devil - *Die Augen der Welt* (1920), as Johannes Kay - *Patience* (1920), as Sir Percy Parker - *Die Nacht auf Goldenhall* (1920), Director, Producer - *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari* (1920), as Cesare — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari.md) - *The Merry-Go-Round* (1920), as Petre Karvan - *Figures of the Night* (1920), as The clown - *Eerie Tales* (1919), as Der Tod / Various Other Roles - *Wahnsinn* (1919), as Bankier Lorenzen · Director - *Prinz Kuckuck* (1919), as Carl Kraker - *Prostitution II* (1919), as Alfred Werner - *Die Okarina* (1919), Actor - *Different from the Others* (1919), as Paul Körner - *Peer Gynt - 2. Teil: Peer Gynts Wanderjahre und Tod* (1919), Actor - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1919), as Phineas Fogg - *Prostitution* (1919), as Alfred Werner - *The Japanese Woman* (1919), Actor - *Opium* (1919), as Dr. Richard Armstrong Jr. - *The Mexican* (1919), as Dr. von Dossen - *Nocturno der Liebe* (1919), as Frederic Chopin - *Opfer der Gesellschaft* (1919), Actor - *Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 2. Henriette Jacoby* (1918), as Doktor Köstling - *The Story of Dida Ibsen* (1918), as Erik Norrensen - *Es werde Licht! 4. Teil: Sündige Mütter* (1918), as Kramer - *Colomba* (1918), as Henryk von Rhyn - *Jettchen Geberts Geschichte. 1. Jettchen Gebert* (1918), as Doktor Köstling - *Diary of a Lost Woman* (1918), as Dr. Julius - *Not of the Woman Born* (1918), as Satan - *Das Dreimäderlhaus* (1918), as Schober - *The Mystery of Bangalore* (1918), as Dinja - *Fear* (1917), as Indian Priest - *Der Spion* (1917), as Steinau - *Wenn Tote sprechen* (1917), as Richard von Worth - *Der Weg des Todes* (1917), Actor ## Gallery - ![Conrad Veidt](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-415b7bdcd0a3.jpg) Conrad Veidt — MGM-photo by Clarence Bull., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Conrad_Veidt_1941.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 27 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-feab46d23245.jpg) Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 27 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_27_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg/1280px-1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_27_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 28 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-e6de16b94ac1.jpg) Colonial Theater advertisement for the American drama film Casablanca (1942) - 28 Jan. 1943 Morning Call, Allentown PA — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_28_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg/1280px-1943_-_Colonial_Theater_Ad_-_28_Jan_MC_-_Allentown_PA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Still from the American romantic adventure film The Beloved Rogue (1927) with John Barrymore and Conrad Veidt. Subjects: motion pictures, actors (1918)](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-86712a92676a.jpg) Still from the American romantic adventure film The Beloved Rogue (1927) with John Barrymore and Conrad Veidt. Subjects: motion pictures, actors (1918) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/A_scene_from_%22The_Beloved_Rogue%22_%28SAYRE_13901%29.jpg/1280px-A_scene_from_%22The_Beloved_Rogue%22_%28SAYRE_13901%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Conrad Veidt](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-c5e251555d6e.jpg) Conrad Veidt — Image via TMDB - ![Film still from A Man's Past (1927)](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-c9a63e1355a8.jpg) Film still from A Man's Past (1927) — Employee(s) of Universal Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Annex_-_Veidt%2C_Conrad_%28A_Man%27s_Past%29_01.jpg/1280px-Annex_-_Veidt%2C_Conrad_%28A_Man%27s_Past%29_01.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Конрад Фейдт и Лиль Даговер в фильме «Кабинет доктора Калигари», 1920 год](https://film.one/media/person/58979/gallery-475140174658.jpg) Конрад Фейдт и Лиль Даговер в фильме «Кабинет доктора Калигари», 1920 год — Decla-Bioscop AG, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Cabinet_caligari_1920.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/conrad-veidt