Conrad Veidt

Conrad Veidt (1893–1943) was a German actor who became a major star of silent cinema and later played Major Strasser in Casablanca.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: A 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene, noted for its distorted sets and expressionist style. Veidt played Cesare, the somnambulist whose stark appearance became an emblem of German Expressionism.
German Expressionism: An early twentieth-century movement in German art and cinema that used distortion and heightened forms to convey inner states. Its visual style defined several early films that established Veidt’s screen reputation.
Liliom: A 1930 German-language film directed by Fritz Lang, adapted from Ferenc Molnár’s play about a carnival barker. Veidt starred in Lang’s film shortly before leaving Germany after the Nazi rise to power.
Nazi Germany: The German state under Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship from 1933 to 1945. Veidt left Germany as Nazi rule began and opposed its antisemitic politics.
The Man Who Laughs: A 1928 silent film directed by Paul Leni, adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel about a disfigured performer. Veidt’s Gwynplaine helped shape the visual conception of the Joker.
Max Reinhardt: An Austrian-born theater director and producer who transformed German-language stagecraft in the early twentieth century. Veidt trained and performed in Reinhardt’s theatrical company before his film career took off.
Fritz Lang: An Austrian-German-American film director whose works include Metropolis and M. Lang directed Veidt in Liliom during the transition from silent to sound cinema.
Political exile: Forced or chosen residence outside one’s homeland because of political conditions or persecution. Veidt’s departure from Germany placed his later career within the history of exile from Nazism.
Casablanca: A 1942 American romantic drama directed by Michael Curtiz and set during World War II. Veidt’s final film role was Major Heinrich Strasser, the German officer opposing Rick Blaine.
German cinema of the Weimar Republic: The film industry of Germany’s democratic republic from 1918 to 1933, known for formal innovation and international influence. Veidt’s silent-film stardom grew within this era’s flourishing industry.

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Lil DagoverRelated: Veidt and Dagover starred together in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.