Conrad Veidt packed nearly 120 film roles into his all too brief lifetime, but it was the last film released before his death that guaranteed him a special brand of eternal life, what could be called the “filmmortality” actors receive when they’ve had a key role in a timeless classic that goes on to greater and greater acclaim over the decades. For Veidt the film was Casablanca (1942) and the role was cold-as-marble Major Heinrich Strasser, Nazi commanding officer. The film opened wide in the US on the day after Veidt’s 50th birthday, and he lived long enough to see it achieve its early success. He was gone by the time Casablanca was nominated for eight Oscars and went on to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Veidt had enjoyed making the film but could not have imagined that the movie Warner Bros. had initially feared would fail would one day be universally beloved and frequently touted as the best studio film of Hollywood’s classic era.
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Casablanca |
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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari |
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"Jaffar" in The Thief of Bagdad |
German-born Conrad Veidt had become enamored of the stage in his youth and began as an actor while in his late teens with Max Reinhardt’s famed Deutsches Theater, Berlin’s official theater. He moved into film relatively quickly, rose to stardom and gained a level of international fame that brought an invitation to silent era Hollywood that he accepted. He would return to Germany with the advent of sound films only to be driven out forever by the rise of Hitler and his National Socialists.
A lesser man, a lesser artist, might’ve faded from the
scene at this point, but Conrad Veidt was anything but “lesser.” He admitted that driving ambition, will and luck were crucial
to his success, but he also spoke of an unusual, deep-seated “power” within him
that, he believed, “transmutes not only my inner but physical being when I am
called upon to express myself on the stage or before the camera.” It was, he
felt, “as though something within me presses a switch and my own consciousness
merges into some other, greater, more vital being.” This mysterious internal
process helps account for the fluidity of his performances as well as his uncanny
magnetism.
From the macabre grotesques of his silent films to the cruel,
cosmopolitan Nazis of his late career, it is for his more sinister roles that
Conrad Veidt is best remembered. The mix of sophistication, charm and overt –
or covert – danger he seemed to so effortlessly project onscreen put him in high
demand for films in need of a formidable, even dominating villain, and there
were many.
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A Woman's Face |
Although he could be deliciously convincing as a villain, Veidt possessed the range and skill to play believably sympathetic characters.
One of the better films of his British period was one of his last before decamping
to the U.S. The wartime espionage drama Contraband (1940) was directed by
Michael Powell with a screenplay by Emeric Pressburger. Veidt portrayed the captain of
a neutral Danish freighter who becomes involved in a British agent’s (Valerie
Hobson) assignment to track down a ring of German spies based in London. Not
only did he have the opportunity to play a courageous lead on the right side
of the war, but Veidt also got the girl in the end. It was while promoting this
film in the U.S. that he was lured to Hollywood once more.
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Above Suspicion |
Conrad Veidt’s final film, Above Suspicion (1943) was
released a month after his passing in April 1943. It's not one of his
signature films or even a very good film, but it did allow him
to go out playing an anti-Nazi. The plot has newlyweds Joan Crawford
and Fred MacMurray in Austria on a spy mission. Veidt is the genteel and
gallant Austrian freedom fighter who guides and looks out for them. The New York Times observed, “The late Conrad Veidt must have enjoyed this sabbatical from his
portraits of thin-lipped villainy; here he plays a sort of underground Robin
Hood...” Naturally, his character was cultured and urbane, but this
time he was also heroic.
Veidt had been aware for some years that he had a heart
condition but he kept this to himself so he could continue to work. Reports
of the time have it that he and his wife attended a late-night party on the evening of
April 2, 1943, and that on the morning of the 3rd he headed to the
Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles where he had an early golf date. Apparently
he collapsed on the eighth hole.
Conrad Veidt departed Hollywood forever at age 50 nearly 80 years ago. He is known and admired among film buffs primarily thanks to Casablanca and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, but his imprint extends beyond his roles in those two classics. Disney wasn’t alone in admiring Veidt’s performance in The Thief of Bagdad. Stop-motion animation virtuoso Ray Harryhausen had also taken note. He was a fan of the film and heavily influenced by it. Each of his three Sinbad films of the 1950s – 1970s featured a sorcerer figure inspired by Veidt's Jaffar, and some Harryhausen enthusiasts will say these characters were intended as homage. Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, credited Conrad Veidt’s look - the "rictus smile" - and performance in The Man Who Laughs (1928), a silent made when Veidt was under contract to Universal, as the inspiration for the Joker. The Joker, a major figure in the Batman cosmos, has been portrayed by several actors over several decades, from Cesar Romero on TV to Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger (Supporting Actor Oscar) and Jared Leto in the film franchise. Though linked to Batman's Joker and providing a potential origin story for him, the stand-alone film Joker (2019) was a psychological thriller starring Joaquin Phoenix in a Best Actor Oscar-winning performance as a comedian descending into madness. I suspect all of this would please Conrad Veidt very much.
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This is my contribution to the fabulous 10th Annual What a Character! blogathon. Click here for more!
I didn't realize the connection between The Joker and The Man Who Laughs. Like you said, Conrad Veidt was extremely influential.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this tribute. It was great to learn more about this remarkable man.
To be honest, I was aware The Joker had something to do with a silent film and had sense of the poster image, but I didn't know more than that until recently.
DeleteConrad Veidt would, in all likelihood, be pleased with his influential performances reaching through the decades. I like to think he would also be pleased with your tribute to the man and his work in this marvelous article.
ReplyDeleteI hope he would be pleased with my tribute and would understand that I could've written so much more - something more book-length.
DeleteYour post just sparkles like a crystal, my dear. Kind of like Jafar. Seriously, well done. I'm glad you mentioned "A' Woman's Face." Major league nasty man there.
ReplyDeleteIt was actually "A Woman's Face" that inspired me to want to get to know more about Conrad Veidt. Such a performance..."Lucifer in a tuxedo," indeed.
DeleteThis is a terrific, beautifully written essay on one of most talented and fascinating performers of his era. I always felt bad he got stuck playing so many Nazis, but since he knew the indignity and terror of their devouring his country, perhaps that helped him create such soulless characters on screen. A great entry into this blogathon, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Jacqueline. I can see that your appreciation for Conrad Veidt is deep. I felt badly for him, too, for all those Nazi roles. I suspect, though, that his depictions of those cruel, ruthless brutes did as much in support of the Allied cause as his more direct work on behalf of the war effort off screen.
DeleteConrad Veidt has always fascinated me. I agree with him, that he had "an unusual, deep-seated 'power' within him." It has always worked for me, time notwithstanding.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this information-packed tribute to Veidt. I see there are some films to add to my "must-see-Veidt" list!
I thought his comments about the sense of inner power and connection he experienced while acting were quite revealing - and self-aware. He will always fascinate me.
DeleteEnjoy your continuing exploration of his films, Marianne!
I knew about Veidt influencing the Joker but the Jafar one is news to me. Thanks--this was great!
ReplyDeleteThank you. And...I may not have said it outright, but Veidt also - obviously - heavily influenced the portrayal of Nazis on film.
DeleteHi, Great write-up on Veidt, regarding both his personal and professional life. I've only seen a few of his performances, A Woman's Face and Casablanca, and find him mesmerizing. I'll explore his career more this winter, with your tribute as a reference point. Rick
ReplyDeleteThanks, and enjoy your exploration of Conrad Veidt, Rick. I hope you continue to be - as I am - mesmerized by him.
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