Behind the Scenes with Conrad Veidt: Demon of the Silver Screen

We spend a lot of time on my channel going over the big names and the big monsters, but I today, there’s a lesser known legend we’re covering. And I do mean legend.

Conrad Veidt was born January 22, 1893 in Berlin, Germany. By 1920 he would be cast in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - one of the most important roles of his life. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is considered quintessential German Expressionist cinema. This movie was a huge influence on Universal horror.

He made his first trip to Hollywood in 1926 to act in The Beloved Rogue with John Barrymore. While there, he was courted by many of the major studios, but it was Uncle Carl at Universal who won. Conrad Veidt signed with Universal for $2,000 per week, and made 3 pictures with them.

If The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari put Conrad Veidt on the map, it was The Man Who Laughs that cemented his legacy as a master of expression. As Gwynplaine, Veidt brought to life a character trapped in a perpetual smile - a role that required him to act through layers of makeup, and a dental contraption that hooked his mouth up at the corners, created by the incomparable Jack Pierce.

Behind the scenes, Conrad Veidt was outspoken against anti-semitism and fled Europe to keep himself and his Jewish wife safe. He donated much of his fortune to the British war effort, he donated thousands of dollars to children in need in air raid shelters, supports the European Film Fund (co-founded by Uncle Carl Laemmle,) and helped his friends and relatives escape Europe. On screen, he began getting recognition for playing the very people he hated.

Conrad Veilt passed away on April 3, 1943 while golfing at the Riviera Country Club. He was only 50 years old. Today Conrad Veidt is best remembered as the man who inspired the joker in The Man Who Laughs, or the man who inspired Jafar in The Thief of Baghdad, but I think he should be remembered for so much more.

The Man Who Laughs: https://amzn.to/3QMRxje
Casablanca: https://amzn.to/47Hi8oJ
Conrad Veidt on Screen: A Comprehensive Illustrated Filmography: https://amzn.to/40FJiKp
The Thief of Baghdad: https://amzn.to/3urnPZk
Batman: The Man Who Laughs: https://amzn.to/40GumLX

Filming Equipment
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Lighting: https://amzn.to/45AcV1L
Yeti Mic: https://amzn.to/3oHG36w
Final Draft Screenwriting Software: https://amzn.to/3OPXyfp

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