Veidt, Conrad

Born Jan. 22, 1893, in Berlin; died Apr. 3, 1943, in Hollywood. German and American film actor.

Veidt began his film career in 1917. He created a number of significant roles in German expressionist films: the somnambulist Cesare in The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), the Pianist in The Hands of Orlac (1924; shown in the USSR as Dance of Nerves), and Ivan the Terrible in Waxworks (1925). He also appeared in The Indian Tomb (1921) and Paganini (1923).

In 1933, after the establishment of the fascist regime, Veidt left Germany and pursued his career in England and the USA. He appeared in the films The Thief of Baghdad (1940), The Men in Her Life (1941; shown in the USSR as Ballerina), and Casablanca (1943).