Conrad Veidt: Biography, Height, Cause of Death, Movies, Joker, Casablanca, Net Worth

Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German and British actor widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile performers of the silent and early sound film eras. He achieved international fame through his pioneering work in German Expressionist cinema, particularly his iconic roles in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) as the somnambulist Cesare and The Man Who Laughs (1928) as Gwynplaine, whose permanent grin directly inspired the visual design of the DC Comics villain the Joker.

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After leaving Nazi Germany in 1933 with his Jewish wife, Ilona Prager, Veidt became a British citizen in 1939 and later moved to Hollywood, where he appeared in major films including The Thief of Bagdad (1940) and Casablanca (1942) as the chilling Major Heinrich Strasser.

Known for his tall, elegant presence, expressive eyes, and ability to portray both sympathetic and sinister characters, Veidt was a leading star in Germany during the 1920s and a respected anti-Nazi figure during World War II. He starred in over 100 films across three decades and made significant contributions to theater and early sound cinema. Veidt died suddenly of a heart attack in 1943 at age 50 while playing golf in Los Angeles.

Here is a quick overview of key facts about Conrad Veidt:

Full Name	Hans Walter Conrad Veidt
Date of Birth	22 January 1893
Date of Death	3 April 1943
Age at Death	50 years old
Height	6 feet 3 inches (1.90 m)
Birthplace	Berlin, German Empire
Citizenship	German (until 1939); British (from 1939)
Net Worth (at death, adjusted estimate)	Approximately $1–3 million (modest by modern standards; focused on career and family)

Biography

Conrad Veidt was born Hans Walter Conrad Veidt on 22 January 1893 in Berlin, Germany, at his parents’ home on Tieckstraße 39. His father, Philipp Heinrich Veidt, was a former military man who became a civil servant. His mother, Amalie Marie (née Gohtz), was sensitive and nurturing. Veidt was the youngest of seven siblings, three of whom were from his mother’s previous marriage. His only full sibling was an older brother named Karl, who died of scarlet fever in 1900 at age nine. The family spent summers in Potsdam. Veidt grew up in a Lutheran household, was baptized on 26 March 1893, and was confirmed in 1908. His father was strict and conservative. His mother provided emotional warmth.

As a teenager, Veidt dreamed of becoming a surgeon after a kind doctor performed affordable heart surgery on his father. However, he struggled academically and graduated from high school without a diploma in 1912. That same year, a school Christmas play sparked his interest in acting. He began attending Berlin theaters, took acting lessons for six marks from actor Albert Blumenreich, and auditioned for Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater.

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Reinhardt hired him as an extra for the 1913–1914 season. World War I interrupted his early career; Veidt enlisted in December 1914, served on the Eastern Front, fought in the Battle of Warsaw, and contracted jaundice and pneumonia. Evacuated to a hospital, he later performed for troops in a Front Theatre in Libau after his girlfriend Lucie Mannheim helped him join. Discharged in January 1917 as unfit for service, he returned to the Deutsches Theater.

Veidt’s film career began in 1917 with The Path of Death, after which he quickly became a star in German silent cinema, appearing in over 100 films. His breakthrough came with Different from the Others (1919), an early, sympathetic portrayal of homosexuality, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), in which he played Cesare. Through the 1920s, he starred in The Hands of Orlac (1924), The Student of Prague (1926), and The Man Who Laughs (1928), whose grinning face inspired the Joker. In the late 1920s, Veidt moved to Hollywood but struggled with sound films and English, prompting his temporary return to Germany.

In 1933, after the Nazis rose to power, Veidt and his Jewish wife, Ilona Prager, emigrated to Britain. He declared himself “Jude” (Jew) on a Nazi racial questionnaire to protest antisemitism, rendering himself unemployable in Germany. He became a British citizen in 1939 and moved to Hollywood in 1941 to support the Allied war effort. There, he played villains, including Major Strasser in Casablanca

(1942), his final released role. Veidt died of a heart attack on 3 April 1943 while golfing in Los Angeles.

Conrad Veidt Height

Conrad Veidt stood at 6 feet 3 inches (1.90 meters) tall. His imposing height contributed to his commanding screen presence and made him ideal for both heroic and menacing roles in silent and early sound films.

Conrad Veidt Cause of Death

Conrad Veidt died on 3 April 1943 at age 50 from a heart attack while playing golf at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California. He had a known heart condition, the same one that killed his mother. Chain smoking aggravated his condition, and he carried nitroglycerin tablets. The attack occurred suddenly during a round with singer Arthur Fields and his physician. Veidt was pronounced dead at the scene. His funeral was held in Los Angeles. His ashes were later placed at Golders Green Crematorium in London in 1998.

Conrad Veidt Movies

Conrad Veidt appeared in over 100 films across Germany, Britain, and Hollywood. Key films include:

• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) – Cesare
• The Hands of Orlac (1924) – Paul Orlac
• The Student of Prague (1926) – Balduin
• The Man Who Laughs (1928) – Gwynplaine (Joker inspiration)
• The Spy in Black (1939) – Captain Hardt
• Contraband (1940) – Captain Andersen
• The Thief of Bagdad (1940) – Jaffar
• Escape (1940) – General Kurt von Kolb
• A Woman’s Face (1941) – Torsten Barring
• Nazi Agent (1942) – Otto Becker / Baron Hugo von Detner
• Casablanca (1942) – Major Heinrich Strasser (final released role)
• Above Suspicion (1943) – Hassert Seidel (released posthumously)

Conrad Veidt Joker

Conrad Veidt’s role as Gwynplaine in the 1928 silent film The Man Who Laughs (directed by Paul Leni) directly inspired the visual appearance of the DC Comics supervillain the Joker. In the film, Gwynplaine is a disfigured circus performer whose face has been surgically carved into a permanent, wide grin. This eerie, forced smile, combined with Veidt’s expressive eyes and tragic character, served as a key visual reference for Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson when they created the Joker for Batman #1 in 1940.

Robinson acknowledged the film’s influence, noting the painted-on grin and the tragic undertones. Veidt’s performance remains one of the earliest and most significant cinematic inspirations for the Joker, and the connection is frequently cited in comics history, Batman retrospectives, and Joker origin discussions.

Conrad Veidt Casablanca

In Casablanca (1942), Conrad Veidt played Major Heinrich Strasser, a ruthless Nazi officer pursuing Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman). Strasser represents cold authority and Nazi ideology, serving as the primary antagonist opposing Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart). Veidt’s performance is chilling and memorable, with his aristocratic demeanor and piercing stare making Strasser one of the most iconic villains in film history.

The role was one of his last; Casablanca was released in November 1942, and Veidt died five months later. His work in the film reflects his real-life opposition to the Nazis; he had fled Germany in 1933 and used his Hollywood roles to support the Allied cause. Casablanca remains one of the most celebrated films ever made, and Veidt’s portrayal of Strasser is frequently praised in retrospectives and analyses of the movie’s enduring appeal.

Conrad Veidt Net Worth

At the time of his death on 3 April 1943, Conrad Veidt’s net worth was estimated to be between $1 million and $3 million (equivalent to roughly $18 million to $55 million in 2026 dollars when adjusted for inflation). His wealth came from a long, successful career as one of Germany’s highest-paid silent film stars in the 1920s, followed by steady work in British and Hollywood films in the 1930s and early 1940s. Veidt earned significant salaries from major productions like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Man Who Laughs, The Thief of Bagdad, and Casablanca.

He and his wife, Ilona, also donated large sums to the British war effort and supported refugees, which reduced their personal fortune. Veidt lived comfortably in Beverly Hills but was not among the wealthiest Hollywood stars of his era. After his death, his estate was modest, with no major assets or ongoing royalties reported in public records.