A lot of 30s and 40s Hollywood actors felt they were selling out at the time. They could never anticipate the impact their work would have down through the years.
the telling of a great actor is that even when they give their best, they still feel they could give more and want to give more, their burning passion exceeding more than the mortal form can bear Veidt gave us memorable movies to look back on, some sadly lost, but his legacy is preserved, and we will remember him
The greatest tragedy of cinema are the films that have been lost to time. Hopefully, viewable copies of those movies will be found in a forgotten dark corner and brought back into the light.
I’d loved to have seen him as Dracula. I can only imagine. But I have a soft spot for The Spy in Black, I guess because I’m a WWII buff and I found the movie not because I was seeking it out, but it was on a Netflix retake back when they still mailed out DVD’s and all I could think was “Ooo…Conrad Veidt.” 😊 Of his horror though I loved him in Waxworks. Dark Journey I just located on Tubi so will definitely be checking it out as I’d love to see him and Vivien Leigh together. Thanks for the video and for saluting such a wonderful actor.
That Alma Reville film makes me think It's a shame he never worked in Hitchcock's early films. What a brilliant actor who's still admired 100 years later.
This is one of the most informative and knowledgeable channels on movie history that is utterly engaging and entertaining at the same time. A rare combination very hard to achieve. Kudos.👍
A toast to Conrad Veidt - as we are at a point in time where silent classics of the Roaring Twenties are turning centennial, we must revisit his cherished works and share them with an emerging new generation of horror fans!!!
It always makes me sad when there's talk of lost movies. The sheer volume of what was lost is amazing. As to Conrad I don't know if I have a favorite as most of the movies I've seen are his Hollywood, though I'm going to see if I can track down the one where he loses his reflection.
Those eyes... I could stare at those eyes forever. No wonder he had so many hypnosis scenes in his movies. Cabinet of Doctor Caligari and Hands of Orlac are my favorites.
Man I love this channel, after just a couple vids…enthusiastic, respectful of the past, thoughtful, positive…subscribed! The wife will be thrilled after the other channels I usually watch 😀
Thanks dark corner reviews for top 10 films of Conrad Veidt i did't know Veidt was in Caligari thank you for mentioning his other work that doesn't get talk enough in film discussion of his career.
Excellent video. Veidt is one of my favourite classic film stars, but I didn't know much about his personal life -- thank you for the peek behind the curtain. Glad to know he was a good human being.
17:00 I see what you did there... but also speaking as a history buff.. its crazy to think they were making films on Rasputin so soon after his murder & the fall of the Russian Empire
Many stars today are aware of their level of fame & the worst ones take advantage of that. This generation did everything for the genuine love of the craft.. if only they knew how beloved theyd become devades after there gone. Another great video on a great actor
Like Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Man Who Laughs is a Victor Hugo historical drama in which society is the real monster. But Universal markets them both as part of the Monsters franchise, so that's good enough for me! Thanks for this list... Veidt was incredible!
One of my favorite Christopher Lee anecdotes from both his memoir and a horror spotlight series was how he met Veidt when he was a young lad on the golf course (Lee found a penchant for the sport and Veidt was well known to have loved the game also) and initially didn’t quite recognize the late actor until it clicked a moment later. He said Veidt was quite soft-spoken but kind & then not long after their brief meeting was when Veidt passed away
Veidt's character in Man Who Laughs also reminded me of Ben Grimm's romance with the blind sculptress Alicia Masters from the Fantastic Four comics. She appreciates who he really is, despite his shocking appearance.
His performance as Jaffar in The Thief of Bagdad, long ago convinced me that he would have been a Dracula for the ages. I know he was the first choice for Universal, but Imagine instead a lavish 1939 Korda production, photographed in moody (imo superior) British 3 strip Technicolor. Further imagine it being helmed by Bagdad co-director, and peerless stylist, Michael Powell. Would Veidt have been the Dracula against which all others are measured?
Dam it I wish someone could find an intact copy of Janus Face. Besides Veidt it also featured a predracula Bela Lugosi; apparently the only film that the two of them ever starred together. I want to see this as much as London After Midnight. At least they managed to make a reconstruction of LAM using stills. Can they not do the same such thing with Janus Face?
I think the number of production stills taken for a mid-twenties Hollywood studio film is significantly more than Januskopf would have had. I can only find a handful online. The script also survives for London After Midnight and some novelisations
What a coincidence! I am currently reading The Landlady, a novel by Brendan Nash set in 1923 in Berlin, and I was just reading a chapter where a character goes to the cinema to see his favourite movie star: Conrad Veidt!
He had a great role as a WW1 UBoat captain working under cover in the Scottish islands by Scarpa Flow in the Spy in Black. He was also brilliantly sinister in the Thief of Bagdad.. Which was a Korda masterpiece and still holds up now nearly 90 years later.
I love all your content, but these long form, retrospective videos are always a such a treat. It’s so sad that cinema has lost its way and lost these wonderful people who made movies that left such impressions upon the viewer. Great work!
I don't know about "lost its way". Let's not forget that vast quantities of junk were also being produced during Veidt's career. We just don't talk about the dreck, which gives the impression of a higher level of quality than really existed.
If the standard is which film features Veidt at his best, I agree with this list. As to which is the best film overall? Hard to say, because they all appeal in such different ways. But Dr. C does work its way into your dreams.
His final film was in Joan Crawford's last MGM film (Above Suspicion) He is cast against type as a non-Nazi. Joan was considered "box office poison" (MGM's term) and let go. Her next film-(Mildred Pierce) made for Warner Brothers, earned her the Oscar. Suspicion is not a great film, but being a Basil Rathbone fan as a kid (and still today) I always liked it. Thanks for the video.
Maybe I missed something… but you kept showing pictures of “Uncanny stories” when mentioning the lost films. The stills shown are what I know to be from Eerie Tales (1919)… are these two separate films? Because while most prints of Eerie Tales are known to be lost, they do have some existing version, because it’s featured in full on the Severin Films Blu Ray of their Anthology documentary Tales of the Uncanny (2020), and I recently watched it. I was really hoping to hear you review or mention this film more because it is a horror anthology with Veidt in all five segments (including the wraparounds) as multiple different characters and the segments are all based on classic horror stories (based on Poe, Stephenson, etc.). Idk if maybe you mentioned this more in the video and maybe I missed it, but if not I would love to see you review it in the future.
Film critics love Veidt because he was a great artist. I love Veidt because he was the original goth twink in tight pants and eyeliner. We are not the same.
@@DarkCornersReviews yeah Id say the views boost with Joker coming out will be great. We're just trying to cover some more films pre 1940s at the moment so it seemed like perfect timing!
Conrad Veidt mentioned :DDDD I'm never usually one for supporting and admiring historical figures but this guy is just superb. An amazing human being and a brilliant actor, not only influencing cinema in monumental ways but overall just being a really great guy; from being a queer icon, feminist, staunch anti nazi and opposed the regime with a passion, to being a humanitarian hero in the UK and using his power and influence to help his friends and family escape the nazi regime. Truly a such an inspirational historical figure. Love you Connie ❤
Yep. Most of the greats of old Hollywood did. Olivier was blessed to have at least been in decent, even good, films. So many others had to settle for schlock.
DC doing a review of one of the finest unsung actors ever? I'm THERE, baby. ❤
A lot of 30s and 40s Hollywood actors felt they were selling out at the time. They could never anticipate the impact their work would have down through the years.
the telling of a great actor is that even when they give their best, they still feel they could give more and want to give more, their burning passion exceeding more than the mortal form can bear
Veidt gave us memorable movies to look back on, some sadly lost, but his legacy is preserved, and we will remember him
The greatest tragedy of cinema are the films that have been lost to time. Hopefully, viewable copies of those movies will be found in a forgotten dark corner and brought back into the light.
I sincerely hope that physical copies of the scripts survive and will be rediscovered.
these films sadly disintegrate they are not just "lost"
This is an outstanding roundup. Well done, Dark Corners.
I’d loved to have seen him as Dracula. I can only imagine. But I have a soft spot for The Spy in Black, I guess because I’m a WWII buff and I found the movie not because I was seeking it out, but it was on a Netflix retake back when they still mailed out DVD’s and all I could think was “Ooo…Conrad Veidt.” 😊 Of his horror though I loved him in Waxworks. Dark Journey I just located on Tubi so will definitely be checking it out as I’d love to see him and Vivien Leigh together.
Thanks for the video and for saluting such a wonderful actor.
One of my favourite actors! It's hard to pick a favourite film but I wish to find the most of his lost films!
Conrad Veidt my beloved ❤️
Truly. What an exceptional human being.
That Alma Reville film makes me think It's a shame he never worked in Hitchcock's early films. What a brilliant actor who's still admired 100 years later.
No one could emote or do facial expressions like Conrad Veidt, he was like the original Doug Jones
And I just now found out Doug Jones played Cesare in a Caligari remake in 2005.
Love Doug Jones! I was lucky enough to meet him at the airport in Ottawa -- I was behind him in line at security. He's very kind and gracious.
This is one of the most informative and knowledgeable channels on movie history that is utterly engaging and entertaining at the same time. A rare combination very hard to achieve. Kudos.👍
So excited about this!!!!!!! I love Conrad Veidt.
My favorite Veidt role? Jafar in "Thief of Baghdad". Disney only steals from the best.
I never miss an opportunity to point out that "Alladin" is a strsight-up rip-off of "The Thief of Bagdad."
@@willmfrank I was really surprised at just how blatant that was, lol.
Long form Dark Corners reviews are always welcome. I always learn something new.
He has the most beautiful face. So expressive and those eyes!
I ordered 'The Man who laughs' yesterday . I love Gwyneplain.🥰
A toast to Conrad Veidt - as we are at a point in time where silent classics of the Roaring Twenties are turning centennial, we must revisit his cherished works and share them with an emerging new generation of horror fans!!!
I just discovered his films. Today I watched the man who laughs. It’s a wonderful film. I really enjoyed it.
It always makes me sad when there's talk of lost movies. The sheer volume of what was lost is amazing. As to Conrad I don't know if I have a favorite as most of the movies I've seen are his Hollywood, though I'm going to see if I can track down the one where he loses his reflection.
Those eyes... I could stare at those eyes forever.
No wonder he had so many hypnosis scenes in his movies.
Cabinet of Doctor Caligari and Hands of Orlac are my favorites.
A wonderful man and a great artist. Thank you for this superb tribute.
He was also one of the first screen stars to play a homosexual, in Different From The Others, 1919.
good film
A very nice tribute to a man a lot of people don't think of as a horror star, but this proves he was!
Der Januskopf is my most desired lost film
Mine too. I would love to see that movie.
Man I love this channel, after just a couple vids…enthusiastic, respectful of the past, thoughtful, positive…subscribed! The wife will be thrilled after the other channels I usually watch 😀
Thanks dark corner reviews for top 10 films of Conrad Veidt i did't know Veidt was in Caligari thank you for mentioning his other work that doesn't get talk enough in film discussion of his career.
Has anyone mentioned that the makeup for The Man Who Laughs, inspired the makeup for… er.. oh I’ve forgotten 😂
Not to worry. If people can't figure it out on their own, they're following the wrong genre.
This connection is what made me aware of Conrad Veidt and The Man Who Laughs in the first place.
Veidt is always fantastic to watch. I have to thank Dark Corners for introducing me to "The Spy in Black". Went out and watched it today. Great film.
Delighted to hear it!
Great retrospective - thank you for adding a few films to my watch list that even I as a silent cinema lover wasn't aware of!
TRIVIA NOTE: ' THE MAN WHO
LAUGHS' was the inspiration for the character of The Joker
in BATMAN.
Yes, he mentioned that in the video already.
The respect and care you put into this video is phenomenal. Fantastic work!
Excellent video. Veidt is one of my favourite classic film stars, but I didn't know much about his personal life -- thank you for the peek behind the curtain. Glad to know he was a good human being.
My favourite film by Conrad is the Theif of Bagdad. I grew up loving that movie. I do love adventure mixed with magic a dash of horror.
Excellent as always. A real shame about the lost silent movies. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the Evelyn Ankers special as well.
17:00 I see what you did there... but also speaking as a history buff.. its crazy to think they were making films on Rasputin so soon after his murder & the fall of the Russian Empire
Isn't it? I was quite taken aback when I checked the dates. Amazing how quick the legend of his death established itself.
Oh I just love Conrad so much, thank you for this video 😍🙌🏻
Many stars today are aware of their level of fame & the worst ones take advantage of that. This generation did everything for the genuine love of the craft.. if only they knew how beloved theyd become devades after there gone. Another great video on a great actor
Like Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Man Who Laughs is a Victor Hugo historical drama in which society is the real monster. But Universal markets them both as part of the Monsters franchise, so that's good enough for me! Thanks for this list... Veidt was incredible!
Another outstanding video from the best review channel on RUclips! Thank you Dark Corners!
We feel heard!
One of your best episodes to date. Thank you for this.
One of my favorite Christopher Lee anecdotes from both his memoir and a horror spotlight series was how he met Veidt when he was a young lad on the golf course (Lee found a penchant for the sport and Veidt was well known to have loved the game also) and initially didn’t quite recognize the late actor until it clicked a moment later. He said Veidt was quite soft-spoken but kind & then not long after their brief meeting was when Veidt passed away
I think Veidt died on the golf course.
I love how he isn't a household name, but he is INFAMOUS just on celluloid imagery alone! Name others with that honor!
I love the ending of Student of Prague with the mirror; and it had great FX considering the time.
Great as always. Will be adding more movies to the watch list.
Videos like this made me fall in love with your channel all over again b
Thank you for this, Dark Corners duo.
The movie I really loved Veidt in was ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT. A great movie that everyone should see.
I really wish I could watch Janus Head! Love Conrad's work, he would surely be one of the people I'd like too meet if time travel was possible.
This was a great tribute to a fine actor, too often overlooked.
Amazing video about my favorite Actor. Thank you Dark Corners😘
Veidt's character in Man Who Laughs also reminded me of Ben Grimm's romance with the blind sculptress Alicia Masters from the Fantastic Four comics. She appreciates who he really is, despite his shocking appearance.
Looking forward to this! :D
I found The Student of Prague on RUclips with English title cards. It's a poor quality transfer, but still watchable. What a great movie!
His performance as Jaffar in The Thief of Bagdad, long ago convinced me that he would have been a Dracula for the ages. I know he was the first choice for Universal, but Imagine instead a lavish 1939 Korda production, photographed in moody (imo superior) British 3 strip Technicolor. Further imagine it being helmed by Bagdad co-director, and peerless stylist, Michael Powell. Would Veidt have been the Dracula against which all others are measured?
It would certainly have had an effect on the later Hammer horrors.
A awesome actor! One of my personal favourites 🎉
Know what?
I am *so proud* to have my name in the patreon-supporters crawl at the end of this particular video
🖤
One of my favorites.
But. I always have the deepest sigh in hearing the words “lost film”. 😢😢
Dam it I wish someone could find an intact copy of Janus Face. Besides Veidt it also featured a predracula Bela Lugosi; apparently the only film that the two of them ever starred together. I want to see this as much as London After Midnight. At least they managed to make a reconstruction of LAM using stills. Can they not do the same such thing with Janus Face?
I think the number of production stills taken for a mid-twenties Hollywood studio film is significantly more than Januskopf would have had. I can only find a handful online. The script also survives for London After Midnight and some novelisations
Love your channel man!
What a coincidence! I am currently reading The Landlady, a novel by Brendan Nash set in 1923 in Berlin, and I was just reading a chapter where a character goes to the cinema to see his favourite movie star: Conrad Veidt!
This was an amazing video. Thank you.
He had a great role as a WW1 UBoat captain working under cover in the Scottish islands by Scarpa Flow in the Spy in Black. He was also brilliantly sinister in the Thief of Bagdad.. Which was a Korda masterpiece and still holds up now nearly 90 years later.
This was phenomenal. Thank you.
Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this. Cheers!
I just watched his very last film, “Above Suspicion,” on TCM. He gave a really charming comedy performance. But “The Thief of Baghdad” is my favorite.
Above Suspicion should have been about his character. ;D
# 1 ~ No, it's definitely a horror film.
(Great job with this upload. Really enjoyed it.)
I love all your content, but these long form, retrospective videos are always a such a treat. It’s so sad that cinema has lost its way and lost these wonderful people who made movies that left such impressions upon the viewer. Great work!
I don't know about "lost its way". Let's not forget that vast quantities of junk were also being produced during Veidt's career. We just don't talk about the dreck, which gives the impression of a higher level of quality than really existed.
If the standard is which film features Veidt at his best, I agree with this list. As to which is the best film overall? Hard to say, because they all appeal in such different ways. But Dr. C does work its way into your dreams.
He was a great actor, always welcome in a film. He was up there with the all time great horror actors.
Thank you so much for this wonderful video.
His final film was in Joan Crawford's last MGM film (Above Suspicion) He is cast against type as a non-Nazi. Joan was considered "box office poison" (MGM's term) and let go. Her next film-(Mildred Pierce) made for Warner Brothers, earned her the Oscar. Suspicion is not a great film, but being a Basil Rathbone fan as a kid (and still today) I always liked it. Thanks for the video.
I have The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Waxworks, and The Man Who Laughs on DVD.
Greetings from South Carolina 🎉
A good horror-adjacent role for Conrad Veidt was in the 1941 Red Skelton vehicle Whistling in the Dark. He was a sinister cult leader named J.J.
Yeah, and his Cabinet of Caligari performance was the inspiration of the Riddler.
Just leaving a comment... excellent doc.
I never heard that about the Riddler.
The student of Prague was such a fun movie! I really liked it. I can't wait to watch Hands or Orlac :)
Doesn't get talked about enough
Great, great special
I bow to his genius.🎭
Maybe I missed something… but you kept showing pictures of “Uncanny stories” when mentioning the lost films. The stills shown are what I know to be from Eerie Tales (1919)… are these two separate films? Because while most prints of Eerie Tales are known to be lost, they do have some existing version, because it’s featured in full on the Severin Films Blu Ray of their Anthology documentary Tales of the Uncanny (2020), and I recently watched it. I was really hoping to hear you review or mention this film more because it is a horror anthology with Veidt in all five segments (including the wraparounds) as multiple different characters and the segments are all based on classic horror stories (based on Poe, Stephenson, etc.).
Idk if maybe you mentioned this more in the video and maybe I missed it, but if not I would love to see you review it in the future.
Same film. Looks like I skimmed the information on that a little too quickly. Nice to know it does survive
Film critics love Veidt because he was a great artist. I love Veidt because he was the original goth twink in tight pants and eyeliner. We are not the same.
He was much more mysteriously handsome than Rudolph Valentino, IMNSHO.
Were covering 'The Man Who Laughs' next week which Im very excited for! Love Caligari so much
Man who Laughs is a great film. And not just because it's out best performing video.
@@DarkCornersReviews yeah Id say the views boost with Joker coming out will be great. We're just trying to cover some more films pre 1940s at the moment so it seemed like perfect timing!
Thank you for this
My favorite film of his is the spy story "Dark Journey" 1937, with Vivian Leigh.
One of my favorites is All Through the Night, an earlier pairing of Bogart and Veidt
Expecting and anticipating modern remakes of all of these films.
With Michael Fassbender.
TCM showed Above Suspicion (1942) the other day. The film clearly should have been about Veidt's character. ;D
I honestly never knew he was in casablanca lol. he'll always be known as cesare the somnambulist to me. and of course as the inspiration for the joker
Conrad Veidt mentioned :DDDD I'm never usually one for supporting and admiring historical figures but this guy is just superb. An amazing human being and a brilliant actor, not only influencing cinema in monumental ways but overall just being a really great guy; from being a queer icon, feminist, staunch anti nazi and opposed the regime with a passion, to being a humanitarian hero in the UK and using his power and influence to help his friends and family escape the nazi regime. Truly a such an inspirational historical figure. Love you Connie ❤
This list is of Veidt-al importance to the horror aficionado!
Great video
I think one of the greatest unsung actors of all time
YES!!! SO EXCITED!!!!!
Der Januskopf featured Bela Lugosi as well!
To be fair Sir Laurence himself that he started making movies for the art but later in his career he made them for the money
Yep. Most of the greats of old Hollywood did. Olivier was blessed to have at least been in decent, even good, films. So many others had to settle for schlock.
He had a wonderful career
I hope he appreciates it from above
Beautiful.
17:45 and I was about to say how much he looked like the Joker.
Paul Leni-directed Dracula with Veidt as the Count? 😭