Conrad Veidt

CONRAD VEIDT d1943. German actor best remembered for his roles in notable films including ; The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919) / The Man Who Laughs (1928) / The Spy In Black (1939) / The Thief Of Bagdad (1940) and Casablanca (1942). After a successful career in German silent film (where he was one of the best paid stars of UFA), he left Germany in 1933 with his new Jewish wife Illona Prager. This had been mainly due to his fervent opposition of the growing strength of the new Nazi regime. He settled in the UK, becoming a British citizen in 1938 ; he then left to pursue his career further in the USA in 1941. He died of a sudden heart attack aged just 50 in 1943 whilst playing a round of golf in Los Angeles.