Conrad Veidt on TCM: More Than Major Strasser

[knitwit45]

nah, I think we've cooled off....then again.....

[JackFavell]

[knitwit45]

Jacks, you are WICKED!!!!!!!

[JackFavell]

Heh heh. Cooling down with Connie.

[MikeBSG]

One Conrad Veidt film that I like a lot and that very few people seem to have seen is the 1926 "The Student of Prague." I saw it on VHS several years ago, and I was very impressed not only with Veidt's performance, but the stylishness of the film. (There is one scene in which Veidt's character goes to a bar and gets drunk while a gypsy band plays. It reminded me a bit of the jazz nightmare from "Phantom Lady.") The film is miles better than the 1913 "Student" or the silent "Hands of Orlac."

[pvitari]

I have an old VHS of The Student of Prague. It's a pretty bad copy but I believe there is a nice print in a museum somewhere in Europe (no doubt the German film archive)... I wish they'd give it a proper DVD release as is it yet another stupendous silent era performance from Veidt.



A rare hormonal interlude... that was one beautiful man.

[Jezebel38]

Mike - I agree - CV in The Student of Prague is WAY better than Hands of Orlac. Like Paula, I also have the VHS copy, but the quality is not good - most likely why TCM hasn't shown it.

While looking on Youtube for the 1926 version, I actualy found someone has posted the 1935 version with Anton Walbrook! I just posted a link in the General Discussion forum under Lost Movies on Youtube.

[moira finnie]

I have never made it though The Student of Prague without having to adjust the video over and over--though Veidt was wonderful in the role. The Hands of Orlac seemed to lack pacing and had continuity problems. Without Conrad Veidt's gaunt and traumatized victim and Fritz Kortner's laughable but enjoyable villain, I would have given up--but those two held my attention. Thanks so much for unearthing Anton Walbrook in The Student of Prague (1935), which I look forward to eagerly! Love him too.

[charliechaplinfan]

Holy cow! I'm stunned they weren't both Rains! I need to go back and check my recording now... when I first saw him, I had doubts, wondering about whether Rains would actually be in England at that time. I think I need to check my glasses prescription.

I watched Contraband last night, I thought it was Claude Rains too, I could have sworn it was but couldn't remember seeing his name in the credits and thought it was a strange kind of role for him to take on, he seems more the serious sort and also a star in his own right to be playing second fiddle to Conrad Veidt. I love the movie, I thought Veidt was very dark and dashing and the movie was full of humour, I'm looking forward to catching up with him in Dark Journey.

[RedRiver]

Chaplin Fan,

I hope you like DARK JOURNEY. It's getting mixed reviews, from this board and others. But I was impressed.

[charliechaplinfan]

Today I watched The Spy in Black, deep breath, I absolutely loved him and the film. I've never routed for the German before in a war movie but I didn't want the ending I got, it was a movie for war time audiences, it couldn't really have gone any other way. The film works primarily because of how good Conrad is in the role, he's so noble and true to his profession along with incredibly charming. Valerie Hobson is wonderful too and has great chemistry with Veidt, mind you, who wouldn't. Rereading this thread it seems that he has a majority of the women posters here a bit breathless. How come he didn't affect me this way as Major Strasser? I never realised what lay beneath.

I watched both the movies with hubby and told him off his generosity and British citizenship. It occured to us that he wasn't honoured by the British government, that was a shame.

I wondered too if he starred with small actors but according to the imdb he was 6ft 3, that's quite tall.

[Ann Harding]

I was sure you'd love that one. I still remember when I first saw it on BBC TV. Then, supidly, I erased my VHS. Later, I saw it on a big screen in Paris. It was still lovely.

[charliechaplinfan]

I treated myself to watching Dark Journey this morning, I don't know whether I missed a bit at the beginning but I really had no idea of who was working for who, it added to the suspense of the film. Vivien Leigh is as beautiful as ever, like a perfect picture, perfect foil for Conrad's German navy captain. I was absolutely swept up by the story and the leading characters. Conrad is darkly handsome and ever so dangerous. These three British movies I've watched with him has been built around one war or the other, with him playing a spy or against a spy ring. I'm looking forward to watching him in The Thief of Bagdad.

[RedRiver]

That's funny! I missed the beginning as well. It does make things rather confusing. But I enjoyed trying to put it all together.