Conrad Veidt attended the Sophiengymnasium (secondary school) in the Schoeneberg district of Berlin, and graduated without a diploma in 1912, last in his class of 13. Conrad liked animals, theater, cinema, fast cars, pastries, thunderstorms, gardening, swimming, and golfing. He disliked heights, flying, the number 17, wearing ties, pudding, and interviews. His first wife, Ilona (nicknamed Lily), was Jewish. Whenever Conrad had to fill out his ethnic background on forms to get a job, he wrote: "Juden" (Jewish). He and his second wife, Felicitas, fled Germany in 1933 after the rise of Hitler, and became a British citizens in 1939. Universal Studios President Carl Laemmle personally chose Veidt to play Dracula in a film he wanted to be directed by Paul Leni. Ultimately, Bela Lugosi got the role, and Tod Browning directed the film, _Dracula (1931/I)_ . In his last German film, _F.P.1 Doesn't Answer (1933)_ , he sang a song called "Where the Lighthouse Shines Across the Bay." Although the record was considered a flop in 1933, the song became a hit almost 50 years later, when, in 1980, DJ Terry Wogan played it as a request on the Radio 2 breakfast show. That single playing generated numerous phone calls, and shortly thereafter, the song appeared on a British compilation album called "Movie Star Memories" - a collection of songs from 1930s-era films compiled from EMI archives. The album was released by World Records Ltd., and is now out of print but can still be ordered online ("Where the Lighthouse Shines Across the Bay" is track 4 on side 2). Veidt appeared in Germany's first talking picture, Bride 68, and made only one color picture, the 1940 version of "The Thief of Bagdad", filmed in England and Hollywood. In his most famous picture, Casablanca he was the highest paid actor. He died while playing golf, and on the death certificate his name is misspelled as "Hanz Walter Conrad Veidt". Because he had been blacklisted in Nazi Germany, there was no official announcement there of his death. His ex-wife, Felicitas, and daughter Viola, in Switzerland, heard about it on the radio.
Daughter, with Radke, 'Viola Vera Veidt' (b. 8/10/1925) Bob Kane, creator of Batman, used Veidt's appearance in The Man Who Laughs as an early model on which to base the appearance of "The Joker". He died of a heart attack while playing golf (8th hole) at the Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles, California. He was playing with Arthur Field of MGM and his personal physician, Dr. Bergman, who pronounced him dead at the scene. He had long been known in German theaterical ricles as a staunch anti-Nazi. His activities came under the scrutiny of the Gestapo, and a decision was made to assassinate him. Veidt found out about the plot, and managed to escape Germany before the Nazi hit squad found him. [February 4 2004] His daughter Vera Viola passed away from a heart attack in her sleep at her New Orleans apartment. When Britain went to war, Veidt (an anti-Nazi and British citizen) gave most of his estate to the war effort. He also donated a large portion of the salary from each of his movies to the British war relief, as well.