Conrad Veidt
I saw this quotation on tumblr and thought I had to reproduce it. Anyone heard it or the story that BR and Conrad Veidt were friends before? I wonder if Ouida approved of CV or if he was one of the “undesirable chums.”
“One of Conrad’s best friends in Hollywood in the early 1940s was the noted actor Basil Rathbone. Conrad and Basil had met in England a few years earlier and when Conrad came to Hollywood in 1940, they renewed their friendship. Conrad and Basil would often get together on weekends and try their hands at writing short stories and novels. They (and their wives) would take turns visiting each other’s homes. Conrad and Basil would then sit down in the den, with a tall, cold drink for each, and wrestle verbally with different story plots and ideas. Conrad often jokingly began his novels with the standard introductory sentence made famous by the British novelist, Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in his Gothic novels: “It was a dark and stormy night”. […] Since Conrad and Basil both excelled in villainous cinema roles, they tried jokingly to outdo each other in writing the most vile and unsavory characters they could imagine into the stories they authored.”
“One of Conrad’s best friends in Hollywood in the early 1940s was the noted actor Basil Rathbone. Conrad and Basil had met in England a few years earlier and when Conrad came to Hollywood in 1940, they renewed their friendship. Conrad and Basil would often get together on weekends and try their hands at writing short stories and novels. They (and their wives) would take turns visiting each other’s homes. Conrad and Basil would then sit down in the den, with a tall, cold drink for each, and wrestle verbally with different story plots and ideas. Conrad often jokingly began his novels with the standard introductory sentence made famous by the British novelist, Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in his Gothic novels: “It was a dark and stormy night”. […] Since Conrad and Basil both excelled in villainous cinema roles, they tried jokingly to outdo each other in writing the most vile and unsavory characters they could imagine into the stories they authored.”
(Conrad Veidt: From Caligari to Casablanca)
I remember Conrad Veidt for his “nasty Nazi” roles. I played a nasty neo-nazi in “Medical Center” segment “The Heel of the Tyrant”. Some of the dialog was really ripe and dated and I talked to director Earl Bellamy about it. I said, “This stuff is right out of a Conrad Veidt movie.” Earl said “No strain. Just underplay it”. When I looked at it recently I should have mumbled it like a lot of today’s actors do.
Basil’s last big role in a big movie, “The Court Jester” is on this Sunday on TCM. It is a very good movie. Is it , The vessel with the pestal or does The Flagon with the Dragon hold the brew that is true?”
I have never heard of them being friends
I bet CV was not a fave of Ouida’s
Apparently, Veidt was German, but passionately anti-
Nazi, and he became a British citizen and allegedly gave some of his earnings to Allied charitable causes. His last wife was Jewish, and he identified as Jewish either in protest or was a Jewish convert. He ironically ended up playing characters like those Nazis he despised, and he died tragically of a sudden heart attack in 1943.
Yes, a very tragic figure
I know nothing about Conrad Veidt.But that photo was not taken in the 1940s I dont belive they were still useing the cdv format that late.Unless it was old stock.It’s nice to think Basil had a few “unaproved” of friends though.
Oh, I love this quote! I am a fan of Conrad Veidt’s as well as Basil’s (he was very handsome in his youth in quite a similar way to Basil) and am happy to think they were friends
There are some amazing photos of Veidt in his 1920 horror silent The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, like this one: http://emilycorpsebride.tumblr.com/post/39476352032
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Not too far behind the Baz in looks, I’d say.
Apparently the film is highly revered as a seminal horror film. Mark Gatiss talked about it in his Horror Europa documentary. (Anyone here due to Sherlock BBC, by the way?
Good to hear these gentlemen were prob friends,OR approved or not,he was an adult and prob cherished his close friends.They didn’t have many scenes together in Above Suspicion,but both were outstanding in their parts.
Me! I was a gigantic fan of Sherlock and then I watched Jeremy Brett and was a bit meh, though he can be cool, and then I watched Baz and I was totally blown away!
Me too! I was an avid follower of BBC Sherlock, not because of Benedict as most people, but just because I loved the programme. When it ended I went looking for more Holmes fixes and discovered the magic of Basil as Holmes! By far the best portrayal in terms if charcterization IMO, and so very attractive too,
Gosh, how fascinating. I think I need to see this film
Yes, add my name there. Basil is now my favorite Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch second, though the BBC drama was of a very high standard, much better than the scripts Basil had to handle.
I often imagine how marvellous it would be if Basil had the chance to do literate adaptations like Brett’s, or lovely fantasy versions like The Seven Percent Solution! That film would have been unforgettable with a really good Holmes. Nicole Williamson was just awful, completely wrong physically and making no effort to “be” Holmes. I read a commenter saying when they watch another actor playing Holmes they mentally switch him out for Rathbone. I most definitely do that when watching The Seven Percent Solution. Scene by scene I envisage Basil, and it’s marvellous! But then I do that in Gaslight too!
Add almost ANY swashbuckler type movie,to my list of I could see Basil do that.Of course my fave ‘wish it were Basil’ is.. dont throw tomatos…Camalot.And yes I do like his singing voice.
me also – gosh there are quite a lot of us!
I made the same journey. What I love is finding the Basil/Sherlock references in Benedict/Sherlock, and there are quite a lot of them! I believe the writers are major Basil fans too.I wonder if thy have dropped in here.
I would never have discovered Basil as Sherlock were it not for BBC Sherlock. The hiatus until the next series is so long I have been searching for other SH fixes, and so discovered Mr Rathbone in Th HOund of the Baskervilles. I was a bit bowled over both by his performance and his loveliness, and the daring of that last line “Watson – the needle!” – in 1939!!
Me too. What a collection of Baz-edicts we are
I got to Basil through BBC Sherlock, so you are not alone
*Raises arm*! Me! Me! Luuuuuuuve Benedict!
I am here due to Sherlock BBC
Isn’t it a coincidence by the way that Benedict was also in a drama about WWI.
HellooooI am one!
Ok Ladies please share what is the full title and name of the BBC S.H. your all talking about? Us rusitc provincials over here have no idea what BBC series it is? Unless you mean Jeremey[hohum] Brett? If theres a dif I’d like to see if I can get it by iner Lib. loan. Sherlock BBC isnt gona cut the mustard with our libarians.You would have thought I’d ask them to persoaly man a rocket to the moon when I asked for the last season of Foyls War.
It’s this one, Countess: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(TV_series). Its main creator Steven Moffat has said “There are very, very few people who can play Sherlock Holmes, and there have been so many and so few good ones. In truth, you’ve got the mighty Basil Rathbone, the mighty Jeremy Brett and a few others. There are just not that many who transcend the role and change the role.”, which should make you realise the man has good taste..
Thank you I’ll check it out,hopefully. Oh and about few people playing Holmes well..I’d like to add one name Nicholas Row.The kid was GOOD!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Sherlock_Holmes The plot got a bit far fetched but the acting from Nicholas was very good.I’d like to see him reprise the role now he’s grown up.
oh wow! What would I give to have been able to sit in on one of those weekend chats and brainstorms! I can hardly imagine how greatly amazing that would be!
And what a wonderful pastime! Making up stories with a good friend! I mean really, what fun! I wish people now-a-days were like that!
Ah well, all I can say is that that quote made my day!
Ooooft, count me in girls!
I know – only imagine it. Comfy den, nice long glass of something, maybe a fire crackling and the lamplight is soft and flattering, and you can just sit back and listen to these two lovely cultured men talk….sigh!
Conrad was a sexy guy too. Would have loved to sit in on this sessions
Me!
I was a very big fan of BBC Sherlock, but also of Basil even before that so I don’t think I count?
That’s a great story
Conrad Veift was passionately anti-nazi and a very decent man, so I’m not surprised he was friends with BR.
Lovely story
Basil Rathbone sounds like an all round fun and good guy
They must have known each other beginning in England.I once read,in another bio (I’m thinking Angela Lansbury or a quote from DeMaurier) about how the stage actors all congregated together,Baz was considered about the handsomest,and many British girls and women adored him,including Daphne when she was a teen,Baz knew Angela’s mother from the London stage.Oh,the stories Miss Angela must have to tell!
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Big big BIG fan of Conrad Veit
Was he Jewish?
No, but Veidt’s wife was Jewish.
It’s funny that CV was always playing Nazis, when he had actually been imprisonned by the Nazis an had to flee for his life!
I have always had a soft spot for Conrad!