Veidt, Conrad

Casablanca

The story of a struggle among individuals who have sought refuge in Casablanca after fleeing Nazi occupied Europe.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: PG
Release Date: 7-JUN-2005
Media Type: DVD

A truly perfect movie, the 1942 Casablanca still wows viewers today, and for good reason. Its unique story of a love triangle set against terribly high stakes in the war against a monster is sophisticated instead of outlandish, intriguing instead of garish. Humphrey Bogart plays the allegedly apolitical club owner in unoccupied French territory that is nevertheless crawling with Nazis; Ingrid Bergman is the lover who mysteriously deserted him in Paris; and Paul Heinreid is her heroic, slightly bewildered husband. Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Conrad Veidt are among what may be the best supporting cast in the history of Hollywood films. This is certainly among the most spirited and ennobling movies ever made. --Tom Keogh

The Thief of Bagdad - Criterion Collection

The Thief of Bagdad legendary producer Alexander Korda's Arabian Nights marvel is one of the most spectacular fantasy films ever made an eye-popping effects pioneer brimming with imagination and technical wizardry. When Prince Ahmad (John Justin) is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar (Conrad Veidt) he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu (the incomparable Sabu in his definitive role) to win back his royal position as well as the heart of a beautiful princess (June Duprez). With its luscious Technicolor vivid sets and unprecedented visual wonders The Thief of Bagdad has charmed viewers of all ages for decades.SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES:Restored digital transferTwo audio commentaries: one featuring renowned directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese and one with film and music historian Bruce EderNew interviews with special-effects experts Ray Harryhausen Dennis Muren and Craig Barron about the technical achievements of The Thief of BagdadThe Lion Has Wings (1940) Alexander Korda's propaganda film for the English war effort made during The Thief of Bagdad's production hiatusExcerpts from codirector Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiographySelections of music by composer Miklos Rozsa not used in the final filmStills gallery featuring rare Dufaycolor images of the film's productionTheatrical trailerPLUS: a booklet featuring new essays by critics Andrew Moor and Ian ChristieSystem Requirements:Running Time: 106 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY/FANTASY Rating: NR UPC: 715515029926 Manufacturer No: CC1754DDVD

Often hailed as the greatest fantasy film ever made, The Thief of Bagdad (1940) was producer Alexander Korda's crowning achievement. Deservedly winning Academy Awards for art direction, color cinematography, and special effects, this Arabian Nights adventure appeals to all ages with its fantastical tale of Abu (Sabu), the little thief who befriends the prince of Bagdad (John Justin) and foils the nefarious plans of the evil grand vizier (Conrad Veidt), who seizes control of Bagdad and covets the princess of Basra (Joan Duprez). From its gorgeous, epic-scale sets to flying horses, magic carpets, and, best of all, Rex Ingram's towering jinni of the bottle, this Thief has all the magic of the tales that inspired it, and vibrant Technicolor brings it all to life in dazzling style. Six esteemed directors worked on this infamously troubled production, but the final result exceeded all expectations, becoming an instant classic that endures to this day. --Jeff Shannon

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Restored Authorized Edition)

A milestone of the silent film era and one of the first "art films" to gain international acclaim, this eerie German classic from 1919 remains the most prominent example of German expressionism in the emerging art of the cinema. Stylistically, the look of the film's painted sets--distorted perspectives, sharp angles, twisted architecture--was designed to reflect (or express) the splintered psychology of its title character, a sinister figure who uses a lanky somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) as a circus attraction. But when Caligari and his sleepwalker are suspected of murder, their novelty act is surrounded by more supernatural implications. With its mad-doctor scenario, striking visuals, and a haunting, zombie-like character at its center, Caligari was one of the first horror films to reach an international audience, sending shock waves through artistic circles and serving as a strong influence on the classic horror films of the 1920s, '30s, and beyond. It's a museum piece today, of interest more for its historical importance, but Caligari still casts a considerable spell. --Jeff Shannon

Paul Leni's The Man Who Laughs

Casablanca

Casablanca: easy to enter but much harder to leave especially if you're wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one especially Victor's wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo's transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more - personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance.Running Time: 102 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/LOVE & ROMANCE UPC: 012569797710 Manufacturer No: 1000018994

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Special Collector's Edition)

A milestone of the silent film era and one of the first "art films" to gain international acclaim, this eerie German classic from 1919 remains the most prominent example of German expressionism in the emerging art of the cinema. Stylistically, the look of the film's painted sets--distorted perspectives, sharp angles, twisted architecture--was designed to reflect (or express) the splintered psychology of its title character, a sinister figure who uses a lanky somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) as a circus attraction. But when Caligari and his sleepwalker are suspected of murder, their novelty act is surrounded by more supernatural implications. With its mad-doctor scenario, striking visuals, and a haunting, zombie-like character at its center, Caligari was one of the first horror films to reach an international audience, sending shock waves through artistic circles and serving as a strong influence on the classic horror films of the 1920s, '30s, and beyond. It's a museum piece today, of interest more for its historical importance, but Caligari still casts a considerable spell. --Jeff Shannon

This milestone film, known for its expressionistic sets and techniques, tells the strange tale of a sleepwalker under the spell of the mysterious and evil Dr. Caligari.

Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Often hailed as the greatest fantasy film ever made, The Thief of Bagdad (1940) was producer Alexander Korda's crowning achievement. Deservedly winning Academy Awards for art direction, color cinematography, and special effects, this Arabian Nights adventure appeals to all ages with its fantastical tale of Abu (Sabu), the little thief who befriends the prince of Bagdad (John Justin) and foils the nefarious plans of the evil grand vizier (Conrad Veidt), who seizes control of Bagdad and covets the princess of Basra (Joan Duprez). From its gorgeous, epic-scale sets to flying horses, magic carpets, and, best of all, Rex Ingram's towering jinni of the bottle, this Thief has all the magic of the tales that inspired it, and vibrant Technicolor brings it all to life in dazzling style. Six esteemed directors worked on this infamously troubled production, but the final result exceeded all expectations, becoming an instant classic that endures to this day. --Jeff Shannon

German Expressionism Collection (The Hands of Orlac / The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari / Secrets of a Soul / Warning Shadows) (4pc)

Four German Silent Classics in a New Beautiful Thin-Pak Boxed Set. The Set Includes: Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Directed by Robert Wiene, Starring Conrad Viedt and Werner Krauss - Warning Shadows (1923) Directed by Arthur Robison - The Hands of Orlac (1924) Directed by Robert Wiene, Starring Conrad Veidt - Secrets of a Soul (1926) Directed by G.W. Pabst, Starring Werner Krauss

The Indian Tomb

Fritz Lang wrote the script to this exotic epic adventure with the intention of directing it himself, but when producer Joe May (a pioneer of German silent cinema himself) read it, he nabbed it, and did the work proud. Conrad Veidt (the stalking somnambulist of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) stars as a vengeful maharajah with a diabolical plot against his unfaithful wife and her haughty British lover. His plan involves a monumental tomb dedicated to his lost love, a spell-casting yogi (revived from his underground tomb in a riveting prologue), and a world-famous architect (Olaf Fonss), who is secretly whisked away to Bengal. Close behind is his fiancée Irene (Mia May, the director's wife and frequent star), who follows him to the maharajah's grand palace. With his piercing eyes and gaunt, hawklike face, Veidt cuts a majestic figure and makes a fascinating villain, his menace tempered with a haunted sense of sadness.

Working with magnificent sets and simple but graceful special effects, May creates a sense of wonder and grandeur in the first half of the film, and then kicks it into high gear for a swiftly paced second half of deadly tiger pits, crocodile-infested moats, cliffhanger escapes, and mountaintop chases, straddling both high adventure and dramatic melancholy. The 3.5-hour production doesn't drag for a second. --Sean Axmaker

Joe May's spectacular "The Indian Tomb" captivated audiences in 1921, and was one of the biggest successes of its day. This lavish adventure thriller transported cinemagoers to an atmospheric India of the romantic imagination, with elaborate temples and palaces, exotic yogis and dancing girls, roaring tigers on the prowl and hissing cobras. Thea von Harbou's colorful plot stretches over two feature-length films, with twists and turns worthy of a serial. Ayan, the powerful Maharajah of Eschnapur, has lost his beloved wife, the beautiful Princess Savitri, but not through death. He plots revenge against Savitri and her lover MacAllan, an English officer. Ayan vows to build a tomb to his dead love; he'll supply the mausoleum's occupant. A yogi, Ramigani, prophesies that revenge will ruin the prince's life. Ayan sends the yogi to Europe to hire an architect, Herbert Rowland, who is sworn to secrecy about his commission. Rowland's fiancee Irene follows him to India, and the adventure begins. "The Indian Tomb" features a fantastic star-studded cast, topped by the legendary Conrad Veidt, who has a field day as the charismatic, sadistic Maharajah. Sumptuously photographed by Werner Brandes with a beautiful new score compiled and orchestrated by Eric Beheim, this is the most complete version available.

The Hands of Orlac (1924)

Reuniting the star and director of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, THE HANDS OF ORLAC (Orlacs Hände) is a deliciously twisted thriller that blends grand guignol thrills with the visual and performance styles of German Expressionism. Based on a novel by medical-horror novelist Maurice Renard, it charts the mental disintegration of a concert pianist (Conrad Veidt, The Man Who Laughs) whose hands are amputated after a train crash, and replaced with the hands of an executed murderer. When Orlac s father is murdered by the dead man s hands, Orlac begins a steady descent toward madness. Produced in Vienna, the hotbed of psychoanalysis, THE HANDS OF ORLAC is writhing with sexual innuendo and Freudian imagery. This Kino edition was mastered in HD from a 35mm print restored by the F.W. Murnau Foundation, supplemented with additional footage from the Raymond Rohauer Collection.