IMDb > The Man Who Laughs (1928)
The Man Who Laughs
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The Man Who Laughs (1928) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   1,112 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 46% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
J. Grubb Alexander (adaptation)
J. Grubb Alexander (continuity)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Man Who Laughs on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 November 1928 (USA) more
Plot:
Gwynplaine, son of Lord Clancharlie, has a permanent smile carved on his face by the King, in revenge for Gwynplaine's father's treachery... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe 2 Coffin Box Set Details
 (From Fangoria. 21 December 2009, 10:38 AM, PST)

Is This Guy The Original Inspiration for Batman's Joker?
 (From Cinematical. 26 March 2009, 10:02 AM, PDT)

User Reviews:
Watch it twice in a row to take it all in! more (38 total)

Cast

  (in credits order)
Mary Philbin ... Dea
Conrad Veidt ... Gwynplaine
Julius Molnar Jr. ... Gwynplaine as a child
Olga Baclanova ... Duchess Josiana
Brandon Hurst ... Barkilphedro
Cesare Gravina ... Ursus
Stuart Holmes ... Lord Dirry-Moir
Sam De Grasse ... King James II
George Siegmann ... Dr. Hardquanonne
Josephine Crowell ... Queen Anne
Charles Puffy ... Innkeeper
Zimbo the Dog ... Homo the Wolf (as Zimbo)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry A. Barrows ... (uncredited)
Richard Bartlett ... (uncredited)
Les Bates ... (uncredited)
Charles Brinley ... (uncredited)
Allan Cavan ... (uncredited)
D'Arcy Corrigan ... (uncredited)
Carmen Costello ... Dea's Mother (uncredited)
Carrie Daumery ... Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)
Howard Davies ... (uncredited)
Nick De Ruiz ... Wapentake (uncredited)
Louise Emmons ... Gypsey Hag (uncredited)
J.C. Fowler ... (uncredited)
John George ... Dwarf (uncredited)
Jack A. Goodrich ... Clown (uncredited)
Charles Hancock ... (uncredited)
Lila LaPon ... Featured (uncredited)
Torben Meyer ... The Spy (uncredited)
Joe Murphy ... Hardquanones messenger (uncredited)
Edgar Norton ... Lord High Chancellor (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell ... (uncredited)
Lon Poff ... (uncredited)
Frank Puglia ... Clown (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore ... (uncredited)
Templar Saxe ... (uncredited)
Allan Sears ... (uncredited)
Scott Seaton ... (uncredited)
Louis Stern ... (uncredited)
Al Stewart ... (uncredited)
Anton Vaverka ... (uncredited)
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Directed by
Paul Leni 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
J. Grubb Alexander  adaptation
J. Grubb Alexander  continuity
Walter Anthony  titles
Victor Hugo  novel "L'Homme Qui Rit"
May McLean  uncredited
Marion Ward  uncredited
Charles E. Whittaker  uncredited

Produced by
Paul Kohner .... supervising producer
 
Original Music by
William Axt (uncredited)
Sam Perry (uncredited)
Erno Rapee (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Gilbert Warrenton 
 
Film Editing by
Edward L. Cahn  (as Edward Cahn)
 
Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall 
Thomas F. O'Neill  (as Thomas O'Neil)
Joseph C. Wright  (as Joseph Wright)
 
Costume Design by
David Cox 
Vera West 
 
Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Paul Kohner .... production supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar .... editorial supervisor
 
Music Department
Joseph Cherniavsky .... musical director (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Walter Anthony .... titles
Charles D. Hall .... technical director
Carl Laemmle .... presenter
Lew Landers .... production staff member (as Louis Friedlander)
Jay Marchant .... production staff member
R.H. Newlands .... technical researcher (as Prof. R.H. Newlands)
Thomas F. O'Neill .... technical director
Bela Sekely .... story supervisor (as Dr. Bela Sekely)
John M. Voshell .... production staff member
Joseph C. Wright .... technical director (as Joseph Wright)
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Der Mann, der lacht (Germany) [de]
El hombre que ríe (Spain) [es]
Gülen adam (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
L'homme qui rit (France) [fr]
L'uomo che ride (Italy) [it]
Nauruihminen (Finland) [fi]
O Homem Que Ri (Brazil) [pt]
more
Runtime:
110 min
Country:
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Lon Chaney was originally cast as Gwynplaine, but at the last minute, he withdrew. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Barkilphedro first reads the blackmail note from Doctor Hardquanonne, we are shown a shot of the full text of the note. Toward the bottom, it says, "You are rich...". Seconds later, we see close-ups of the note. Words have been rearranged on the page to make the close-ups more readable and the lower portion now says, "You will be penniless," - a phrase that didn't appear anywhere in the original text. more
Quotes:
Gwynplaine: [Via subtitles, to the House of Lords] A king made me a clown! A queen made me a Peer! But first, God made me a man! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Black Dahlia (2006) more
Soundtrack:
WHEN LOVE COMES STEALING more

FAQ

How did this American movie from 1928 get away with showing female nudity?
Is Gwynplaine based on the Joker?
more
21 out of 22 people found the following review useful.
Watch it twice in a row to take it all in!, 1 October 2003
Author: rmartyna from Oil City, PA

This was our first Conrad Veidt experience. The Man Who Laughs is a spellbinding piece of visual art. Veidt's acting is sensational. I knew the plot of the story and wondered how he would portray feelings of sadness and regret with a permanent smile carved on his face. After viewing the tape, we were amazed how the emotions exuded from the TV screen. This is our second Mary Philbin experience and both of us prefer her acting in this movie to her role in The Phantom of the Opera.

We have viewed silents on the TV screen as well as the big screen. We discovered that there is more of the "larger than life" emotions projected and felt by the audience through the larger screenings that is somewhat missed on the 27" TV screen. Not so with this performance. My wife and I were both moved to watch it from the beginning...one more time.

Was the above review useful to you?
more (38 total)

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Source for 'Dark Knight' Imposter jreafilms
Who played Lord Clancharlie? nerettyksduredro
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