The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Director:

Paul Leni

Writers:

J. Grubb Alexander (adaptation)
J. Grubb Alexander (continuity)

Release Date:

4 November 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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...

Plot Keywords:

Jester | England | Clown | Revenge | Nobleman

Cast

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)

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]

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Gwynplaine's fixed grin and disturbing clown-like appearance was a key inspiration for comic book talents 'Bob Kane (I)' and Jerry Robinson in creating Batman's greatest enemy, The Joker.

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.

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!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

WHEN LOVE COMES STEALING

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Monarch Scorned!

A most extraordinary movie, filmed on an absolutely staggering scale in the most extravagant yet stylish manner possible by director Paul Leni. Superbly photographed, costumed and set, this handsomely atmospheric horror piece is certainly one of a kind. In its own peculiarly dark niche, I can think of no other competitors, not even Universal's own "Hunchback of Notre Dame".

This movie has the further advantage of a far superior cast. Mary Philbin betters her portrayal in "Hunchback" by a mile, while Conrad Veidt in a Chaney-type role easily steals the picture by sheer charisma rather than simply horrific make-up. Mind you, he is given a good run for his money by Brandon Hurst as the scheming villain, Baclanova as the sexy Josiana, and Josephine Crowell (in her final feature film) as the imperious queen.