DramaRomanceHorror

The Man Who Laughs

- THE BREAKING HEART BEHIND THE LAUGHING FACE.

Gwynplaine, son of Lord Clancharlie, has a permanent smile carved on his face by the King, in revenge for Gwynplaine's father's treachery. Gwynplaine is adopted by a travelling showman and becomes a popular idol. He falls in love with the blind Dea. The king dies, and his evil jester tries to destroy or corrupt Gwynplaine.

Release Date : 1928-04-27

Language :No Language

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dea

Original Name : Mary Philbin

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gwynplaine / Lord Clancharlie

Original Name : Conrad Veidt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Gwynplaine

Original Name : Julius Molnar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Duchess Josiana

Original Name : Olga Baclanova

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barkilphedro

Original Name : Brandon Hurst

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ursus

Original Name : Cesare Gravina

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Dirry-Moir

Original Name : Stuart Holmes

Gender : Male

Character Name : King James II

Original Name : Sam De Grasse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Queen Anne

Original Name : Josephine Crowell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Innkeeper

Original Name : Károly Huszár

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sword Swallower

Original Name : Delmo Fritz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sword Swallower

Original Name : Deno Fritz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry A. Barrows

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Bartlett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Les Bates

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Brinley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dea's Mother (uncredited)

Original Name : Carmen Castillo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Allan Cavan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : D'Arcy Corrigan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)

Original Name : Carrie Daumery

Gender : Female

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Howard Davies

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wapentake (uncredited)

Original Name : Nick De Ruiz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gypsy Hag (uncredited)

Original Name : Louise Emmons

Gender : Female

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : J.C. Fowler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dwarf (uncredited)

Original Name : John George

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clown (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack A. Goodrich

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Hancock

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Lila LaPon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at Chatham Prison (uncredited)

Original Name : George Marion

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Spy (uncredited)

Original Name : Torben Meyer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hardquanones Messenger (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Murphy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord High Chancellor (uncredited)

Original Name : Edgar Norton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Broderick O'Farrell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Lon Poff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clown (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Puglia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Roquemore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Templar Saxe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Allan Sears

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Scott Seaton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Louis Stern

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Stewart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Antonín Vaverka

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-02-10

When King James VII (& II) (Sam De Grasse) decides to take revenge on one of his treacherous nobles, he visits the most abhorrent of gifts on his young son. A grin. Cut into his face so that he may always be able to laugh at the thought of his father's betrayals! Pretty swiftly, that king is deposed and the youngster grows up to be "Gwynplaine" (Conrad Veidt). He, in turn, rescues the blind young "Dea" (Mary Philbin) and together they grow up with "Ursus" (Cesare Gravina) as their protector-cum-philosophiser! Besotted, the marked man hides his visage behind a dark cloak certain this his increasing love of "Dea" can never be reciprocated. All the while, Queen Anne (Josephine Crowell) now reigns and thanks to her manipulative jester "Barkilphedro" (Brandon Hurst) - who also worked for the former king, and his puppet-master the rather malevolent "Duchess Josiana" (Olga Baclanova) "Gwynplaine" is introduced to the Stuart court. That's a viper's nest of intrigues and game-playing, presided over by the shrewd and domineering monarch - and soon he becomes embroiled in a plot that could lead to his own destruction whilst he struggles to retain his own sense of decency and, of course, the affections of his love. It's a standard historical story of betrayal and retribution, this - but the photography and direction do really help it stand out. The initial scenes with the "iron lady" - a weapon of torture whose presence prevails throughout - are effective, and Weidt and his piercing eyes (well lit, too) focus the attention well as his character comes to terms with the wrongs done in the past and his options for the future. Some of the scenes are quite intimate and almost provocatively shot, and the settings generally are perfectly matched to the increasingly Machiavellian and sometimes quite amusing plotting that still leaves room for an unfolding love story that avoids sentimentality and delivers with grit and realism a dark depiction of early 17th century British politics.