He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

A bitter clown endeavors to rescue the young woman he loves from the lecherous count who once betrayed him.

Director:

Victor Sjöström (as Victor Seastrom)

Writers:

Leonid Andreyev (adapted from the play by), Carey Wilson (adapted for the screen by)

Stars:

Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, John Gilbert

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Lon Chaney	...	Paul Beaumont / HE
Norma Shearer	...	Consuelo
John Gilbert	...	Bezano
Ruth King	...	Marie Beaumont
Marc McDermott	...	Baron Regnard
Ford Sterling	...	Tricaud
Tully Marshall	...	Count Mancini
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pierre Watkin	...	spectator in audience at HE's final performance

Storyline

Story of an inventor who, suffering betrayal in life, makes a career of it by becoming a clown whose act consists of getting slapped by all the other clowns. He falls in love with another circus performer, and those who betrayed him enter his life yet again.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | baron | circus | horse | revenge | 

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Taglines:

Victor Seastrom's production of the famous stage play by Leonid Andreyev. (Poster).

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1924 (USA)

Also Known As:

Akit arcul csaptak

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$172,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$185,000, 31 December 1925

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min (original) 71 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White Color (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"He Who Gets Slapped" was originally a Russian book by Leonid Andreyev and was translated into English and adapted for the stage by Gregory Zillboorg. It opened on Jan. 9, 1922 at the Garrick Theatre in New York and ran for 182 performances. With the exception of Consuelo (Norma Shearer's character), most of the characters in the stage production did not have names. The Lon Chaney character in the play was simply "He", and the others "a Juggler," "an Acrobat", etc.

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Goofs

During part of the scene where the lion is loose in the room, Beaumont is seen with no, or hardly any, black makeup around his right eye. Before and after this scene, both eyes are made up.

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Quotes

HE: Let us drink to - the one who laughs last!

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Connections

Referenced in Good Boys (2004)

User Reviews

Brilliant!

I saw this film for the first time on TCM and I have to tell you, no movie has hooked me in like this for the longest time! I furthered my appreciation for Lon Chaney, the first TRUE film actor their was in my opinion. This was the first film made by MGM and it was the best choice they could have made.

The film concerns a scientist/inventor played by Chaney whose discoveries are claimed by someone else, a baron. He is publicly humiliated but sees an oppurtunity and becomes a circus clown as a result of it. He falls in love with one of the bareback riders at the circus but, as is common with a lot of his films, the girl loves someone else. One night, the baron who ruined his life comes to the circus and he see's his opportunity for revenge. The overall theme and/or message of this movie is "he who gets the last laugh, laughs last!"

The film is marveously done from begining to end. Chaney is brilliant as always but his performance is subtle at saddening and vicious at times, you actually root for him!

Bravo!