7.8/10
3,014
48 user 21 critic

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) | 2 more credits »
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2 wins. See more awards »

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Cast

Credited cast:
Lon Chaney ... Paul Beaumont / HE
Norma Shearer ... Consuelo
John Gilbert ... Bezano
Ruth King 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
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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. Written by Robert Tonsing <rtonsing@ti.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

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


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Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1959, the film was adapted into an opera for the New York City Opera. See more »

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. See more »

Quotes

HE: You forget, gentlemen - this is a circus - love must wait - - the performance must go on!
See more »

Crazy Credits

In the version aired on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on April 29, 2020, just after the Leo (the MGM Lion) shot and prior to the credits intertitle, there was an approval stamp within a toroidal circle: Approved by Kansas State Board of Review Serial Number C8806; below that was a rectangular text box: KANSAS GROWS THE BEST WHEAT IN THE WORLD See more »

Connections

Referenced in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) See more »

User Reviews

 
While not as creepy and disturbing as many of his other films, this is a dandy movie
4 June 2007 | by MartinHaferSee all my reviews

If you are looking for horror and shocks, this really isn't the Lon Chaney movie for you. The film is more a tragedy about a decent man who is betrayed and subsequently retreats to the circus--where he plays a clown that is beaten up and mistreated to the delight of the audiences. The film is intended to be critical of human nature and how the misery of others is oddly entertaining, though the scenes where Chaney ran around as the clown being slapped about just didn't seem funny or very magical. It was as if in this character, he just wasn't quite hitting his usual stride. However, in the rest of the film, we have a dandy morality play that still hold up well over time (as do most of Chaney's films). Not great, but certainly very good and well worth a look.


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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 January 1925 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

Akit arcul csaptak See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$172,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

(original) | (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White | Color (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »

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