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L'homme qui rit

Original title: The Man Who Laughs
  • 1928
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:44
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaHorrorMystery

When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured.When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured.When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured.

  • Director
    • Paul Leni
  • Writers
    • Victor Hugo
    • J. Grubb Alexander
    • Walter Anthony
  • Stars
    • Mary Philbin
    • Conrad Veidt
    • Julius Molnar
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    7.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Paul Leni
    • Writers
      • Victor Hugo
      • J. Grubb Alexander
      • Walter Anthony
    • Stars
      • Mary Philbin
      • Conrad Veidt
      • Julius Molnar
    • 88User reviews
    • 49Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Man Who Laughs
    Trailer 1:44
    Watch The Man Who Laughs

    Photos145

    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Josephine Crowell and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
    Olga Baclanova in L'homme qui rit (1928)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mary Philbin
    Mary Philbin
    • Dea
    Conrad Veidt
    Conrad Veidt
    • Gwynplaine…
    Julius Molnar
    • Gwynplaine as a Child
    • (as Julius Molnar Jr.)
    Olga Baclanova
    Olga Baclanova
    • Duchess Josiana
    Brandon Hurst
    Brandon Hurst
    • Barkilphedro
    Cesare Gravina
    • Ursus
    Stuart Holmes
    Stuart Holmes
    • Lord Dirry-Moir
    Sam De Grasse
    Sam De Grasse
    • King James II
    • (as Sam DeGrasse)
    George Siegmann
    George Siegmann
    • Dr. Hardquanonne
    Josephine Crowell
    Josephine Crowell
    • Queen Anne
    Károly Huszár
    Károly Huszár
    • Innkeeper
    • (as Charles Puffy)
    Zimbo the Dog
    • Homo the Wolf
    • (as Zimbo)
    Delmo Fritz
    • Sword Swallower
    Deno Fritz
    • Sword Swallower
    Tom Amandares
    • Shouting Man at wheel on ship
    • (uncredited)
    Henry A. Barrows
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Bartlett
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Les Bates
    Les Bates
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Paul Leni
    • Writers
      • Victor Hugo
      • J. Grubb Alexander
      • Walter Anthony
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Gwynplaine's fixed grin and disturbing clown-like appearance was a key inspiration for comic book writer Bill Finger and artists Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson in creating one of the most iconic comic book villains ever, The Joker.
    • Goofs
      The opening scene happens in James II's reign (1685-1688), but Lord Clancharlie is sentenced to death in an Iron Maiden. This instrument of torture was invented in 1793 for display in museums.
    • 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!

    • Connections
      Edited into Phobos (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      When Love Comes Stealing
      (uncredited)

      Written by Walter Hirsch, Lew Pollack and Erno Rapee

    User reviews88

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Watch it twice in a row to take it all in!
    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.
    helpful•46
    3
    • rmartyna
    • Oct 1, 2003

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    FAQ18

    • How long is The Man Who Laughs?Powered by Alexa
    • How did this American movie from 1928 get away with showing female nudity?
    • Is Gwynplaine based on the Joker?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 4, 1928 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Man Who Laughs
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,347
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.20 : 1

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    Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in L'homme qui rit (1928)
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    By what name was L'homme qui rit (1928) officially released in India in English?
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