The Man Who Laughs
1928 · Movie · Not Rated · 110 min · ★ 7.3 · 95% critics
After a noble defies a ruthless king, his young son is punished with a permanent, carved smile and cast out. Years later, the disfigured man survives as a traveling performer, finding comfort in a tender bond with a blind companion—until court politics and hidden claims pull him into dangerous intrigue.
Based on The Man Who Laughs
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Details
- Years
- 1928
- Release date
- 1928-11-04
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Not Rated
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (223 votes)
About
If you enjoy dark, emotional silent-era dramas about outsiders facing cruelty and power games, this is a strong pick, especially if you like The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Not for you if you need fast pacing or clear-cut intrigue.
Pros: haunting mood; strong lead performance; gripping early sequences | Cons: slow pacing; muddled court intrigue; uneven final stretch
Themes
- clown
- psychotronic
- jester
Cast & crew
Conrad Veidt
as Gwynplaine / Lord Clancharlie
Mary Philbin
as Dea
Cesare Gravina
as Ursus
Brandon Hurst
as Barkilphedro
Olga Baclanova
as Duchess Josiana
Sam De Grasse
as King James II
Stuart Holmes
as Lord Dirry-Moir
Josephine Crowell
as Queen Anne
- JM
Julius Molnar
as Young Gwynplaine
Károly Huszár
as Innkeeper
Directed by Paul Leni