The Man Who Laughs

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Leni directs. Gilbert Warrenton behind the camera. Edward L. Cahn cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 198 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 2Directed by Paul Leni, shot by Gilbert Warrenton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 3Editor Edward L. Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 4Conrad Veidt and Mary Philbin and Cesare Gravina carry the top of the cast.
• 5Marketing tagline: "THE BREAKING HEART BEHIND THE LAUGHING FACE.".
• 6IMDB entry: tt0019130 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 7Released under 21 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

Gilbert Warrenton

Editing

Edward L. Cahn

Costume design

David Cox

Makeup / hair

Jack Pierce

Runtime

110 min · 1h 50m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

IMDB

The Man Who Laughs (1928) ↗

Also by

Paul Leni

• 
  The Chinese Parrot

  1927 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Prinz Kuckuck

  1919 · ★ 9.0
• 
  The Cat and the Canary

  1927 · ★ 6.9
• 
  Rebus-Film Nr. 1

  1925 · ★ 6.8
• 
  The Last Warning

  1928 · ★ 6.7
• 
  Sleeping Beauty

  1917 · ★ 6.5

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  The Man Who Laughs (1928) - Trailer

  Trailer

Community reviews

What people are saying

• CinemaSerf2024-02-10
  ★ 7/10

  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.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Universal Pictures

  US

Key crew

• NovelVictor Hugo
• AdaptationJ. Grubb Alexander
• Production SupervisorPaul Kohner
• Supervising Film EditorMaurice Pivar
• ContinuityJ. Grubb Alexander
• Story SupervisorBela Sekely
• EditorEdward L. Cahn
• ProducerCarl Laemmle
• MusicWilliam Axt
• MusicSam Perry
• MusicErno Rapee
• Art DirectionCharles D. Hall
• Art DirectionThomas F. O'Neill
• Art DirectionJoseph C. Wright
• Costume DesignDavid Cox
• Costume DesignVera West
• Makeup ArtistJack Pierce

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• clown
• black and white
• psychotronic
• jester

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere1928-04-27· New York
• Theatrical (limited)1998-09-08· Telluride Film Festival
• Theatrical1928-11-04
• Physical2007-09-10· Kino, American Silent Horror Collection
• Physical2007-11-16· Kino, DVD

Also known as

International titles

• O Homem Que RiBR
• El hombre que ríeES
• Der Mann, der lachtDE
• NauruihminenFI
• L'homme qui ritFR
• Manden, der lerDK
• SkrattmänniskanSE
• De man die lachtBE
• Muž, který se smějeCZ
• Muž, ktorý sa smejeSK
• Ο Άνθρωπος που ΓελάGR
• O Anthropos pou GelaGR
• A nevető emberHU
• L'uomo che rideIT
• 笑う男JP