The man who laughs [videorecording] / Universal ; Carl Laemmle presents a Universal Super-Jewel ; adaptation by J. Grubb Alexander ; director, Paul Leni.
Material type:
FilmPublisher number: 03102 | Kino on VideoPublication details: New York, NY : Kino on Video, [2003], c1928.Description: 1 videodisc (ca. 110 min.) : si., b&w ; 4 3/4 inOther title: - Victor Hugo's The man who laughs
- Director of photography, Gilbert Warrenton ; art directors, Charles D. Hall, Thomas O'Neil, Joseph Wright ; editor, Edward Cahn ; costume designers, David Cox, Vera West.
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult DVD
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Main Library | DVD | HORROR MAN WHO | Available | 33111007422450 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Released with sound effects and a music score that included the song "When Love Comes Smiling" by Walter Hirsch, Lew Pollack and Erno Rapee, Paul Leni's near masterpiece remains one of the silent era's last great romantic melodramas. Based on Victor Hugo's 1869 novel L'Homme qui Rit, The Man Who Laughs starred German import Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine, a carnival freak doomed to live life wearing a perpetual grin carved on his face by Dr Hardquannone (George Siegman because his father, Lord Clancharlie (Allan Cavan), had offended England's King James II (Sam De Grasse). Taken in as a child by Ursus, a mountebank (Cesare Gravina), Gwynplaine grows up alongside the beautiful but blind Dea (Mary Philbin). They fall in love but Gwynplaine refuses to marry her because his hideous face makes him feel unworthy. Queen Anne (Josephine Crowell), meanwhile, has ascended the throne and when she learns from her predecessor's evil jester Barkilphedro (Brandon Hurst) that the recalcitrant Duchess Josiana (Olga Baclanova) is in possession of Lord Clancharlie's estates, she decrees that the royal femme fatale must marry Gwynplaine, the rightful heir. Josiana, who has caught Gwynplaine's act incognito and arranged a rendezvous, is at the same time sexually attracted to and repelled by the "Laughing Man," but Gwynplaine, who realizes that the duchess' attraction has legitimized his right to love Dea, renounces his title and follows his heart to the new World. Although Kirk Douglas was long interested in producing a remake, The Man Who Laughs was instead filmed again as L'Uomo che Ride by Italian director Sergio Corbucci in 1966. Corbucci, however, changed the setting from Queen Anne to the infamous sixteenth century Italian court of the Borgias. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
Based on the novel L'homme qui rit by Victor Hugo.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1928.
Special features: original documentary on the making of the film; rare home movies of star Conrad Veidt, with Greta Garbo and Emil Jannings; extensive photo and art gallery; essay by John Soister, author of "Conrad Veidt on screen"; excerpts from Victor Hugo's novel; excerpts from the Italian release version with alternate title designs.
Director of photography, Gilbert Warrenton ; art directors, Charles D. Hall, Thomas O'Neil, Joseph Wright ; editor, Edward Cahn ; costume designers, David Cox, Vera West.
Mary Philbin, Conrad Veidt, Julius Molnar, Jr., Olga Baclanova, Brandon Hurst, Cesare Gravina, Stuart Holmes, Sam DeGrasse, George Siegmann, Josephine Crowell, Charles Puffy.
Gwynplaine is doomed to live life wearing a perpetual grin. Carved on his face because his father, Lord Clancharlie, had offended England's king. Gwynplaine grows up alongside the beautiful but blind Dea and they fall in love. Queen Anne, meanwhile, has ascended the throne and when she learns that the femme fatale, Duchess Josiana is in possession of the Lord's estates, she decrees that the Duchess must marry Gwynplaine, the rightful heir. Gwynplaine realizes that the duchess' attraction has legitimized his right to love Dea, renounces his title and follows his heart to the new World.
MPAA rating: Not rated.
DVD, Region 1 encoding, mono.
Closed-captioned.