The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)

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The Man Who Laughs (1928 film) is a 1928 American silent romantic drama and early horror film, renowned for its expressionist style and the iconic, permanently grinning character whose look later influenced the creation of the Joker.

All labels observed (4)

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Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf film
artDirectionBy Charles D. Hall
authorOfSourceWork Victor Hugo
basedOn The Man Who Laughs (novel)
characterPortrayed Gwynplaine
cinematographyBy Gilbert Warrenton
countryOfOrigin United States
director Paul Leni
distributedIn United States
distributor Universal Pictures
era late silent era
filmLocationSetting England
format black-and-white film
genre expressionist film
horror
romantic drama
hasCultFollowing yes
hasTheme class differences
social injustice
tragic romance
influenced Joker (DC Comics character)
linked to: The Joker
mainCharacter Dea
Gwynplaine
Ursus
musicBy Hugo Riesenfeld
notableFor expressionist visual style
permanently grinning disfigured protagonist
originalLanguage Silent film with English intertitles
partOf Universal Pictures silent film catalog
portrayedBy Conrad Veidt
producer Carl Laemmle
Paul Kohner
productionCompany Universal Pictures
releaseDate April 27, 1928
releaseYear 1928
runningTime 110 minutes
screenwriter J. Grubb Alexander
Mary McLean
Walter Anthony
setInPeriod 17th century England
starring Conrad Veidt
Mary Philbin
Olga Baclanova
visualInfluenceOn comic book character design of the Joker

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Referenced by (24)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Gladys Brockwell notableWork The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Eugenie Besserer performedIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
L'Homme qui rit titleTranslation The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Conrad Veidt notableWork The Man Who Laughs
subject linked to: Veidt
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Gwynplaine appearsIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Gwynplaine firstAppearance The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Gwynplaine fictionalUniverse The Man Who Laughs universe
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Gwynplaine notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Gwynplaine hasAdaptation 1928 film The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Mary Philbin notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Mary Philbin performerIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Jetta Goudal notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Nigel De Brulier appearedIn The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Charles Van Enger notableWork The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Gaetano Gaudio notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Ivan Linow notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Dea appearsIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Ursus appearsIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Barkilphedro appearsIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Brandon Hurst notableWork The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Brandon Hurst portrayedIn The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Olga Baclanova notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Olga Baclanova performedIn The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)
Paul Leni notableWork The Man Who Laughs
linked to: The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)