THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928) still Olga Baclanova BATHING IN THE NUDE w/monkey, #55

Description: (This looks MUCH better than this pictures above.) THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928) still Olga Baclanova BATHING IN THE NUDE w/monkey, #4535-55 probable restrike A REAL COLLECTOR’S ITEM! A photo restrike is a second-generation print made from the same plate as the original, but after the initial run. The time between the original and the restrike can vary from a month to several years. This would look great framed on display in your home theater or to add to your portfolio or scrapbook! A worthy investment for gift giving too! PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE ALL PICTURES LOAD After checking out this item please look at my other unique silent motion picture memorabilia and Hollywood film collectibles! SHIPPING COST CAN BE CUT WHEN SHIPPING MULTIPLE ITEMS TOGETHER AND SAVE $ See a gallery of pictures of my other auctions HERE! This photograph is a real photo chemical created picture (vintage) and not a copy or reproduction. DESCRIPTION: The Man Who Laughs, the classic 1928 Paul Leni Universal romantic horror thriller (based on the novel 'L'Homme Qui Rit' by Victor Hugo; about the son of an English nobleman whose father tries to overthrow the King, and his father is executed and his infant son is sold to gypsies, but first his mouth is cut so that it looks to be permanently smiling!; he ends up becoming a sideshow star and falls in love with a blind girl, but he feels certain she would be repulsed if she could see how hideous he looks) starring Conrad Veidt (in the title role as Gwynplaine, The Man Who Laughs), Mary Philbin (as Dea, the blind girl), Olga Baclanova, Stuart Holmes, Josephine Crowell, George Siegmann (as Dr. Hardquanonne), and Julius Molnar Jr. (as Gwynplaine as a child). Note that most film buffs might assume this movie was a German production, given that its top star (Conrad Veidt) and its director (Paul Leni) were both major figures of silent German cinema, but in fact, it is a U.S. production made by Universal Pictures (although of course, it was released in Germany, as well as in all other European countries). CONDITION: This vintage 8” x 10” still photograph is in Near MINT physical condition with only faint scuff marks (old yes, with an excellent detailed image that is possibly an original or maybe a better restrike.) SEE PIX FOR MORE DETAILS. A photo restrike is a second-generation print made from the same plate as the original, but after the initial run. The time between the original and the restrike can vary from a month to several years. Finally, this is a vintage. (This is NOT a cheap digital dupe, a re-release or copy, it is a real vintage photograph made the year of the release of the film or soon after.) SHIPPING: Domestic shipping would be USPS Ground Advantage (includes $100 insurance) and well packed in plastic, with several layers of cardboard support/protection and delivery tracking. The USPS has removed FIRST CLASS from eBay’s postage label system. (Darn it!) International shipping depends on the location, and the package would weigh close to a half a pound with even more extra ridge packing. PAYMENTS: Please pay PayPal! All of my items are unconditionally guaranteed. E-mail me with any questions you may have. This is Larry41, wishing you great movie memories and good luck… BACKGROUND: “A lord refuses to kiss the hand of King James II, so is doubly punished: he perishes in the "Iron Lady" [onscreen in a memorably handled sequence] while his son is sent to a surgeon who [offscreen] carves a grin on his face "so he can forever laugh at his father". Sheltered by a kindly playwright ["like Shakespeare, only much better!"], the boy grows up to join his troupe of itinerant players as the star attraction: "The Man Who Laughs". His fortunes lead him to a blind girl, an ambitious duchess, and Queen Anne, who reinstates him to the nobility, but with further complications. Conrad Veidt, in a career stretching from CALIGARI to CASABLANCA, always found the emotional authenticity in bizarre roles. Here, in the familiar 19th century figure of the suffering clown, his performance is transfixing: whether tremulous as the girl's hand explores his face, or mortified by the laughter of the House of Lords, Veidt's face makes the role more than a simple martyr: he is man struggling with unjust destiny ["A king made me a clown, a queen made me a lord, but first God made me a man!"]. Big-hearted and unashamedly dramatic, this is clearly the work of Victor Hugo, rags to riches in scope, offering consolation in love. The spirit of the French Revolution is very much in the air in this world of cruel privilege and class antagonism, full of secret doors, dungeons, and volatile mobs. While not as richly populated as Les Misérables and Hunchback, this adaptation still has spectacular set-pieces and elaborate settings. Considerably less revolutionary is the conventional portrayal of women: virgin and vamp are the only alternatives. The former is the blind girl played by Mary Philbin [who had earlier unmasked Lon Chaney's Phantom]. With blond ringlets arranged to make her face heart-shaped, she edges close to simpering yet rises to genuinely moving moments. The vamp is Olga Baclanova [who became the blonde tormentor in Tod Browning's FREAKS], here writhing around in a black negligee and looking startlingly like Madonna. Today, the films of Paul Leni are hard to track down, but worth the effort. Starting as an art director, Leni developed his visual command in Berlin; this Germanic style stands out in some beautifully designed compositions, such as a dynamic night sequence: a ship, full of gypsies being deported, heaves through a furious snowstorm. Yet Leni always works at the heart of the human values in the story, sustaining intense moments for all his actors. While some scenes are staged in darkness to rival a film noir, Leni also floods Veidt and Philbin with light, often focusing on one nuance per shot, an old-fashioned but effective strategy. Filmed on the cusp of the sound revolution, this semi-silent has added sound effects and rather vague non-stop music but no spoken dialogue.”

Price: 0.99 USD

Location: Miamisburg, Ohio

End Time: 2024-11-07T01:32:46.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10.45 USD