Silent Revue: HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (1924)

“Perfectly blends its daring Expressionist devices with the horror movie ethos which takes over when the clown finally seeks revenge.” (Time Out Magazine)

Keep the Halloween spirit alive in November with this part horror, part psychological thriller, fully surrealist exercise in the bizarre that features a cuckolded clown bent on revenge. HE WHO GETS SLAPPED, as directed by the great Swedish master Victor Sjöström, is a film unlike any other produced by MGM, or any other studio for that matter. 

Lon Chaney – “the man with a thousand faces” – plays scientist Paul Beaumont, who, after his benefactor steals his life’s research along with his beloved wife, joins a circus and performs as the clown “He Who Gets Slapped.” Each night the clown re-enacts the betrayal that haunts him, allowing all the other clowns to repeatedly slap him, much to the crowd’s amusement. In her star-making performance, Montreal-born Norma Shearer portrays the circus equestrian who the clown adores. And John Gilbert solidified his status as screen heartthrob with his role as Benzano, the circus’s daredevil, in love with Consuelo and standing in the way of the clown’s intentions. Yes, this silent film is as crazy as it sounds – if not crazier, but it also happens to be one of the most respected and critically lauded films of the era. Truly, not to be missed.

Live accompaniment by Marilyn Lerner

Silent Revue is curated by Alicia Fletcher

Part of the Silent Revue series!

Cast/Crew Info
Director: Victor Sjöström | Cast: Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, John Gilbert, Ruth King, Marc McDermott