"He Who Gets Slapped" (1924) - with film
Lon Chaney
Directed by Victor Seastrom
Produced by Victor Seastrom, Irving Thalberg (uncredited)
Screenplay by Victor Seastrom, Carey Wilson
Based on He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev
Starring Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, John Gilbert
Cinematography Milton Moore
Editing by Hugh Wynn
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date November 9, 1924 (United States)
Running time 71 mins
Country United States
Language Silent, English intertitles
"He Who Gets Slapped" (1924) is a poignant drama starring Lon Chaney. This film illustrates the work of our star director Victor Seastrom. This was the second film he made in Hollywood after a career in his native Sweden. It was also the first film produced by the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Lon Chaney plays the role of a scientist on the verge of important discovery. He has very little means, but gets help from a certain baron, who gives shelter and support to him and his wife. One day Lon Chaney completes his work and is ready to appear before the Academy. He happily announces his discovery to the baron.
Lon Chaney entrusts the baron to make the presentation before the Academy. He is shocked to see that the baron announces the discovery as his own. When Lon Chaney protests and claims ownership, the baron calls him an insane man and slaps him in the face. All the academics laugh. Lon Chaney is heartbroken. To top it off, his wife deserts him for the baron.
Years later Lon Chaney makes a living as a clown by the name of "He Who Gets Slapped". One day a certain count brings his daughter to perform in the circus and Lon Chaney is attracted to her. The girl has a boyfriend who wants to marry her, but her father has different designs for her. He arranges a marriage between his daughter and the same baron for money. As Lon Chaney gets the news, he is outraged and determined to prevent this marriage.
Lon Chaney tries to stop the marriage by talking to the girl's father, to no avail. He then decides that he must do anything possible to prevent that matrimony. He opens the door of a lion's cage in the neighboring room. Then during a scuffle with the girl's father Lon Chaney gets fatally stabbed. The baron and the girl's father try to leave to escape being caught by the police, by walk right into the lion and are killed.
Lon Chaney gets the last laugh. He has the strength for one last clown performance before dying on the stage.
"He Who Gets Slapped" is a critically acclaimed drama, in which Lon Chaney delivers another very strong acting performance in the year after he made "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
The film is ranked number 49 in the list of The Top 100 Silent Era Films of the influential website Silent Era.
It enjoys a robust rating in IMDB.
Click to enlarge:
He Who Gets Slapped
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-1.jpg
Lon Chaney tells his wife Ruth King and his benefactor Marc McDermott that he has made his scientific discovery in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-and-Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-2.jpg
Lon Chaney thanks Marc McDermott in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Ruth-King-and-Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-3.jpg
Ruth King gives to Marc McDermott the keys to the safe where the scientific papers are locked in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Ruth-King-and-Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-4.jpg
Ruth King and Marc McDermott really like each other in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-5.jpg
Lon Chaney is shocked to see that Marc McDermott claims the scientific discovery as his own in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-6.jpg
Lon Chaney tells Marc McDermott to admit the truth in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-and-Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-7.jpg
Lon Chaney challenges Marc McDermott to tell the truth in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-8.jpg
The academics get a hearty laugh when Lon Chaney gets slapped by Marc McDermott in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-and-Ruth-King-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-9.jpg
Lon Chaney complains to Ruth King about the slapping in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Ruth-King-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-10.jpg
Ruth King calls Lon Chaney a fool and a clown and declares that she loves Marc McDermott in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-11.jpg
Lon Chaney can't believe that he is losing his wife after losing his work in science in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-12.jpg
Lon Chaney tries to hold his wife only to get slapped by her in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
John-Gilbert-and-Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-13.jpg
Norma Shearer meets John Gilbert in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
John-Gilbert-and-Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-14.jpg
Norma Shearer and John Gilbert start a romance in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-and-Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-15.jpg
Lon Chaney gets his "heart" attached to his dress by Norma Shearer in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Norma-Shearer-and-Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-17.jpg
Marc McDermott gets introduced to Norma Shearer in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-18.jpg
Lon Chaney gets mad as he sees Marc McDermott flirting with Norma Shearer in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
John-Gilbert-and-Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-19.jpg
Norma Shearer and John Gilbert have a romantic picnic in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Tully-Marshall-and-Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-1924-21.jpg
While his daughter is meeting John Gilbert, Tully Marshall urges Marc McDermott to marry her in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Marc-McDermott-and-Tully-Marshall-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-22.jpg
As soon as Tully Marshall gets Marc McDermott's consent to marry his daughter, he asks for money in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-and-Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-23.jpg
Lon Chaney declares his love to Norma Shearer in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-24.jpg
Norma Shearer takes Lon Chaney's declaration of love as a joke in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Marc-McDermott-and-Tully-Marshall-and-Norma-Shearer-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-25.jpg
Tully Marshall tells Norma Shearer that she must marry Marc McDermott after the show in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-26.jpg
Lon Chaney reacts to the proposed marriage in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-and-Tully-Marshall-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-27.jpg
Lon Chaney tries in vain to talk Tully Marshall out of selling his daughter for money in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-28.jpg
Lon Chaney sees an angry lion in a cage and gets an idea in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Marc-McDermott-and-Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-29.jpg
Lon Chaney proposes a toast to Marc McDermott: "To the one who laughs last" in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Marc-McDermott-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924.jpg
Marc McDermott realizes that the clown is the same man, whose life he ruined years ago in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Marc-McDermott-and-Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-31.jpg
Lon Chaney tells Marc McDermott "I will never let you marry this girl" in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Marc-McDermott-and-Lon-Chaney-and-Tully-Marshall-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-32.jpg
Lon Chaney gets stabbed by Tully Marshall in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-33.jpg
Lon Chaney is fatally wounded in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-34.jpg
Lon Chaney laughs as Marc McDermott and Tully Marshall walk right into the lion's cage in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon-Chaney-in-He-Who-Gets-Slapped-1924-35.jpg
Lon Chaney has time for one last clown performance before dying in "He Who Gets Slapped" (1924).
Lon Chaney