The silent classic is set to make its UK blu-ray debut.
A precursor to Universal horror came in 1928 with director Paul Leni's silent adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Man Who Laughs. In an iconic performance, Conrad Veidt plays a former nobleman turned sideshow performer whose life is dogged by the facial scars left as result of an attack by his father's enemies. When his claim to the throne is revealed, he finds himself torn between a return to the nobility or remaining faithful to the non-judgemental blind woman (Mary Philbin) he loves. Makeup legend Jack Pierce created an iconic look for Veidt, which would later inspire the creation of DC Comics villain The Joker.
Oddly, The Man Who Laughs never enjoyed a home video release in the UK, but that's set to change on August 17th when Eureka Entertainment release it on blu-ray from Universal's 4K restoration.
Bonus features include the choice between the original mono score or a stereo score performed by the Berklee School of Music; a new interview with author and horror expert Kim Newman; a new video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson; a featurette on the production of the film; stills gallery; and a collector's booklet featuring new writing by Travis Crawford and Richard Combs.
Check out Eureka's new trailer, artwork and official synopsis below.
The official synopsis reads:
Adapted from the Victor Hugo novel, The Man Who Laughs is Gwynplaine (an extraordinary Conrad Veidt), a carnival sideshow performer in 17th-century England, his face mutilated into a permanent, ghoulish grin by his executed father's royal court enemies. Gwynplaine struggles through life with the blind Dea (Phantom of the Opera's Mary Philbin) as his companion – though she is unable to see it, his disfigurement still causes Gwynplaine to believe he is unworthy of her love. But when his proper royal lineage becomes known by Queen Anne, Gwynplaine must choose between regaining a life of privilege, or embracing a new life of freedom with Dea.
"The images captured by Francois Reichenbach's camera are often as beautiful as they are baffling."— The Movie Waffler (@themoviewaffler) June 7, 2020
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