He Who Gets Slapped (1924) on DVD
This is one of my favorite Lon Chaney films. I first saw on in Minneapolis at 11pm on public broadcasting in 1976. It was one of the saddest films I'd ever seen. We were on a family vacation. The only family vacation I went on. It was torture.
My family was tolerant of my Lon Chaney interests. They allowed me to stay up and watch this with the lights off and the sound off (I get it). They also allowed me to go to the library to look up newspaper articles when we were in Colorado Springs. When we visited Pikes Peak, I asked if they had anything about Lon Chaney. The answer was a short two letter word (no). I was amazed that they did not seem to realize that one of the great actors of the screen was born right there and worked at Pikes Peak. Towns were fighting to claim they were the birthplace of Ronald Reagan. Colorado Springs has since seen the light and have at least have a theater dedicated to him.
It was MGM's first production, though not the first one they released.
Victor Seastrom directed and co-wrote it.
Lon Chaney, Norma Shear, and John Gilbert starred in it.
Ford Sterling, of Keystone Cops fame, is in it as well.
silentfilm.org wrote:
Today, some silent films are remembered for their historical importance, some for their artistic value, and still others because a particular actor or director played a role in their creation. He Who Gets Slapped, a singular and even profound work, possesses each of these cinematic virtues. It stands as one of the great films of the silent era.
Full article at SilentFilm.orgInternet Archive: He Who Gets SlappedHappy Birthday Lon Chaney - April 1, 1883 (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Consuelo (Norma Shear) sewing HE's (Lon Chaney) ripped heart back on covering a small stuffed heart she gives him.