Ever since his first appearance inBatman#1 in 1940,the Jokerhas been at the forefront of Batman’s Rogues Gallery, the yin to Batman’s yang. He’s been a criminal mastermind, a goofy prankster, and a sadistic psychopath responsible for the death of Jason Todd, who was the second Robin, and the paralyzation of Barbara Gordon inAlan Moore’s iconicThe Killing Joke.The Joker as a film characterhas garnered Academy Award wins for the lateHeath LedgerinThe Dark KnightandJoaquin PhoenixinJoker. He stands alone as a unique entry in DC’s classic canon of super villains, an unbridled force of chaos with an unparalleled savvy for bringing hell to Earth. And his story begins with the 1928 silent filmThe Man Who Laughs, an adaptation ofVictor Hugo’s 1869 novel.
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‘The Man Who Laughs’ Looks Beyond Appearances
The film begins in the court of King James II (Sam De Grasse), where court jester Barkilphedro (Brandon Hurst) presents Lord Clancharlie (Conrad Veidt), an exiled nobleman who returned for his son, Gwynplaine. Before having Lord Clancharlie executed, the King informs him that Gwynplaine now has a grin carved upon his face by a Comprachico surgeon (the Comparchicos, as described by Hugo, are a group of wanderers that bought and sold children that they turned into monsters through mutilation). Gwynplaine is abandoned, and while he walks through a snowstorm he rescues a blind baby girl. The pair are given shelter by a kind showman named Ursus (Cesare Gravina), and his pet wolf Homo (Zimbo). Now older, Gwynplaine (Veidt) and Dea (Mary Philbin) travel with Ursus, performing in his plays. Gwynplaine has achieved notoriety for his frozen smile, and is dubbed “The Laughing Man.” Yet he can only feel shame for his appearance, and although he and Dea are in love, Gwynplaine believes that he is not worthy of her. While at the Southwark Fair, Gwynplaine is recognized as the heir to Lord Clancharlie’s estates, which rest with the Duchess Josiana (Olga Baclanova).
The Duchess watches Gwynplaine’s act and becomes intrigued by him, sending Gwynplaine a note to come meet her at midnight. When he arrives, the Duchess tries to seduce him, but is interrupted by a pronouncement that to legitimize her claim to Lord Clancharlie’s estates she should marry Gwynplaine. The Duchess laughs at the idea, and Gwynplaine, embarrassed and ashamed, runs home. Dea, worried by his absence, is relieved he is back, but Gwynplaine is overcome by guilt, and allows Dea to feel his hideous smile for the first time, believing she should know how ugly he truly is. To his surprise, Dea doesn’t recoil, but reassures him that her being blind allows her to see therealGwynplaine. Just then guards break in and arrest Gwynplaine, taking him to prison. Later, Barkilphedro tells Ursus that he and Dea are banished from England, and mockingly lies that the “laughing charlatan” has been killed. While they prepare to leave, Gwynplaine is freed and brought to London, where he is to be inducted into the House of Lords and marry the Duchess. He refuses and escapes to the docks with the help of the villagers. Homo hears Gwynplaine’s cries, and Ursus turns their boat around to bring him aboard. The four, reunited, then set sail from England, happily ever after.
‘The Man Who Laughs’ Inspired the Joker’s Appearance
The Man Who Laughswaspromoted by Universal as a horror film, a precursor to the Universal Classic Monsters made famous by the studio from the 1930s to the 1950s. That classification, largely, misrepresents the film, which seeks to explore the themes of acceptance, beauty within, and man’s inhumanity to man.The Man Who Laughshas no intention of scaring its audience, but rather challenging it. So if the film itself lends nothing to the mythos of the Joker, what does? It’s the telltale deformity made from a permanent smile carved into a boy by an evil man. The gruesome look wascreated by make-up geniusJack Pierce, through the use of a dental contraption that kept Veidt’s mouth hooked at the corners. Outside of context, the visage is striking, unsettling, and, most importantly, memorable. When the team ofBob Kane,Bill Finger, andJerry Robinsonwere looking to create a nemesis for their Batman, the image of Veidt fromThe Man Who Laughsgave them the look they were searching for, a physical characteristic at odds with his actions.
How that played out, however,depends on which of the threegave the account. Robinson began working with Kane and Finger shortly after Batman made his debut. They began mulling over the idea of a nemesis for their hero, with Robinson intent on creating a foe that challenged Batman on every level, a Professor Moriarty for Batman’s Sherlock Holmes. Robinson had also settled on the idea of a contradictory character, like a bad guy with a sense of humor. That idea prompted Robinson to show Kane and Finger a Joker card from a card deck, a particularly devious looking one at that. Finger thought the face looked like Veidt’s Gwynplaine inThe Man Who Laughs, and found stills from the movie to show the other two, and thus was born the Joker… at least according to Robinson. Kane, on the other hand, insisted that Robinson had nothing to do with the creation of the Joker. It was Finger that brought a book with a picture of Veidt to show Kane, saying, “Here’s the Joker.” Even that contribution wasn’t acknowledged, with Kane taking credit as the sole creator of Batman until 2015,when DC Entertainment announced that Bill Fingerwould begin being credited for his work. Finger, for the record, generally attributed the Joker’s creation as a group effort.
Regardless, the common thread between the stories is that the look of the Joker was definitely inspired by Veidt inThe Man Who Laughs. It would be hard to say otherwise, with the Joker coming immediately to mind when seeing pictures of Veidt from the film. The two have become intrinsically linked over time, resulting in an ironic situation whereThe Man Who Laughs, a film about looking past appearances, is now largely recognizedforappearances. Now that is funny.
