Paul Beaumont has made a breakthrough in his research into the origins of our species and trusts his patron and “friend,” the Baron de Regnard, to arrange for the presentation of his findings before the assembled members of France’s Academy of Science. Meanwhile, the Baron and Beaumont’s wife, Maria, have become lovers behind Beaumont’s back. On Beaumont’s big day, the Baron takes full credit for all Beaumont’s painstaking work and discoveries, and slaps Beaumont across the face in front of their gathered peers, saying that Beaumont has been his mere “assistant.” The audience breaks out in derisive laughter at the presumptive upstart who (to their eyes) is attempting to divest the Baron of the credit that is his due. What a clown they make Beaumont feel that he is—and indeed Beaumont becomes a circus clown whose continual fate is that he is slapped across the face as many as one hundred times per performance, setting the crowds to roaring with laughter because people, who are descended from hyenas, perhaps, find it funny when someone other than themselves gets slapped. Meanwhile, Beaumont falls in love with the circus’s bareback rider, who greets the profession of his love with a fit of laughter. O what fools these mortal scientists be!
How does it all turn out? Let’s put it this way: If Ingmar Bergman had directed it, the film might have been titled Death of a Clown.
In fact, Bergman more or less did direct—or, rather, artistic predecessor Victor Sjöström did. Based on what must be a laughable play by Leonid Andreiev, this was both Sjöström’s first Hollywood film and M-G-M’s first-in-the-can. Its long-shots of intricate circus performances and backstage activity, punctuated by inserts of a laughing clown alongside a spinning striped globe, are stunning proof that Sjöström had not left his eye behind in Sweden.
Lon Chaney plays Beaumont. As ever, Chaney goes over the top, but does so gently, affably.
Irving Thalberg produced, the same year that he viciously slashed Greed. The origin of his species? Swine.
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HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (Victor Sjöström, 1924)
By grunesPaul Beaumont has made a breakthrough in his research into the origins of our species and trusts his patron and “friend,” the Baron de Regnard, to arrange for the presentation of his findings before the assembled members of France’s Academy of Science. Meanwhile, the Baron and Beaumont’s wife, Maria, have become lovers behind Beaumont’s back. On Beaumont’s big day, the Baron takes full credit for all Beaumont’s painstaking work and discoveries, and slaps Beaumont across the face in front of their gathered peers, saying that Beaumont has been his mere “assistant.” The audience breaks out in derisive laughter at the presumptive upstart who (to their eyes) is attempting to divest the Baron of the credit that is his due. What a clown they make Beaumont feel that he is—and indeed Beaumont becomes a circus clown whose continual fate is that he is slapped across the face as many as one hundred times per performance, setting the crowds to roaring with laughter because people, who are descended from hyenas, perhaps, find it funny when someone other than themselves gets slapped. Meanwhile, Beaumont falls in love with the circus’s bareback rider, who greets the profession of his love with a fit of laughter. O what fools these mortal scientists be!
How does it all turn out? Let’s put it this way: If Ingmar Bergman had directed it, the film might have been titled Death of a Clown.
In fact, Bergman more or less did direct—or, rather, artistic predecessor Victor Sjöström did. Based on what must be a laughable play by Leonid Andreiev, this was both Sjöström’s first Hollywood film and M-G-M’s first-in-the-can. Its long-shots of intricate circus performances and backstage activity, punctuated by inserts of a laughing clown alongside a spinning striped globe, are stunning proof that Sjöström had not left his eye behind in Sweden.
Lon Chaney plays Beaumont. As ever, Chaney goes over the top, but does so gently, affably.
Irving Thalberg produced, the same year that he viciously slashed Greed. The origin of his species? Swine.
This entry was posted on July 6, 2008 at 4:13 am and is filed under Informal Capsule Film Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.