He Who Gets Slapped

(Victor Sjöström, US 1924, 71 min., 35mm)

Silent Tuesdays. Lon Chaney, the “Man of a Thousand Faces,” stars as an embittered inventor who faces humiliation by embracing the lifestyle of a circus clown. To deal with his daily feelings of betrayal, he creates an act in which he is slapped around by his fellow clowns. Director Sjöström, Chaney, and costars Norma Shearer and John Gilbert, crafted one of the most emotional films of the silent era. Live piano by Philip C. Carli. Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.