Lon Chaney
Paul Beaumont, aka HE
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Synopsis
A scientist's patron steals his discoveries and humiliates him before an audience that laughs at his protest. Abandoning his former identity, he becomes a circus clown whose act repeats the public humiliation. Affection for a young rider gives him a new purpose, until the man who destroyed his earlier life enters the circus's orbit.
Cast
DirectorsVictor Seastrom
Inspirations
Victor Sjöström adapted Leonid Andreyev's play with Lon Chaney in the central role. The clown's performance turns an intimate betrayal into a ritual for paying spectators, connecting the film's circus imagery to questions about cruelty, spectatorship and the need for affection.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Lon Chaney — Unknown author · Public domain
- Norma Shearer — Unknown author · Public domain
- John Gilbert — MGM studio · Public domain
- Tully Marshall — Paramount Pictures · Public domain
