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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 222

The Great Gabbo

192994 minUnited States
RomanceDramaMusical
Video edition
YouTube
Original language
English
This copy runs
94:29
Subtitles
English

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Synopsis

A brilliant but difficult ventriloquist can express tenderness most easily through his dummy. His treatment of his assistant drives her away, while success deepens his dependence on the act. The stage partnership begins to expose the fractures in the man behind the voice.

Cast

DirectorsJames CruzeErich von Stroheimuncredited

Inspirations

Ben Hecht's The Rival Dummy supplies the psychological premise. Large musical numbers interrupt the drama, reflecting an early sound-era effort to combine several kinds of audible spectacle in one film.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

WikipediaInternet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

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Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

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