HE Who Gets Slapped
1
In the grim comedy
of life, it has been
wisely said that the last
laugh is the best -
2
In the villa of Baron Regnard
in Paris, Paul Beaumont,
an unknown scientist, labored
to prove his startling theories
on the Origin of Mankind -
- Lon Chaney
3
For years Beaumont had
struggled alone, in
poverty, until the Baron -
suddenly interested in his
work - had invited him into
his home -
4
In the scientist's life
there were but two
loves - his work - and
his wife, Marie -
- Ruth King
5
The illustrious Baron
Regnard, a patron
of the Sciences -
- Marc McDermott
6
"I've proved all my
theories -"
7
"Now I am ready to go
before the Academy -"
8
"I will be famous -
and it shall be all for
you, Maria, my love -"
9
"And you, my benefactor
- how can I thank you?"
10
"Now, Paul, you must rest.
The Baron will make
all the arrangements with
the Academy."
11
On the appointed day, Paul
Beaumont appeared
before the Academy of the
Sciences - for judgment
upon his work -
12
He had left all
arrangements
to his influential
friend, the Baron -
13
"You have told them all
my discoveries - but
you have not told them
they are mine -"
14
"The Baron is my
friend - he will tell
you the truth -"
15
"The man is insane! A
starving student I hired
as an assistant."
16
Laughter - the bitterest and
most subtle death to
hope -
17
"He slapped me, Marie. I
would have killed him,
but they laughed -
laughed as if I were a
clown."
18
"Yes, I love him! Why
shouldn't I, you fool?"
19
"What have you given
me - that I should love
you? You with your
silly face and stupid
books!"
20
"Fool! Clown!"
21
"Fool! Clown!"
22
The agony of that
night exhausted
Paul Beaumont's power
to suffer. For there is a
limit to what men can
suffer - and live.
23
Paul Beaumont lived - to
laugh at life. He laughed
at his wife and the Baron
- and left them to the
doubtful joy of each other's
society.
24
Years had passed - Paul
Beaumont was forgotten
- but the laugh was still
his. For the brilliant scientist
had, with a supreme gesture
of contempt, made himself
a common clown -
25
In a little circus near Paris,
he amused the idle, the
ignorant and vicious, with
an act of his own fancy -
under the expressive name
of "HE - Who Gets Slapped" -
26
Five years before, Tricaud
had hired the strange
clown who desired only to
be slapped - and now each
night he proudly counted
his slaps - and the laughs -
- Ford Sterling
27
"Over a hundred slaps
last night, HE - you
lucky fellow! Soon you'll
be getting famous!"
28
"But you know what they
like - there's nothing
makes people laugh so
hard as seeing someone
else get slapped!"
29
A thoroughbred of the
circus - Bezano, the
daredevil rider -
John Gilbert
30
"The Count Mancini offers
us his daughter Consuelo
as a bareback rider."
31
Count Mancini - the
flower of an old
family - gone to seed -
- Tully Marshall
32
Consuelo - an
orchid in the ruined
Mancini gardens -
- Norma Shearer
33
"The Count admits that
his daughter has been
a great success in Italy."
34
"What do you say, Bezano?
A new act - with the two
of you on one horse?"
35
"How stupid people are
- to laugh at a clown
who lets himself be
slapped."
36
So into the crude life of
the circus came the
daughter of the Mancinis -
a delicately bred aristocrat
- reminding Paul Beaumont
of the world he had put
behind him forever -
37
"I never see you any more,
Consuelo - every day you go
away with your father and
the strange gentleman -"
38
"Father's friend is a very
rich gentleman - perhaps
he will ask me to marry
him -"
39
"But you wouldn't,
Consuelo -"
40
"Well, perhaps - I would
- don't be too sure -"
41
"Let me see you, Consuelo,
once in a while. If I don't
see you - I shall die -"
42
"Tomorrow I will spend
the whole day with you."
43
A strange thing, the heart
of man - that loves,
suffers, and despairs - yet
has courage to hope, believe
- and love - again.
44
"You're getting so famous
you'll be leaving us soon
for a bigger circus."
45
"I am happy here,
Consuelo - I want
to stay here always."
46
"Not always, HE - for
someday you'll find
something that you
want more than the
applause and laughs
of the audience."
47
What is it in human nature
that makes people quick
to laugh when someone else
gets slapped - whether the
slap be spiritual, mental -
or physical - ?
48
"Honorable Gentlemen,
tonight I will prove the
earth is round -"
49
"Honorable Gentlemen, I
beg your pardon - the
earth is flat -"
50
"Honorable Gentlemen,
I'm wrong again - the
earth is HARD -"
51
"There is -"
52
"There is -"
53
"Bravo, HE - funnier
than ever -"
54
"Lie down, HE - you're
dead, you know!"
55
Again he could laugh at
the Baron - this time
unrecognized -
56
"I hate clowns!"
57
"I hate Barons!"
58
"The Baron Regnard begs
the honor of seeing us
home. I have accepted
for you -"
59
The Count Mancini
prepares for an
important interview.
60
"Baron Regnard thinks the
daughter of a Mancini
can be purchased with
jewels! I shall enlighten
him!"
61
Gather ye rosebuds while
ye may -
62
"I'm not hungry -"
63
"Neither am I."
64
"I wonder why -"
65
"Could it be because
- because you are
in love?"
66
"I am in love - I
love you!"
67
"And you love me
- don't you?"
68
"Well, I wasn't hungry,
either -"
69
"The Countess Mancini
can accept jewels only
from - her husband!"
70
"Idiot! Do you think I
would marry a circus
rider?"
71
"Think how beautiful
she is -"
72
"Think what a bride
she will make -"
73
"Do you hear the
cuckoo?"
74
"All right, you win -
I will marry her!"
75
"What you mean is that
you make formal request
for my daughter's hand!"
76
"Let's be married at
once - this afternoon -"
77
"I couldn't marry without
my father's consent -"
78
"I'll never love anyone
but you, Bezano -"
79
"The misfortunes of my
ancestors compel me to
suggest a trifling loan -
say, a thousand francs."
80
"Why are you so sad
tonight, HE?"
81
"You'd be happy if you
were only in love."
82
"It is when we are
happiest that life
strikes us, Consuelo -"
83
"Let me see your hand,
Consuelo - perhaps I can
read the future there -"
84
"You are doomed, Consuelo
- it is written here -"
85
"Your father will sell
you to that beast -
Baron Regnard!"
86
"There is only one who
can save you - !"
87
"Look, here is the letter
'H' - it stands for 'HE' -"
88
"It is I, Consuelo - I
who have worshipped
you in silence -"
89
"My love shall protect
you from all harm
and unhappiness!"
90
"I did not believe I could
ever love or trust again
- until I met you,
Consuelo - I love you
- I worship you!"
91
"You dear, funny HE - for
a moment I thought you
were serious -"
92
"You forget, Consuelo -
I am never serious -
I am 'HE Who Gets
Slapped' -"
93
"- I say serious things
- and people laugh
at me!"
94
"The Baron Regnard has
humbly requested your
hand in marriage -"
95
"The wedding will take
place tonight after the
performance."
96
"The Baron will buy
champagne for
everyone!"
97
"You forget, gentlemen
- this is a circus - love
must wait - the
performance must go on!"
98
"You beast! To sell your
daughter like this -"
99
"No true father could
do that -"
100
"Let us drink to - the
one who laughs last!"
101
"I don't drink with
a fool!"
102
"A fool! Look - see which
fool this is!"
103
"Do you think I'll let
you - of all men -
marry her?"
104
"Remember, Baron -
to the one who laughs
last!"
105
"Come, my friend -
give me the last slap!"
106
"Honorable Gentlemen
- the world must
have its love -"
107
"It's a new act HE's
putting on!"
108
"Honorable Gentlemen -
the world must have its
tragedy -"
109
"But always, Honorable
Gentlemen - the clown
comes out - to make
people laugh -"
110
"Your sorrows are over,
Consuelo - and mine
are over, too -"
111
"You will be happy -
and - and - I will be
happy, too -"
112
"You see - I am happy -
I am smiling - a fool is
always smiling -"
113
What is Death - ?
What is Life - ?
What is Love - ?
114
"And we always laughed
at him."
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