He Who Gets Slapped Quotes

Taglines Victor Seastrom's production of the famous stage play by Leonid Andreyev.

Tricaud Over a hundred slaps last night, HE - you lucky fellow! Soon you'll be getting famous! But you know what they like - there's nothing makes people laugh so hard as seeing someone else get slapped!

Title card 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?

Title card 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 - 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" - 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...

Title card 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.

Marie Beaumont How stupid people are - to laugh at a clown who lets himself be slapped.

Paul Beaumont/HE You forget, gentlemen - this is a circus - love must wait - - the performance must go on!

Paul Beaumont/HE I say serious things - and people laugh at me!

Marie Beaumont What have you given me - that I should love you? You with your silly face and stupid books! Fool! Clown!

Paul Beaumont Fool! Clown!

Title card A strange thing, the heart of a man - that loves, suffers, and despairs - yet has courage to hope, believe - and love - again.

Paul Beaumont/HE He slapped me, Marie. I would have killed him, but they laughed - laughed as if I were a clown.

Title card Laughter - the bitterest and most subtle death to hope...

Baron Regnard I hate clowns!

Paul Beaumont I hate Barons!

Title card In the grim comedy of life, it has been wisely said that the last laugh is the best...