Laugh, Clown, Laugh
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: Katie Trainor in Person!
USA | 1928 | 35mm | 73 min.
Director: Herbert Brenon; Cast: Lon Chaney, Loretta Young, Bernard Siegel
Chaney, the Man of a Thousand Faces, plays Tito, a crying-on-the-inside circus clown heading for more heartbreak after he becomes smitten with the fetching Simonetta (Young). This reworking of the classic story of Pagliacci offers a great showcase for the two leads and talented director Brenon (Peter Pan). Live piano by David Drazin. Print courtesy George Eastman Museum. Preceded by Acrobatty Bunny (1946, 6 min.) Presented with the support of Madison Opera and their productions of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, November 2 and 4.
This October and November, the Cinematheque continues its tradition of screening great movies from before the dawn of sound. This Fall’s selection includes a special spotlight on the work of women filmmakers in the silent era with screenings of Dorothy Davenport’s The Red Kimona and Lois Weber’s Where Are My Children? Plus, a 35mm print of Lon Chaney in Laugh, Clown, Laugh with live piano accompaniment and a new 4K restoration of Borzage’s 7th Heaven, presented in person by Katie Trainor, Film Collections Manager at the Museum of Modern Art.
All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.