Laughter in Hell

press release: USA | 1933 | 35mm | 70 min.

Director: Edward L. Cahn; Cast: Pat O’Brien, Gloria Stuart, Clarence Muse

One of the greatest but least-celebrated movies of the early '30s follows railroad engineer Barney (O’Brien) who escapes from a chain gang after being sentenced for murder. Barney wanders onto a bleak, Depression-era landscape where redemption possibly lies in his relationship with another lost soul (Stuart). Worthy of comparison to such masterpieces as I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang and Heroes for Sale, Universal’s socially relevant drama is “one of the most radical works – politically and stylistically – to emerge from that adventuresome studio” (Dave Kehr).

Sunday Cinematheque at the Chazen: It’s a Universal Picture

This lineup of movies released by Universal Pictures from 1928-1936 shows how one of the smallest of the major studios, under the leadership of head honcho Carl Laemmle Jr., held their own with a variety of fun and fast-paced features that delivered innovation in a number of genres: melodramas, comedies, thrillers, war stories, musicals and horror movies. Our series partly focuses on Universal’s top-flight, best-known directors like William Wyler, John Stahl and James Whale, but you will also have a chance to discover the expressive and riveting work of Edward L. Cahn, Paul Fejos, and others. As a bonus, many of the features will be preceded by animated preludes starring Universal’s top cartoon star of the day, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Special Thanks to Dave Kehr, whose series of Universal discoveries curated for New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Bologna’s Il Cinema Ritrovato provided significant inspiration.

Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times.