This Is Not The Joker...

These are images of German actor Conrad Veidt as the character Gwynplaine in the 1928 silent film, The Man Who Laughs. The movie is an adaptation of a novel by Victor Hugo and takes place in late 17th century England.

The strong physical resemblance between Gwynplaine and the Joker isn't coincidental. Creators of the Joker acknowledged the influence of Gwynplaine's demonic-looking smile and swept-back hair in their 1940 design of the iconic DC Comics supervillain.


In other respects, the two characters couldn't be more different. The Joker was introduced as a sadistic psychopath with a warped sense of humor. Gwynplaine is a sympathetic and benevolent character. As a child, he had the misfortune of having his mouth carved into a freakish, permanently fixed grin by a Comprachico surgeon. He’s ashamed of his disfigurement, but it doesn’t cause him to act out. He’s a good guy.