Three Publicity Stills from the Set
of the 1933 Film Laughter in Hell
Hollywood: [NP] 1933. Photographer unknown. Three original 8" x 10" black-and-white publicity photos taken on the Universal City set of the 1933 chain-gang drama film Laughter in Hell. Blue paper hand-typed descriptions mounted on verso of each photo; apparently for newspaper write-ups. Very Good overall. A few pieces of masking tape on verso, a few stains and some fairly light edge wear.
Photo #1 (going from left to right in main product photo) shows Jim Tully, Irish-American ex-hobo-and-pugilist author of the book on which the film was based, hanging with star Pat O'Brien, known at the time as "Hollywood's Irishman in Residence." #2 shows former child-actor Tom Brown in stripes handling a pick on the set while background extras stare at the camera. "Take your pick" the jauntily-phrased verso caption begins.
Photo #3 is the stand-out of the bunch, showcasing two lynched African-American convicts surrounded by their mourning comrades. As the verso caption states: "Just a good old fashioned lynching party-- and the honored guests are Director Edward Cahn, Pat O'Brien, Jim Tully and Clarence Muse. Snapped on the set of Universal's chain gang drama, "Laughter in Hell" where the author of the human screenplay visited the actors recently." An institutional example of this photo appeared in Bauer and Dawidziak's recent Tully biography.
A rare set of publicity stills from a pre-code chain-gang film with a frank depiction of the Southern racism and a broken criminal justice system that was presumed lost until recently.