Heath Ledger recently won an Oscar for his portrayal of The Joker in "The Dark Knight," but we have yet to find out who is responsible for creating the character to begin with.
Comic book artist Bob Kane, writer Bill Finger and artist Jerry Robinson have all claimed that they are the brains behind the evil villain. But very few dispute that the visual inspiration came from German actor Conrad Veidt's role in the 1928 film "The Man Who Laughs."
In the movie, Gwynplaine (Veidt), whose father offends King James II, is sentenced to have a permanent smile carved on his face. The idea is to condemn Gwynplaine "to laugh forever at his fool of a father."
Based on rumors, Bill Finger (co-creator of Batman) brought a picture to Bob Kane showing Veidt's creepy grin along with a Joker playing card. That meeting is said to be the creation of The Joker. [via LaughingSquid, Cinematical]
Veidt died of a heart attack in 1943 while playing golf in Los Angeles.
- http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=12735
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