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The Great Gabbo

Play trailer Poster for The Great Gabbo 1929,  1h 35m,  Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 71% 7 Reviews Tomatometer 48% 250+ Ratings Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
The Great Gabbo is a mentally unstable ventriloquist who brutally demeans his assistant, Mary, blaming her for the duo's lack of success. Fed up with his abuse, she quits, only to find herself performing as a dancer in a major stage show featuring Gabbo two years later. Though she is now married to a fellow dancer, Frank, Gabbo makes a play for her. But when she rejects him, his madness returns, and he begins to speak only through his puppet.

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The Great Gabbo

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Critics Reviews

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Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl Jul 20, 2021
James Cruze is efficient in his direction of The Great Gabbo, which is no small feat considering the difficulties of shooting with the early sound cameras. Go to Full Review
Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Oct 1, 2014
Some bizarre musical numbers in the granddaddy of all "strange ventriloquist" chillers. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Oct 6, 2010
B-
An early talkie that gets your attention because it's so perverse. Go to Full Review
Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Feb 7, 2010
A laboratory experiment that isolates the Stroheim persona for all it's worth Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Aug 19, 2005
4/5
Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Sep 11, 2003
2/5
Interminable, unbelieavably show early talkie of interest only for Stroheim. Go to Full Review
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The Great Gabbo

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Cast & Crew

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Erich von Stroheim

Director

James Cruze

Director

Erich von Stroheim

The Great Gabbo

Betty Compson

Mary

Donald Douglas

Frank

Marjorie Kane

Babe

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The Great Gabbo

The Great Gabbo (1929) The Great Gabbo (1929) The Great Gabbo (1929) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The Great Gabbo is a mentally unstable ventriloquist who brutally demeans his assistant, Mary, blaming her for the duo's lack of success. Fed up with his abuse, she quits, only to find herself performing as a dancer in a major stage show featuring Gabbo two years later. Though she is now married to a fellow dancer, Frank, Gabbo makes a play for her. But when she rejects him, his madness returns, and he begins to speak only through his puppet.
Director
Erich von Stroheim, James Cruze
Producer
Nat Cordish, James Cruze, Henry Meyer
Screenwriter
Ben Hecht, Hugh Herbert
Distributor
Sinister Cinema, Grapevine Video, LS Video
Production Co
James Cruze Productions
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 12, 1929, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
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