For the ventriloquist Gabbo his wooden dummy Otto is the only means of expression. When he starts relying more and more on Otto, he starts going mad.
Erich von Stroheim
as Gabbo
Betty Compson
as Mary
Donald Douglas
as Frank
Marjorie Kane
as Babe
Earl Burtnett
as Orchestra Leader
George Grandee
as Otto (voice) (uncredited)
Bo Peep Karlin
as Dancer (uncredited)
Rosina Lawrence
as Dancer (uncredited)
Eddy Waller
as Vaudevillian (uncredited)
CinemaSerf
The problem for Erich von Stroheim in the title role here is that his character's abilities to eat, drink - sing La Bohème, even - whilst his dummy "Otto" chats away merrily to the audience does quite come off on film. An out-of-vision voice is nothing new with this medium, so much of the potency of...