Laughing at Death

Two men who resemble each other become unlikely players in a political thriller pitched against a mythical country called Libania. One is a prince living in exile, the other a practical college student who earns his keep as a ship stoker. When danger closes in, the stoker slips into the prince's life and takes up the royal role to shield the prince from political assassins. The swap sparks a fast moving sequence of disguises, escapes, and cunning reversals as danger closes in from multiple angles. The setup promises brisk action and clear stakes without giving away how the suspense resolves. Visions of ship decks and lantern light set the stage for the eye catching action and suspense.

Directed by Wallace Fox, Laughing at Death arrived in 1929 as a brisk silent adventure adapted from a story by Frank Howard Clark. The production showcases practical stunts, bold chase work, and era specific set pieces that give the story its fast pulse for contemporary audiences.

Box office figures for Laughing at Death are not publicly documented, a common fate for many silent era thrillers. No widely cited worldwide gross exists in major catalogs, and contemporary reissues rarely carry financial data, leaving the film's commercial footprint largely invisible today.

There are no known nominations or wins tied to Laughing at Death in major awards catalogs. As a late 1920s silent adventure, it seems to have slipped through the cracks of the era's prize culture, existing mainly in archival notices and scattered fan references over the decades.

The film sits in the tradition of daring rescues and identity swaps that defined late silent era adventure. It leans on themes of loyalty sacrifice and ingenuity as ordinary characters rise to protect others when danger looms, offering a vivid snapshot of genre sensibilities and era style today.