7. He Was Based On Conrad Veidt From The Man Who Laughs
With the story that The Joker's look was based on a playing card in doubt, another possible origin for his appearance comes from a claim that Bob Kane and Bill Finger were inspired by the star of 1928 film, The Man Who Laughs. The similarities between The Joker and Conrad Veidt are clear, so this claim appears to be the most believable. However. despite some visual similarities, the comic book character is obviously far more psychotic than the lead of the film which was based on Victor Hugo's novel. This nod to the movie was referenced in a retelling of The Joker's origin story years later, a story appropriately titled "Batman: The Man Who Laughs".
