The Great Gabbo

In this 1929 musical drama, Erich von Stroheim stars as Gabbo, a brilliant ventriloquist whose wooden dummy Otto is his sole means of self-expression. As Gabbo's reliance on Otto grows, he becomes increasingly unhinged, driven by megalomania and superstitions that lead to a downward spiral of romance, heartbreak, and madness. Despite his fame, Gabbo finds himself rejected by the one person he loves, Mary, who cannot handle his eccentricities and Otto's constant chatter, leaving him alone and broken.