Simply A Masterpiece

Admirable film.

Absolutely brilliant

Blistering performances.

Director Tod Browning sets up an interesting dynamic in presenting his main characters. Alonzo the Armless (Lon Chaney) is introduced as quite the sympathetic character suffering through the unrequited love for the woman he loves. His romantic rival Malabar (Norman Kerry) is the circus strongman and appears to be a flamboyant, narcissistic individual who openly declares his admiration for Nanon (Joan Crawford), daughter of circus owner Zanzi (Nick De Ruiz). For her part, Nanon has an obsessive fear of being touched, much less being held by any man, though the reason for her distress is not adequately explored.From that starting point, Browning juxtaposes the characters and their relationships to each other through various interactions. Malabar redeems himself as a heel by saving Alonzo from a savage beating by Zanzi, while later, Alonzo enacts his fearsome revenge by strangling Nanon's father for his earlier brutality. As the viewer, one is consistently shocked by the utter unpredictability of Browning's revelations - Alonzo is not the armless wonder we were led to believe, he has a physical deformity consisting of a 'double' thumb on his left hand, and in what proves to be a mind bending consequence of his plan to win Nanon, he has his arms amputated to prove that his love for her goes beyond physical touch. This self mutilation aspect of Alonzo's character elevates the silent film to near horror, and even though tragic, manages to dispel any feelings of sympathy one might have had for the conflicted individual.Until I read some other reviewers here, I would not have known that it wasn't Chaney doing his own stunt work using his feet. The way those scenes are shot, the effect appears to be virtually seamless, except as an afterthought when one considers some of the odd positions Chaney had to assume for the intended results.And then there's Joan Crawford, really quite sensuous and exotic in an early screen role. Very much the opposite of the on screen alcoholic lush she turned into while filming a travesty of a 1970 picture titled "Trog" playing opposite a half-man, half-ape missing link. Thinking about it now, that was the kind of picture Tod Browning could have really made a go of had he lived long enough; it would have been some kind of career arc.

THE UNKNOWN (1927) tells the story of Alonzo, who travels with a gypsy circus in Spain as an armless knife-thrower and marksman. He pines for Nanon (Joan Crawford), a beautiful woman who can't stand to be touched by men, but Alonzo must compete with the strongman Malabar (Norman Kerry) for her affections. Complicating all of this is a secret that he dare not reveal, for fear of being captured by the law. His obsession with Nanon leads him to make a very startling decision. Directed by Tod Browning. SCRIPT: Tod Browning is famous for making movies with a bizarre, somewhat morbid element. There's certainly an abundance of that in this film. This is a melodrama with a twist – it's rather unsettling and fascinating at the same time. THE UNKNOWN delves into what happens when affection crosses the line into obsessive possessiveness and jealousy… and yet, somehow, one empathizes a bit with Alonzo. The movie is very brief, clocking in around 50 minutes, and yet it makes more of an impact than many longer movies. SCORE: 8/10ACTING: Much of the movie's success is due to the central performance of Lon Chaney, an uncommonly gifted actor. Once again he creates a figure that is villainous, yet empathetic. He is remarkably expressive, particularly in the scene where he realizes that he has made a great sacrifice for nothing – pretending to laugh yet really crying in horror. He uses his feet with great skill too, throwing knives, lighting matches and playing guitar! This movie is undoubtedly his show. Joan Crawford is effective as Nanon, capturing her character's emotions well and displaying some of the star quality that would take her far in her career. Norman Kerry isn't typically acclaimed, but he acquits himself very well as the strongman Malabar, appropriately charming and somewhat roguish, yet also tender. The other cast members do fine work as well. SCORE: 9/10CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION: The sets accurately evoke the feel of a traveling circus. The cinematography is minimalistic, yet effective- evocative with some chiaroscuro effects and well-composed shots (particularly in an operating room). Some of the editing is a bit choppy during the knife-throwing scenes – you can tell that someone else was throwing the knives off-camera. Fairly well done overall. SCORE: 7.5/10SUMMARY: THE UNKNOWN is a fascinatingly bizarre film. Even though the central character is a villain, Lon Chaney shows the human core inside of him. The acting is remarkable and the story is brief yet makes a strong impression. MOVIE SCORE: 8/10

This evening I've been watching The Unknown (1927) starting Lon Chaney. It could be renamed The Unsung, because it's too good to be denied the praises normally heaped upon Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Chaney is so amazing here, embodying the character of Alonzo so completely. A lesser actor might not have been able to play the emotions so brilliantly without giving away the plot twists. Tod Browning must be commended as well for constructing this film with what seems just the right length, with no footage wasted, no filler at all; every scene is necessary and advances the story. If I have any complaint at all, it's that Joan Crawford is a bit over the top when she plays fear... but given how well she plays affection and joy, I can overlook it. 10/10

Though Browning is known best for directing Dracula (1931) and Chaney is most known as The Phantom of the Opera (1925), this little known thriller is their masterpiece.The Unknown (1927) concerns a seemingly armless knife thrower named Alonzo (Lon Chaney) who's really a murderer on the run. He pretends to be armless so his deformed thumb won't give him away. Alonzo becomes obsessed with the ringmaster's beautiful daughter Nanon (Joan Crawford) and seeks to possess her not only sexually, but emotionally as well. Luckily for Alonzo, she is frightened of men's hands (it's implied that she has suffered abuse in the past), which makes her comfortable around him. Alonzo wants to marry Nanon and believes she finds out about his true condition on their wedding night, she will forgive his deception. That all gets thrown out the window when he murders her father and Nanon sees that the killer has a double thumb. Plus, she's falling for the sideshow's handsome strongman(Norman Kerry). From there on, Alonzo unravels more and more, leading to the film's suspense-filled conclusion.A story as bizarre as this one could only be made plausible in the otherworldly universe of silent film. Having worked in a sideshow during his younger years, Browning often returned to such settings in his films (The Show (1927), The Unholy Three (1925), Freaks (1932)). As usual, he renders a world that is sinister and off-kilter. Lon Chaney also gives his best performance as Alonzo. It's mind-blowing how he takes such a creepy and violent character and manages to make him sympathetic. Though he's such a terrible person, Chaney somehow has you rooting for him to win the girl over. The scene toward the end where he has a mental breakdown has to be one of the most chilling things I've ever witnessed.If The Unknown has a flaw, then it would be the ending. It's a tad rushed and the resolution could have been handled better. I'd like to know more about Nanon's reaction to Alonzo's actions, for instance. Oh well. That's more of a nitpick than a real issue that topples the whole picture. The Unknown is essential for those who've only seen the static 1931 Dracula and think Browning was a hack, and those who believe Chaney relied solely on make-up to dazzle audiences.