The Unknown (1927)

While very short at just 50 minutes, this film packs an emotional punch and is macabre in a way that is unique to the genre of horror movies. I won't spoil the big moments, but the tone is set from the beginning as we find ourselves at the circus performance with an armless man (Lon Chaney) hurling knives and firing a rifle at his partner (a young Joan Crawford). As we later see Chaney (and a real-life armless double) manipulate objects and do things like smoke with this feet, we're reminded of the film director Tod Browning would make five years later, 'Freaks'. Chaney's performance throughout the film is brilliant, and he dramatically captures angst, jealousy, and pain. John George turns in a strong performance as the little person in the circus who is Chaney's friend, and the two of them create a striking pair. While the overall tone of the movie is deliciously creepy, the romance Joan Crawford warms up to with a circus strong-man (Norman Kerry) is sweet, and Browning uses a piece of gauze over the camera lens to create an idyllic, dreamy feel to some of their scenes. The uncredited score that was used on the TCM showing was also fantastic. Great film, especially for 1927.

The leading actor is famously known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces", this silent film is one of the few occasions where he is not wearing any of his famous self-made makeup, and this film appeared in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, directed by Tod Browning (Dracula, Freaks). Basically Alonzo the Armless (Lon Chaney) is a circus freak, his great talent is using his feet to throw knives and fire a rifle at his assistant Nanon (young Joan Crawford), daughter of the circus owner. However Alonzo is a fraud and fugitive, he has arms and keeps them tightly bound to his torso with a corset, only circus midget Cojo (John George) knows his secret, but Alonzo does have a double thumb, this would identify him as a burglar. Alonzo is secretly in love with Nanon, circus strongman Malabar (Norman Kerry) is devoted to her also, but she has a phobia of being touched, she is repulsed by Malabar's sexual advances and desire to touch and hold her. Alonzo fuels Nanon's fear, hoping she will fall in love with him, being "armless", but she feels uncomfortable around him, she embraces and kisses Alonzo, but Cojo warns him if she holds him, she might feel his arms. The circus's owner Antonio Zanzi (Nick De Ruiz), who despises Alonzo, discovers his secret, Alonzo kills him with his bare hands, but Nanon witnesses this through the window, she did not see his face, she only knows that her father's killer has a double thumb on his left hand, Alonzo believed as being armless is not suspected. When the circus leaves town, Nanon is convinced by Alonzo to stay behind with him, he takes extreme measures to have her, he blackmails a surgeon into amputating his arms, but while he is away Malabar finally helps her to overcome her phobia, she agrees to marry him. With Alonzo truly armless he returns to Nanon, but he is shocked and horrified when she excitedly tells him her news, Malabar and Nanon have also been practising a new act, using horses on treadmills to make it look like strongman Malabar can withstand being pulled. During the first performance of this act, Alonzo stops one treadmill, in attempt to cause a horse to drag him, to kill his rival. Alonzo threatens Nanon with a knife when she tries to intervene, she rushes to calm down one of the horses, Alonzo tries to save her from injury, but pushing her out of the way he ends up being knocked down by the horse and stomped to death. Also starring Frank Lanning as Costra and John St. Polis as the Surgeon. Chaney gives a great performance as the vicious impostor who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants, however extreme or evil, and even with no Crawford proves a great presence. This film really appalled audiences in the old days, with its brutality and perversity, and to this day it is still a nightmarish macabre melodrama, with its themes of murder, amputation and obsession, and its constant sadomasochistic and devious atmosphere, a darkly disturbing but most watchable silent horror. Very good!

Tod Browning and Lon Chaney classic about a knife thrower named Alonzo (Chaney) who pretends to have no arms. He uses his feet to throw knives. He falls in love with a gypsy girl named Nanon (Joan Crawford). She has a fear of being touched so she rebuffs the advances of men, including a circus strongman who is in love with her. Alonzo will do anything to have Nanon and takes drastic measures to ensure she never finds out his secret.One of Chaney's most memorable performances. He learned to use his feet as hands to throw knives, light cigarettes, scratch his head, etc. You can bet none of today's stars would go to the kinds of lengths Chaney would for a role. Director Tod Browning was Chaney's favorite collaborator. They worked on ten movies together and this is one of the best. A creepy, suspenseful film with an exciting finale.

Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford star in "The Unknown," a 1927 film written and directed by Tod Browning.Chaney, who often suffered great physical pain getting into his roles, plays Alonzo, an armless man who uses his feet to throw daggers at Nanon (Crawford) as part of his circus act. In truth, though, only his pal Cojo (John George) knows that Alonzo has both arms, corseted behind him while he's working. He's a burglar hiding from the police. Since one of his thumbs is deformed, it seems to him a good disguise.But Alonzo finds it difficult to hide his love for Nanon. Nanon seems frightened of any man's touch, although she is attracted to Malabar (Norman Kerry). One night, her father Zanzi (Nick de Ruiz) sees that Alonzo has arms, and Alonzo has to kill him. Nanon sees the murder, but not the face of the killer; she does, however, see his deformity.Alonzo decides it's best to have the arm with the deformed finger amputated. When he recovers and returns to work, he discovers that Nanon and Malabar are now an item. It's not something he's willing to take lightly.Weird, bizarre, strange, all these words and more describe this twisted story, typical Tod Browning fare. Joan Crawford looks a little different in this film than she does in other early movies. She may have had her nose altered at some point. Nevertheless, with those tremendous flashing eyes, beautiful figure and vibrant presence, it's not hard for her to earn the love of two men. Unfortunately one of them is nuts.Chaney was a master at facial expressions and physical changes, and he gives a compelling portrait as Alonzo, desperately in love with Nanon, who swears he will have her no matter what. I wasn't familiar with Norman Kerry before this film; he seems to have been a potential Fairbanks replacement, very dashing.All in all, a fascinating silent. I saw it on TCM and like so many other silents, it's not in great shape, but that shouldn't distract from the viewing.