Director: Tod Browning
Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Thriller
Runtime: 63 minutes (original version), 49 minutes (DVD version)
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
The silent drama-thriller The Unknown was one of ten movies that actor Lon Chaney made with director Tod Browning. Alonzo (Lon Chaney) is a shady circus knife-thrower with no arms (he tosses the blades with his feet) who’s willing to do anything to win the love of Nanon (Joan Crawford). First, Chaney had no legs in The Penalty (1920) and now he’s performing without any arms! What a trooper!
Lon Chaney is in top form here. He appears to be a top-notch contortionist, performing activities with his feet that one would normally do with their hands. A trip to the Trivia page on IMDb for The Unknown reveals that he occasionally had a double in this picture, the actually armless Paul Desmuke, for scenes that required that extra bit of talent, like those involving playing a musical instrument with the feet. This is incorporated seamlessly into the finished film.
This is a somewhat twisted movie, but, with a current running time of only 49 minutes, it does feel a little undercooked at times. A longer version existed at one time. That being said, the climax is appropriately tense and the overall picture certainly isn’t boring. As with many Lon Chaney flicks, this one revolves around a romantic triangle where he plays the grotesque figure.
The Unknown is definitely a one-of-a-kind movie, but I don’t think it’s quite as good as some of the other features starring Lon Chaney. Maybe the long-lost footage would improve the finished product. It’s a macabre treat (though not a horror film, as some have suggested), but I think it needs those missing sequences to soar. That being said, I’d still recommend it.
My rating is 6 outta 10.
The Film Heretic Watches a Classic 