The Unknown **** (1927, Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz) – Classic Movie Review 9120

Lon Chaney Sr heads a fine cast as Alonzo, an armless knife thrower circus fakir, in director Tod Browning’s intriguing and engagingly weird, though less-famous 1927 MGM silent chiller The Unknown. Alonzo is literally a faker, because he is actually a criminal on the run hiding out in the circus with his arms intact and strapped down to his sides.

Chaney Sr’s Alonzo loves Nanon (Joan Crawford), the target in his knife thrower act and the man-hating daughter of the circus boss Antonio Zanzi (Nick De Ruiz), who despises Alonzo, with tragic results.

Circus strong man Malabar the Mighty (Norman Kerry) also fancies Nanon, but she is phobic to the touch of a man’s hand. Alonzo hopes Nanon will fall in love with him since he is supposedly armless. Alonzo kills Zanzi when he finds he has arms, but Nanon witnesses the killing without seeing it is Alonzo.

The Unknown is short and sharp – and, as the plot reveals, very peculiar indeed. John George is also notable as Alonzo’s little accomplice Cojo.

Also in the cast are Frank Lanning. Louise Emmons, Italia Frandi, Venezia Frandi, Julian Rivero, Billy Seay and John St Polis.

The running time is 63 minutes, but the BFI print, the DVD and the Turner library print (with a new score by the Alloy Orchestra) run 49 minutes.

Browning loosely based the story on a real event of his own circus days, when a man on the run hid out in the circus as an acrobat to evade the police.

The Unknown is directed by Tod Browning, runs 63 minutes or 49 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Tod Browning (story), Waldemar Young (scenario), Joseph [Joe] Farnham (titles), is shot in black and white by Merritt B Gerstad and is designed by Cedric Gibbons and Richard Day.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9120

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