The Unknown (1927)

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Tod Browning (story)
Waldemar Young (scenario)
(more)

Release Date:

4 June 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Alonzo is an apparently armless knife thrower who uses his feet to encircle Estrellita with blades....

Plot Keywords:

Love | Circus | Freak | Horse | Surgery

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Lon Chaney	...	Alonzo the Armless
Norman Kerry	...	Malabar the Mighty, Circus Strongman
Joan Crawford	...	Nanon Zanzi
Nick De Ruiz	...	Antonio Zanzi, Nanon's Father
John George	...	Cojo, Alonzo's Assistant
Frank Lanning	...	Costra
Polly Moran	...	Landlady (scenes deleted)
Bobbie Mack	...	Gypsy (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Venezia Frandi	...	(unconfirmed)
Louise Emmons	...	Gypsy Woman (uncredited)
Italia Frandi	...	Girl in Audience flirting with Malabar (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Man in Audience (uncredited)
Billy Seay	...	The Little Wolf (uncredited)
John St. Polis	...	Surgeon (uncredited)

Directed by
Tod Browning

Writing credits
Mary Roberts Rinehart		(novel "K") uncredited
Tod Browning		(story)
Waldemar Young		(scenario)
Joseph Farnham		(titles)

Cinematography by
Merritt B. Gerstad		(as M. Gerstad)

Film Editing by
Harry Reynolds
Errol Taggart

Set Decoration by
Richard Day		(settings)
Cedric Gibbons		(settings)

Stunts
Paul Desmuke	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Clarence Sinclair Bull	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lucia Coulter	....	wardrober

Music Department
Jack Feinberg	....	set musician (uncredited)
Sam Feinberg	....	set musician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1927) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Network Enterprises (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Alonzo the Armless (USA) (working title)
Demon cyrku (Poland) [pl]
Der Mann ohne Hände (Austria) [de]
Der Unbekannte (Austria) [de]
Garras humanas (Spain) [es]
Kädetön Alfonso (Finland) [fi]
L'inconnu (France) [fr]
Lo sconosciuto (Italy) [it]
O Homem Sem Braços (Portugal) [pt]
The Unknown - Der Unbekannte (Germany) [de]

Runtime:

63 min (23 fps) | UK:49 min (BFI print) | USA:49 min (alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

For many years this film only existed in murky 9.5mm dupes on the black market. In March 1973, at a screening of this film at George Eastman House, archivist James Card said that Henri Langlois and his staff at the Cinematheque Francais discovered a copy of it in 1968 among other miscellaneous cans of film marked "l'inconnu" (films "unknown" due to missing titles, etc.).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alonzo and Cojo are drinking wine, the glass suddenly fills between shots.

Quotes:

Alonzo the Armless: No one will get her... no one but me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

Thumbs Up!

I give this one 8/10 simply for uniqueness. It's not a horror film, but if you can follow and swallow it The Unknown certainly is an unsettling experience. I don't think anyone has spoiled it yet for the unwary so for an explanation of why, the best thing to do is watch it! Suffice to report it's a tale of twisted love and the lengths a man's passion goes to ... to get his hands on the woman. Alonzo didn't understand women however!

Tod Browning sailed close to the edge as usual, and Lon Chaney put in a fine performance as a murderer on the run - I presume he was, from extrapolation of events in the 47 minute TCM UK TV version. Joan Crawford looked very pretty, before Hollywood really got hold of her and uglified her.

There's obviously many bits missing from this print, but by paying attention it's fairly straightforward to understand. I think it's worth it too, especially if you like silent films as I do. The scenes photographed through gauze were striking, but what was that all about?! Overall, different and slightly depressing - is the moral we men are all so desperate when infatuated with a woman?