The Unknown (1927)

Director: Tod Browning

Writers: Tod Browning, Waldemar Young, Joseph Franham, Mary Roberts Rinehart

Starring: Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning

More info: IMDb

Plot: A criminal on the run hides in a circus and seeks to possess the daughter of the ringmaster at any cost.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

I'm embarrassed to admit this but I just watched my first Lon Chaney picture.  I'm shocked that I haven't seen any of his films before, despite the number of horror classics he starred in.  It's criminal, I know.  He's utterly amazing in this.  I was captivated by his presence in every single scene.  He demands it almost.  Joan Crawford is so young that she's unrecognizable (to me, anyway).  Wow.  What a picture this is.  It's remarkable how Chaney was able to hide his arms.  I mean, you really believe he's armless.  He really sells it.  The story might sound simple but there's a lot more to it plus it's got heart right along side the horror.  You feel for Alonzo (Chaney) even after you uncover his past and you see his actions.  There's some messed up stuff going on.  This was the second of three excellent movies I watched in a row over the course of three nights which is rare.  There's usually a crappy movie that breaks up the good stuff.  I sift through a lot of garbage searching for that hidden gem but every once in a while I go blind into pictures only to come out the other side seeing a whole new world in front of me and this time, that new world belongs to Lon Chaney.