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Lon Chaney, "The Unknown", 1927 (Tod Browning, Director)

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    Lon Chaney, "The Unknown", 1927 (Tod Browning, Director)

    I've been watching this recently re-evaluated silent film from 1927. Lon Chaney had a remarkable career as a mute character actor, sometimes referred to as 'the man of a thousand faces'. Both of his parents were mute and Chaney learned to communicate with facial expressions and gestures - both remarkable skills he adapted for silent cinema, resulting in a career in mostly horror films. Chaney carried about with him a make-up case with a few elementary 'tools' from which he fashioned his personas which included 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Phantom of the Opera", just to name two notable performances.

    "The Unknown" is mostly remembered today, not for its contrived and incredible plot about a thief (Alonzo) who joins the circus and avoids detection from police by pretending to have no arms, but for Chaney's stunning performance as the knife-thrower who uses his legs; he falls in love with Nanon (Joan Crawford, in an early role) who cannot tolerate men touching her. Significant suspension of disbelief required here!! Alonzo wants to prove his love and because he fears detection and will do anything to attract Nanon he has a surgeon remove his arms. Are you ready for this plot?

    "The Unknown" is a rather disturbing psycho-erotic/thriller/horror film, made in 'pre-Code' Hollywood. There are some very erotic scenes in the film. Director Browning had many horror films to his credit, including the first "Dracula", and he does a fine job here leaving his actors to virtually carry the film, with only limited visual effects. Chaney wore a brace around his torso to conceal his arms for the performance and the film would have us believe he had great agility with his feet - but this would have been an effect using a body double.

    Today this film is notable for its scene with Alonzo who discovers that Nanon is going to marry the circus muscle-man and that the removal of his arms had been absolutely futile. His retribution for being a thief and murderer is finally realized in one of the most concentrated and memorable scenes of grief ever conveyed on film, not just in silent film, which drew the admiration of at least two generations of modern film actors. Watch here from 37:00.

    https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x55m82x

    Lon Chaney was a superb actor who used his face to delve into the soul of a character who often had multi-dimensional qualities but which characteristics were often latent, defying all but the most subtle reading.
    Last edited by Schenkerian; 10-11-2021, 07:13 AM.

    #2
    Lon Chaney and Tod Browning. I didn't know much about Lon Chaney Sr., but since I am such a huge horror film lover I do know about his son, Lon Chaney Jr. I'm a big James Cagney fan and that's when I saw his film "Man of a Thousand Faces" (one of my favorite movies) where he portrays Lon Chaney Sr. I was interested by what Lon Chaney was able to create with make-up and then totally fascinated by how he could physically manipulate his own body to create his characters. He was amazing.

    The reason I even know who Tod Browning is has to do with my love of vampires. Since I first saw his film "Dracula" when I was about 6 years old, I was hooked. Needless to say I have seen this film at least 50 times. I even got to see this movie live in an open-air film festival of Universal Studios horror films at the Universal Studios film lot. A night to remember.

    I thank Tod Browning for bringing Bela Lugosi into my life. Must admit I had a bit of a crush on him back then and I loved his Hungarian accent. What is even better is that my maternal grandfather met Lugosi some months before his death in 1956. Bela was so happy that he met someone who he could speak Hungarian with. Then in the mid 1970s I met Bela Lugosi Jr. and asked him for his autograph. Lugosi Jr., a young Los Angeles lawyer at that time, was a bit surprised and wanted to know why in the world would I want his autograph. I told him that I really enjoyed his father's films and also how happy my grandfather was when he met Lugosi Sr., who was someone from the old country who he could speak Hungarian with.
    "God knows why it is that my pianoforte music always makes the worst impression on me, especially when it is played badly." -Beethoven 1804.

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      #3
      Cagney didn't work for me as Lon Chaney. Cagney was so overwhelming a personality who simply 'drowned out' Chaney and inserted himself into the narrative. I don't believe Chaney was as aggressive as Cagney painted him.

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        #4
        Originally posted by Schenkerian View Post
        Cagney didn't work for me as Lon Chaney. Cagney was so overwhelming a personality who simply 'drowned out' Chaney and inserted himself into the narrative. I don't believe Chaney was as aggressive as Cagney painted him.
        True, but at least this film did give me more information about Chaney Sr. than I ever knew about. It wasn't until years later when I finally had a PC that I could look Lon Chaney Sr. up and get more information on this remarkable man.

        "God knows why it is that my pianoforte music always makes the worst impression on me, especially when it is played badly." -Beethoven 1804.

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          #5
          Originally posted by Hollywood View Post

          True, but at least this film did give me more information about Chaney Sr. than I ever knew about. It wasn't until years later when I finally had a PC that I could look Lon Chaney Sr. up and get more information on this remarkable man.
          Why there is no more films about Chaney? Feels like he invisibly melted in history.
          I'm a member of https://musescore.com/our-products family

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