The films sets were borrowed from the hunchback of notre dame 1923. Aug 29, 2014 unknown the 1927 a tod browning directed lon chaney silent classic. Alonzo, one of the star attractions of zanzis gypsy circus, is an armless wonder who hurls knives with his feet at his attractive assistant nanon, zanzis daughter. Joan crawford always said that she learned more about. Delerue the unknown 1927 silent horror film withjoan crawford. Buster keaton, clyde bruckman not only is it considered buster keatons greatest film, it is also widely recognized as one of the true masterpieces of american cinema. Alonzo is an apparently armless knife thrower who uses his feet to encircle estrellita with blades. The unknown 1927 and you call yourself a scientist.
Lon chaney was probably the greatest character actor of the silent era and became famous for the extraordinary lengths he would go to for a film, including placing on a twentypound harness as the hunchback of notre dame 1923 and wires around his eyeballs as the phantom of the opera 1925. The unknown 1927 alonzo the armless wonder lon chaney is a circus sideshow attraction whose specialty is a knifethrowing act. The unknown 1927 chaney plays alonzo the armless, who makes his living in the circus by throwing knives with his feet, because allegedly has no arms. Bobbie mack the unknown 1927 ranking among the most diabolically gruesome films produced in the silent era, the unknown is also undeniably tod brownings masterpiece. The unknown is a 1927 american silent horror film directed by tod browning and featuring lon chaney as carnival knife thrower alonzo the armless and joan crawford as the scantily clad carnival girl he hopes to marry the unknown is by far the most intense and demented of director tod brownings films which include dracula and freaks.
The films sets were designed by the art director karl machus. The unknown was one of the classic films made by lon chaney sr. The unknown euskaraz ezezaguna 1927ko tod browning estatubatuar zinema zuzendariak zuzendutako beldurrezko film mutu bat da. Nepoznati je americki crnobijeli nijemi horor film snimljen 1927.
Zanzi is killed by alonzo who really does have arms. His assistant nanon zanzi joan crawford in an early role, fearful of the touch of any mans hand, falls in love with him. Tod brownings masterful the unknown 1927, 50 min, 35mm. That might mean unknown was tinted or toned but just not noted as such in mgm files. The unknown is an early tod browning film, featuring lon chaney in the role of alonzo the armless, a criminal who hides his distinctive doublethumb deformity by working in a traveling circus as an armless knife thrower. Detailed information about this film is available from the afi catalog of feature films at, or by clicking here. One of the best, and weirdest, of the batch is the unknown. When they made the unknown in 1927, star lon chaney and director tod browning were among the biggest names in hollywood. Lon as the unknown eats, drinks, shoots a rifle and dresses with his feet. Some minor lengths of footage did not survive in the print, but the film is largely intact, with no discernable gaps in the storyline. Even so, audiences in 1927 flocked to see this movie. Lon chaney has inhabited so many memorable roles with the use of theatrically exaggerated gothic embodiment or characters who are other on screen. While audiences of 1927 were not entirely sure what to make of the picture, modern audiences cant seem to get enough of alonzo and his twisted idea of romance. A trailer i created to promote the screening of the film at niles film museum on feb 4, 2017.
The unknown 1927ko filma wikipedia, entziklopedia askea. As much a casebook as a horror movie, it tells the truly marvellous tale of alonzo the armless wonder chaney, of course, who uses his feet to perform a circus. Chaney and browning were kindred spirits with a taste for the macabre and the unknown is probably their most popular collaboration. The unknown 1927 tod browning synopsis, characteristics. She said it wasnt until working with lon chaney in this film that she learned the difference between standing in front of a camera and acting in front of a camera. His assistant and unrequited love interest is nanon, played by a very young and beautiful joan crawford. Joan crawford was a starlet on the rise, striving for recognition. Hopalong rides again 1937 william boyd, george gabby hayes, russell hayden feature action, romance, western. Joan crawford always considered the unknown 1927 a big turning point for her. In ehrensteins opinion, the plot of the film was boring and represented bourgeois values it should be remembered that he was writing for a communist newspaper. The unknown is a 1927 american silent horror film directed by tod browning and starring lon chaney as carnival knife thrower alonzo the armless and joan. As a group, the silentmovie collaborations between director tod browning and star lon chaney hardly represent the best work of either man, though each film definitely has its moments.
Print ad the cobbleskill index,cobbleskill, ny october 1927. The unknown is a film that can catch even the informed viewer of precode movies offguard. A superb mystery thriller, unusual and startling even for a chaney film. The unknown is a 1927 film about a criminal on the run who hides in a circus and seeks to possess the daughter of the ringmaster at any cost. T he best of the eight collaborations of director tod browning and legendary star of the silent era lon chaney, the unknown is also brownings darkest and most disturbing film, several orders of magnitude more chilling than his subsequent horror classic dracula 1931.
Throughout the film, the illusion that chaney is using his legs to. The unknown is a 1927 american silent horror film directed by tod browning and featuring lon chaney as carnival knife thrower alonzo the armless and a young joan crawford as the scantily clad carnival girl he hopes to marry. Though the consensus on ams was that the film was originally black and white, there was some question as to whether mgm simply didnt bother listing any original tintingtoning in film records by 1927. Reflecting the growing public alarm over the moral tone of films in the late twenties the unknown was the first film to be frankly and aggressively attacked in the press for its melodramatic morbidity. Unknown the 1927 a tod browning directed lon chaney silent classic. The unknown is a silent film starring lon chaney, sr. The picture barely qualifies as a horror film as its really more of a bizarre melodrama. The print is fairly poor and the film suffers from a snail pace and overacting.
Nov 21, 2014 a criminal on the run hides in a circus and seeks to possess the daughter of the ringmaster at any cost. The unknown gave it to her, and the following year she got her breakout starring role. The unknown 1927 drama, horror, romance silent film gorillas. This is a twostrip technicolor shot of an unidentified woman, circa 19271929. The unknown is a 1927 american silent horror film directed by tod browning and starring lon chaney as carnival knife thrower alonzo the armless and joan crawford as the scantily clad carnival girl he hopes to marry. In rolurile principale joaca actorii lon chaney, norman kerry, joan crawford. What makes this macabre tale of unrequited love, selfmutilation and grisly revenge so potent is the unbeatable combination of. Only have a short segment of film so uncertain if this was a. Alonzo is the featured attraction in a traveling circus. Lon chaneys monstrous performance drives the preposterous story with a. Browning and waldemar youngs collaborations are indicated in bold in the above endnote.
The unknown 1927 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. This article is within the scope of wikiproject horror, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to fictional horror in film, literature and other media on wikipedia. The wicked darling 1919, outside the law 1921, the unholy three 1925, the blackbird 1926, the road to mandalay 1926, the unknown 1927, london after midnight 1927, the big city 1928, west of zanzibar 1928, where east is east 1929. Sep 09, 2014 the unknown 1927 drama, horror, romance silent film gorillas. Its not a horror film, but if you can follow and swallow it the unknown certainly is an unsettling experience.
The unknown is a 1927 film about a criminal on the run who hides in a circus and seeks to possess the daughter of the ringmaster at any cost directed by tod browning. I dont think anyone has spoiled it yet for the unwary so. The unknown is an early tod browning film, featuring lon chaney in the role of alonzo the armless, a criminal who hides his distinctive doublethumb deformity. Aug 30, 2017 the unknown is a film that can catch even the informed viewer of precode movies offguard. The overall effect is as delightful as it is shocking. The unknown 1927 plot summary directed by tod browning and starring lon chaney as alonzo the armless wonder, a circus performer who has an act throwing knives with his feet at attractive nanon joan crawford as she spins on this wheel the knives cut off her. The cannister containing the unknown was finally checked in 1968 and the world regained an amazing movie. Many sources list joan crawfords character as estrellita, but the cutting continuity and extant prints of the film use nanon as her character name. Oct 08, 2011 though the consensus on ams was that the film was originally black and white, there was some question as to whether mgm simply didnt bother listing any original tintingtoning in film records by 1927.
The unknown 1927 on the run from the law, alonzo lon chaney hides in the circus as the armless wonder a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Chaney plays a carnival performer known as the armless wonder, who performs nearmiraculous stunts with his bare feet. The earliest film, from 1921, is ace of hearts a static and melodramatic story of a vigilante group who draw cards to select who will commit murder. The beautiful joan crawford all of eighteen and lon chaney sr in tod brownings striking disturbing the unknown 1927.
The unknown is a 1927 american silent horror film directed by tod browning and featuring lon chaney as carnival knife thrower alonzo the armless and joan crawford as the scantily clad carnival girl he hopes to marry. The great unknown is a 1927 german silent crime film directed by manfred noa and starring jack trevor, arthur krau. In this horror drama chaney plays a criminal who hides his identity by wrapping up his arms such that he appears as an armless man attraction in a traveling circus. With his welltrained feet, he tosses the flashing blades at his lovely assistant, nanon joan crawford, who has a deep seated fear of being touched by men.
394 1201 248 773 848 1476 228 471 658 992 653 1393 148 849 30 290 1285 269 454 1395 618 302 1327 877 1387 772 1482 67 438 1085 1216 670 605 148