THE UNKNOWN (1927) B/W "silent" 55m dir: Tod Browning

w/Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning

From Variety's contemporary review of the film: "A good Lon Chaney film that might have been great. The tale concerns an armless fakir in a gypsy circus who loves the proprietor's daughter. The girl has come to detest all men for their constant pawing, hence the welcome companionship of Alonzo (Chaney). None of the circus troupe knows that the latter is physically normal, except his helper. Alonzo fakes by strapping his arms to his sides.

"Director Tod Browning [FREAKS] has chopped to the bone in the cutting room. And that's smart, too, because it crams the picture with action and interest. Sweet photography and production all the way, while Joan Crawford never looked better in her life. Both she and Norman Kerry turn in neat support, as do the others in this small-cast feature."

From Now Playing: A Viewer's Guide to Turner Classic Movies: "Directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney and a young Joan Crawford, this bizarre tale is about a circus character known as 'the armless wonder,' who falls in love with a gypsy. TCM is proud to premiere a newly commissioned score performed by The Alloy Orchestra, a three-man musical ensemble from Boston that creates a unique style of music for silent films."