My take: A fast campy story that was fun to watch.
The sixth movie listed in Studies of Terror, The Unknown comes in at a short 41 minutes. But in the short time, a lot happens and the story moves quickly.
Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford in the Unknown
The plot involves characters in a gypsy circus in Spain. The leading man, played by Lon Chaney, is an armless knife thrower named Alonzo. He is obsessed with Nanon, played by Joan Crawford, a young girl who is terrified of hands (I’m not making this up). Alonzo thinks that this will make things easy in his pursuit of this girl. But there is another suitor, the dashing strongman Malabar. Also, Alonzo happens to still have his hands (yes, it is this ridiculous).
To give more away would ruin the quick story, and it is worth a watch. While the tale is far fetched and at times even ridiculous, the campy tone and fast pace make it entertaining. Also, I was truly surprised by how hot Joan Crawford was in 1927. I am a straight female and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
By today’s standards, I would not call this film terrifying. But I would still recommend it to people who are interested in old-timey horror, especially since the star is Lon Chaney of Phantom of the Opera fame.
If you want to watch it, you may have to hunt down a DVD copy. I got a copy through Netflix’s DVD service. Here is a good amateur trailer that I found on youtube that can give you a feel for the film:
I also really enjoy this poster:
Poster for The Unknown (1927)
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