Welcome back! Monday can mean only one thing in 2025…time to add another ingredient into our year-long Review Stew! Pack your bags because this week we’re headed to the circus for…The Unknown (1927).
Title: The Unknown
Director: Tod Browning
Released: June 4, 1927
Runtime: 1 hour 8 minutes
Watched via: The Criterion Channel, also available on Tubi
Alonzo (Lon Chaney) works for a circus as their Armless Wonder. He goes on in-front of the crowd and wows them with his ability to accurately fire a gun and throw knives with his feet.
The trusting woman on the receiving end of the gun and knives is the ringmaster’s daughter, Nanon (Joan Crawford). When she isn’t entertaining the crowds, she is trying to keep all of her suitors at bay. One such suitor is the outfit’s Strongman, Malabar (Norman Kerry). He is smitten with Nanon and will stop at nothing to win her heart.
Unfortunately for Malabar, Nanon has a phobia of hands. That’s right, human hands give Nanon the ick, making it nearly impossible for Malabar to win her over. However, Alonzo is armless, so this would seem to give him an edge in winning over Nanon.
Except for the fact that this is the circus, where nothing is ever exactly as it seems.
Film restoration is a wonderful thing. Without it, there wouldn’t be a copy of The Unknown (1907) for me to watch and give thoughts on. We’re told this right away, more specifically that what we see is a reconstruction made possible by the only two surviving nitrate prints of the film.
As for the actual movie itself, it doesn’t take long to draw you in. We’re introduced to Alonzo and his performative act almost immediately. An armless man accurately throwing knives with his feet? Yep, I’m in. I want to see what this guy is all about. Although, we don’t really get a deep-dive into Alonzo and what makes him tick. Instead, what we get winds up evolving into a love triangle between Alonzo, Nanon, and Malabar.
Something that I love about silent films is the ability of the actors to portray so much emotion without uttering a single word.
Yes, Norman Kerry is able to portray the cocky and confident Strongman efficiently. But it is Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford who really shine here. With Crawford, you’re able to feel every ounce of concern, anger, worry, etc. that she puts into Manon’s performance, all through simple and controlled movements and facial expressions. Speaking of facial expressions, Chaney could have taught a Master Class on how to portray so much emotion from just the slightest of facial contortions. You find yourself feeling sympathetic towards Alonzo, even up to and including his grand finale.
Clocking in at just over an hour long, The Unknown (1907) is an incredibly easy watch. It remains engaging and entertaining throughout thanks to a solid story and some strong performances.
The Unknown (1907) is one that had been on my Letterboxd watchlist for a while. I’m glad I finally got around to it and would suggest that you definitely give it at least one viewing.
So, if you have seen The Unknown (1907), what did you think of it?
Tell me all your thoughts on it in the comments below or over on Bluesky!
As always, if you want to see what else I have been watching lately, give me a follow over on Letterboxd!