The Unknown
Short description
The Unknown is a 1927 American drama with elements of horror, romance and thriller, set in a travelling circus. Alonzo, a criminal on the run from the police, hides by posing as an armless knife thrower who performs with his feet, keeping his real arms concealed so no one recognises him. Only his small assistant Cojo knows the truth. Alonzo falls for Nanon, the ringmaster's daughter, who cannot bear to be touched by men's hands and therefore feels safe near a man she believes has no arms. The strongman Malabar also courts her, and Alonzo's determination to keep her drives the story toward tragedy.
Tod Browning directed, working from a screenplay by Waldemar Young and Joseph Farnham, with Irving Thalberg producing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was Browning's second film of 1927, following The Show and preceding later titles such as Dracula and Freaks. Lon Chaney plays Alonzo, with Norman Kerry as Malabar, Joan Crawford as Nanon Zanzi, Nick De Ruiz as Antonio Zanzi, John George as Cojo and Frank Lanning as Costra. Running 68 minutes, the film holds a 7.7 rating on IMDb from around 10,000 votes and a 7.6 on TMDB from roughly 219 votes, while a critics' rating of 9.6 from 12 reviews places it well above the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- For a long time, the film was considered lost, but in 1968 a complete professional film copy was discovered in the archives of the French Cinémathèque.
- The director and screenwriter Tod Browning (1880-1962) based the plot on a story from his own circus past, about a man who pretended to be an acrobat to hide from the police.
- Paul Desmuke (1876-1949) was born without arms, and in some scenes he acted as Lon Chaney's stunt double (particularly in scenes where he smoked or played the violin).
- Joan Crawford (1905-1977) always considered the film "Unknown" a turning point in her acting career. According to her, it was only while working with Lon Chaney (1883-1937) on this film that she understood the difference between simply being in front of the camera and acting for the camera. She later claimed that it was Chaney and his incredible ability to focus who helped her realize this.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
