The Unknown
On the lam, criminal Alonzo hides in the circus as The Armless Wonder—a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Alonzo keeps the arms he really has concealed to hide his identity. Meanwhile, ringmaster's daughter Nanon has a phobia of being touched by men, but is romantically pursued by not only Alonzo but the strongman Malabar. Alonzo's desperation to remain with Nanon will only end in tragedy.
From the archive
I've been researching newly public domain films from 1929 and earlier, along with other pictures of the era that I find interesting, so I'm uploading the best possible copies that I can find. While actor Lon Chaney was known for horror roles by the time this film came out, the lack of monster makeup for this film is notable. Chaney plays an armless circus performer named Alonzo, who is in love with the circus-owners daughter, Nanon. While Nanon can't stand being touched by a man, she doesn't mind being around Alonzo, who can't touch her due to the lack of his arms. Alonzo is hiding many secrets, however, and it is only a matter of time before Nanon realizes. The Unknown was a financial hit and is now thought of as a masterpiece of silent cinema. I've uploaded the 1968 print version here as well as the more recent, and more complete, version.
Why this is free to watch
The Unknown (1927) is hosted by the Internet Archive as a public-domain or openly licensed work, which means its copyright has expired, lapsed, or was released by the rights holder. The uploader declared an explicit licence, linked in the source panel. Nitrate streams the file directly from the Archive and hosts no video itself.
- Director
- Tod Browning
- Starring
- Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz, John George, Frank Lanning, Tom Amandares, Margaret Bert
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