The Penalty (1920/I)

Director:

Wallace Worsley

Writers:

Gouverneur Morris (novel)
Charles Kenyon (scenario)

Release Date:

August 1920 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Blizzard, deranged from a childhood operation in which both his legs were perhaps needlessly amputated after an accident...

Plot Keywords:

Trapdoor | Psychological Abuse | Fireplace | Riot | Sewing Machine

Cast

Charles Clary	...	Dr. Ferris
Doris Pawn	...	Barbary Nell
Jim Mason	...	Frisco Pete (as James Mason)
Lon Chaney	...	Blizzard
Milton Ross	...	Lichtenstein
Ethel Grey Terry	...	Rose
Kenneth Harlan	...	Dr. Wilmot Allen
Claire Adams	...	Barbara Ferris

Runtime:

90 min (2004 alternate version)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Eminent Authors Pictures Inc.

Trivia:

Lon Chaney had both of his lower legs tied back and had to walk on his kneecaps for his role as an amputee. It was so painful he could only have his legs tied back for a few minutes at a time, and his leg muscles sustained permanent damage.

Quotes:

Blizzard: Don't grieve, dear - death interests me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

"I Can Murder Anything But Music"

Lon Chaney gives yet another outstanding performance as a man living with his legs amputated at a young age by mistake. He overhears the doctors first saying it was a mistake and then forging a pact to lie and say the surgery was essential. Chaney grows up to be a bitter, malevolent leader of underground activities in San Francisco. The role gives Chaney several opportunities to show his undeniable skill as an actor and human contortionist. Doubling his legs up and walking on his knees, Chaney mesmerized me with his ability to change reality into fantasy. He looks like a crippled man. Chaney also again showed me his range as an actor that could create pathos through his facial expressions. Never playing a one-dimensional part, Chaney is often brutal and cruel throughout much of the film, yet he enjoys music and art and always possesses a certain charm and affability. A wonderful performance all around! The other actors are very good and the direction is nice and tight. The story is very strong with some melodramatic overtones to be sure. There are some great scenes in this film like Chaney carrying on like a madman demanding the legs of a young doctor and, in particular, the scenes where he poses as Satan after the fall. The film has a nice pace for a silent picture, and the title cards are extremely powerful and literate.