The Blackbird (1926)

Two thieves, the Blackbird and West End Bertie, fall in love with the same girl, a French nightclub performer named Fifi. Each man tries to outdo the other to win her heart.

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Tod Browning (story), Joseph Farnham (titles),

Stars:

Lon Chaney, Owen Moore, Renée Adorée

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lon Chaney	...	The Blackbird / The Bishop
Owen Moore	...	West End Bertie
Renée Adorée	...	Fifi Lorraine
Doris Lloyd	...	Limehouse Polly
Andy MacLennan	...	The Shadow (as Andy Maclennan)
William Weston	...	Red

Storyline

Two thieves, the Blackbird and West End Bertie, fall in love with the same girl, a French nightclub performer named Fifi. Each man tries to outdo the other to win her heart.

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Plot Keywords:

ex wife | ex lover | flower girl | framed for murder | bishop | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

11 January 1926 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Black Bird

Box Office

Budget:

$166,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 86 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

The Blackbird: God... I can't stand it! The pain! The pain!

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Connections

Referenced in Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime: The Clergyman's Daughter (1983)

User Reviews

An Underrated Movie

I agree with most of the previous posters that this is one of Lon Chaney's better films. Although I've always been a Chaney fan, many of his pictures are simply repeats of the same plot (although I never tire of watching them), or have Chaney almost too caricature-ish. This movie reminds me of "Tell It to the Marines," which is another great piece due to the fact that Chaney plays a regular, down-to-Earth character in a subtle manner that really showcases his talent. When it comes right down to it, I like Chaney better in his lesser-known roles than in his classics.

I also agree that Doris Lloyd should have had a bigger part, as she could act circles around many of the so-called Silent "greats," and proved it by acting in well-known roles until she died.