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The Unknown (1927)
7.9
Alonzo is an armless knife thrower and gun shooter for a circus---or so he appears. He is actually a burglar with his arms intact... See full summary » Director:Tod Browning |
63 min - 
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2 nominations
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Lon Chaney | ... | ||
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Norman Kerry | ... | |
| Joan Crawford | ... | ||
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Nick De Ruiz | ... | |
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John George | ... | |
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Frank Lanning | ... | |
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Polly Moran | ... |
Landlady
(scenes deleted)
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Bobbie Mack | ... |
Gypsy
(scenes deleted)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Venezia Frandi | ... |
(unconfirmed)
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Storyline
Alonzo is an armless knife thrower and gun shooter for a circus---or so he appears. He is actually a burglar with his arms intact. He and his accomplice, Cojo (a little person), are hiding from the police, and Alonzo views his disguise as perfect, especially since it keeps from view an unusual deformity of his left hand that would immediately give him away as the burglar. Nanon, the daughter of the circus owner, is the target in his act. Although Alonzo is in love with her, Nanon's father despises him. Nanon is attracted to Malabar, the circus strong man, but she is also repulsed by his uninhibited sexual advances and desire to touch and hold her. Apparently her phobia extends to the touch of any man. Alonzo feeds her fears in the hopes that Nanon will fall in love with him since he is "armless." Because Zanzi discovers Alonzo really has arms, Alonzo kills him, but Nanon witnesses the killing without seeing Alonzo's face; however... Written by Patrick Robbins <elfdorado@sbcglobal.net>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
English (intertitles)Release Date:
(USA) See more »Also Known As:
Az ismeretlen See more »Box Office
Budget:
$217,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
(23 fps) | UK: (BFI print) | USA: (alternate version)Sound Mix:
SilentColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Nanon Zanzi: Why isn't he different from other men! Why doesn't he keep his hands off me?
Nanon Zanzi: Hands! Men's hands! How I hate them!
Nanon Zanzi: Men! The beasts! God would show wisdom if he took the hands from all of them!
Nanon Zanzi: Forgive me, Alonzo... I did not mean you.
Nanon Zanzi: You are the one man I can come to without fear.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Joan Crawford always considered The Unknown a big turning point for her. She said it wasn't until working with Lon Chaney in this film that she learned the difference between standing in front of a camera and acting in front of a camera. She said that was all due to Lon Chaney and his intense concentration, and after that experience she said she worked much harder to become a better actress. See more »Goofs
Continuity: When Alonzo and Cojo are drinking wine, the glass suddenly fills between shots. See more »Quotes
Malabar the Mighty, Circus Strongman: Why do you always draw away from me?Nanon Zanzi: Why isn't he different from other men! Why doesn't he keep his hands off me?
Nanon Zanzi: Hands! Men's hands! How I hate them!
Nanon Zanzi: Men! The beasts! God would show wisdom if he took the hands from all of them!
Nanon Zanzi: Forgive me, Alonzo... I did not mean you.
Nanon Zanzi: You are the one man I can come to without fear.
See more »
Connections
Referenced in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009) See more »
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