West of Zanzibar (1928)

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Elliott J. Clawson (writer)
Chester De Vonde (play)

Release Date:

24 November 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Magician Phroso's wife Anna leaves him for another man, named Crane, who fights with Phroso and leaves him paralyzed...

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Ivory | Brothel | Africa | Magician

Cast

Lon Chaney	...	Phroso 'Dead-Legs'
Lionel Barrymore	...	Mr. Crane
Mary Nolan	...	Maizie
Warner Baxter	...	Doc
Jacqueline Gadsden	...	Anna
Tiny Ward	...	Tiny (as Roscoe Ward)
Kalla Pasha	...	Babe
Curtis Nero	...	Bumbu

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Mary Nolan was cast for her " tragic eyes".

Quotes:

Mr. Crane: Come on! What's this all about? What are you wrecking that girl for?
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': You'll find out. That's why I brought you here.
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': That's Anna's child! YOUR DAUGHTER!
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': When I found Anna... she was dead! And that brat of yours was with her!
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': I had her raised in the lowest dive in Zanzibar... so you could be proud of her!
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': And now I've got a real treat comin' for her... and her father!
Mr. Crane: You're her father... not ME! She's... your daughter! YOURS!
Mr. Crane: Now listen! Your wife never went away with me... Do you hear? She never went away with me!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

Creepy - Sad - Spellbinding!

Very interesting and unusual silent film starring Lon Chaney as Phrosos the Magician, a stage show performer who has a wife he really loves - but she informs him she is planning to leave him for a man named Crane (Lionel Barrymore). When Crane tells Phrosos he is taking her away to Africa - he fights with Phrosos sending him falling over the railing of a second floor landing. His legs now paralyzed, Phrosos goes around riding a cart or pulls himself around by his arms, with his lifeless legs dragging behind. When the wife comes back with a baby, he finds the wife dead - so Phrosos, bitter and full of hate, sets out for Africa to seek his revenge on Crane and the baby daughter. Eighteen years pass - Phrosos, now known as "Dead-Legs", uses his magic to trick the natives with fake "voodoo" so he can steal elephant tusks from Crane, now a trader. Meanwhile, he has the daughter being raised in a Zanzibar brothel and he sends for her to come to him - all part of his evil plan. He now holds the poor girl captive and treats her like dirt - doing such things to her as making her eat on the floor and giving all her clothes to the natives. Twists and turns to follow.

This is an absorbing, well done film - odd, creepy, and sad too. Chaney is really excellent in this - he gets such a look of evil and hate on his expressive face and is just SO good at making his legs look completely lifeless. Mary Nolan, who plays the daughter, spends most of the film looking around her with a complete look of disgust (and who can blame her!) - but her facial expressions are slightly over the top sometimes. Warner Baxter is handsome here playing Doc, Chaney's sidekick in Africa who falls in love with the girl. Very good.