...which had already been filmed numerous times. Lionel Barrymore stars as an innkeeper and mill owner in a small Austrian town. He owes a lot of money to the detestable Frantz (Gustav von Seyffertitz), and his desperation leads him to make a terrible mistake, the consequences of which haunt him. Things aren't helped when a creepy sideshow mesmerist (Boris Karloff) comes to town, threatening to reveal the residents' darkest secrets. Also featuring Lola Todd, Eddie Phillips, Caroline Francis Cooke, Lorimer Johnston, and E. Alyn Warren in a dual role.
Barrymore gets to ham it up in a role made famous on stage by Henry Irving. Karloff has one of his first important parts here, made up to look like Dr. Caligari. I liked the ghostly effects used to highlight Barrymore's guilty conscience. The young couple's romance between Phillips and Todd feels tacked on to broaden the appeal.