The Road to Mandalay

Regrettably, this dupey, incomplete, French-subtitled print is apparently all that survives of yet another intriguing Tod Browning/Lon Chaney collaboration! Plot and setting are typical of their films (which tends to make the whole somewhat predictable if never less than fascinating): Chaney is the disfigured leader of a criminal gang whose daughter has grown in a saintly environment away from his bad influence (not too dissimilar from KONGO [1932], in fact - or, should I say, WEST OF ZANZIBAR [1928]).

Due to the missing footage, there are understandable gaps in the narrative (particularly the reformation undergone by Owen Moore's character and also the fact that Chaney's daughter could marry his criminal associate without him being aware of it, given that brother Henry B. Walthall - who is also, conveniently, a priest - periodically reports to Chaney with news of her!) but the film remains watchable with, among its highlights, the recurring battle for control of the gang between Chaney and a Chinaman who's handy with knives played by Sojin. Chaney, as usual, gives a flawless performance and his eye make-up (which I had been intrigued by ever since first seeing it by way of a massive still from the film in an old tome - published in 1956, no less! - of my father's) is highly effective.

Unfortunately, the last few minutes of the film were further impaired by the constant freezing of the disc but, for what it's worth, I'm very pleased to have had this opportunity to sample such a rare item...