AFI CATALOG OF FEATURE FILMS

THE FIRST 100 YEARS 1893–1993

Movie Title

The Unknown (1927)

Melodrama | 4 June 1927

Cast:

Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford [ More ]

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Waldemar Young, Tod Browning

Cinematographer:

Merritt Gerstad

Editors:

Harry Reynolds, Errol Taggart

Production Designers:

Cedric Gibbons, Richard Day

Production Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
 (Loew's Inc.)
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HISTORY

According to pre-production news items, the film's working title was Armless Alonzo. The film was copyrighted at 7 reels. ...

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According to pre-production news items, the film's working title was Armless Alonzo. The film was copyrighted at 7 reels.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Chicago Tribune
27 Sep 1926
p. 31
Film Daily
26 Jun 1927
---
New York Times
13 Jun 1927
p. 17
Variety
15 Jun 1927
p. 20
CAST
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTOR
Tod Browning
Dir
WRITERS
Waldemar Young
Scen
Tod Browning
Story
Joseph White Farnham
Joe Farnham
Titles
PHOTOGRAPHY
Merritt Gerstad
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTORS
Cedric Gibbons
Art dir
Richard Day
Art dir
FILM EDITORS
Harry Reynolds
Film ed
Errol Taggart
Film ed
COSTUMES
Lucia Coulter
Ward
DETAILS
Alternate Title:
Armless Alonzo
Release Date:
4 June 1927
Production Date:

Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
27 June 1927
LP24123
Physical Properties:
Silent
Black and White
Length(in feet):
5,517
Length(in reels):
6
Country:
United States
Language:
English
SYNOPSIS

To escape the police, Alonzo, who has two thumbs on one hand, poses in a sideshow as an armless wonder. He falls in love with Estrellita, and when detected by her father, he kills him. Then, discovering that the girl abhors the touch of a man's hand, he has both his arms amputated. Returning, he finds to his dismay that she has fallen in love with Malabar and is to marry him; Alonzo seeks revenge on Malabar, but loses his own ...

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To escape the police, Alonzo, who has two thumbs on one hand, poses in a sideshow as an armless wonder. He falls in love with Estrellita, and when detected by her father, he kills him. Then, discovering that the girl abhors the touch of a man's hand, he has both his arms amputated. Returning, he finds to his dismay that she has fallen in love with Malabar and is to marry him; Alonzo seeks revenge on Malabar, but loses his own life.

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GENRE
Genre:
Melodrama
Sub-genre:
Carnival/Circus


Subject
Subject (Major):
Amputation
Circuses
Disfiguration
Phobias
Revenge
Self-sacrifice

From AFI's 100 Years Lists...
Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award
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Phobias, Amputation, Disfiguration, Revenge, Circuses, Self-sacrifice
The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.