a very weird film much in the style of tod browning and the unknown and while not be a horror film and have nevertheless be consider one of lon chaney more distinctive work . the story be just too eccentric represent alonzo the armless and play by chaney and be a carnival performer who use his foot for his stunt and have come to believe that nanon zanzi and play by joan crawford and who hat be touch by men and may eventually fall for him . while conceal his own arm and he propel her to malabar the strongman and but malabar gentle nature win nanon over . alonzo resort to extreme measure to make sure he can win nanon back and but in true browning fashion and he meet a particularly gruesome end . right at the end of the silent film era and the unknown come around with it typical twenty setup and wild overacting and and it benefit from it time while if it have be make only a year or two late and it would have be unbelievable . there be a very dream like quality to this film and even in scene with norman kerry and joan crawford just walk under the sunshine . tod brown love the strange and and with the exception of freak and this be a very strange movie . chaney be surprise chill even without makeup and hold his arm together under his clothes . all anyone have to do be to watch his expression when he have come back and sans arm and and nanon tell him she be in love with malabar . it not surprising that film that initially repel be later re discover and even praise . the unknown be no exception to the rule . the thought that a man would go to chop off his arm to make a woman love him be just disturb . that the macguffin in the movie be her fear of be touch make his ultimate choice even more disturbing . chaney give his usual tour de force performance and crawford show the girl she still be and and the last sequence and involve an attempt by chaney to murder malabar in which two horse and rig for a performance and run out of control a crawford and be short and bloodless and but spellbind .