The first thing that struck me while watching this film was Chaney's very first scene, where he is a vaudevillian-type character doing a magic trick on stage. The camera is far away enough that he looked like a young Fred Allen! I knew, of course, it wasn't Fred, but I sure didn't expect Chaney to be dressed up like a relatively "normal" stage entertainer!
As for the rest of the film, it follows the usual Lon Chaney plot line, where his character is done wrong by someone, who he then must get revenge on. Usually in the end something happens to either allow him to redeem himself, or die tragically. In this film, he does both.
While this format can get a bit dull when viewing his films too close together, usually Chaney's makeup and performance makes up for the familiarity.
And NO ONE could display looks of both revenge and personal horror like Chaney. And his performance as a man with "dead legs" is very convincing. The man must have been as strong as an ox...
While the plot is a bit weak in spots, it is worth a watch just to see Chaney's performance. Mary Nolan reminds me of Brigitte Helm as she stares at Chaney with daggers in her eyes.
As for the rest of the film, it follows the usual Lon Chaney plot line, where his character is done wrong by someone, who he then must get revenge on. Usually in the end something happens to either allow him to redeem himself, or die tragically. In this film, he does both.
While this format can get a bit dull when viewing his films too close together, usually Chaney's makeup and performance makes up for the familiarity.
And NO ONE could display looks of both revenge and personal horror like Chaney. And his performance as a man with "dead legs" is very convincing. The man must have been as strong as an ox...
While the plot is a bit weak in spots, it is worth a watch just to see Chaney's performance. Mary Nolan reminds me of Brigitte Helm as she stares at Chaney with daggers in her eyes.