The Unknown (1927) Tod Browning, Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford

The Unknown (1927) Tod Browning, Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford-poster
Alonzo is an armless knife thrower and gun shooter for a circus—or so he appears. He is actually a criminal with his arms intact. He and his accomplice, Cojo (a little person), are hiding from the police. Alonzo views his disguise as perfect, especially since it keeps from view an unusual deformity of his left hand that would immediately give him away as the criminal the police are searching for. Nanon, the daughter of Zanzi, the circus owner, is the target in his act. Although Alonzo is in love with her, Nanon’s father despises him. Malabar, the circus strong man, is attracted to Nanon but she is repulsed by his uninhibited sexual advances and desire to touch and hold her. Her phobia extends to the touch of any man’s hand. Alonzo feeds her fears in the hopes that Nanon will fall in love with him since he is “armless.” Because Zanzi discovers Alonzo really has arms, Alonzo kills him, but Nanon witnesses the killing without seeing Alonzo’s face; however, she does see the telltale …