The Unholy Three (1925)
Three sideshow performers leave their jobs and enter into a life of crime. Directed by Tod Browning.
Browning certainly has a thing for sideshows. Much like his later work, "Freaks", this one shows the lives of three performers, after they leave the business. This film also includes Harry Earles, who played the lead role in "Freaks".
Lon Chaney plays Echo, the ventriloquist, a master of voices and throwing them (it actually works pretty well, considering this film is silent). Earles is Tweedledee (the dwarf), and Victor McLaglen plays Hercules (the strong man).
They all live in a pet store, Chaney playing an old woman who owns it. They sell parrots to rich people (Chaney using his voice throwing techniques to make the birds talkers), and then go to the homes of the rich when they get a report that something is wrong with the birds. They use this opportunity to case the joint, and then rob it later. So far the plan has worked well, but during one robbery, they end up killing the gentleman.
They decide to frame the honest store worker, but Chaney's girlfriend has fallen in love with him. When the police arrest the honest gent, they kidnap the girl and force her to stay in a cabin. Chaney goes to the court to put words into the honest man's mouth, but has a sudden change of heart and confesses. Meanwhile a gorilla has gotten loose at the cabin (don't all pet stores have gorillas?) and dispatches the two other accomplices. The woman flees, Chaney lets her leave with honest man, and the end of the film shows him back in the traveling sideshow.
Nothing overly spectacular about this one. It's always a treat to see a silent, and this was certainly a solidly constructed one. Browning has some nice shots, especially the trick shots that make the chimpanzee look as large as a man.
Browning certainly has a thing for sideshows. Much like his later work, "Freaks", this one shows the lives of three performers, after they leave the business. This film also includes Harry Earles, who played the lead role in "Freaks".
Lon Chaney plays Echo, the ventriloquist, a master of voices and throwing them (it actually works pretty well, considering this film is silent). Earles is Tweedledee (the dwarf), and Victor McLaglen plays Hercules (the strong man).
They all live in a pet store, Chaney playing an old woman who owns it. They sell parrots to rich people (Chaney using his voice throwing techniques to make the birds talkers), and then go to the homes of the rich when they get a report that something is wrong with the birds. They use this opportunity to case the joint, and then rob it later. So far the plan has worked well, but during one robbery, they end up killing the gentleman.
They decide to frame the honest store worker, but Chaney's girlfriend has fallen in love with him. When the police arrest the honest gent, they kidnap the girl and force her to stay in a cabin. Chaney goes to the court to put words into the honest man's mouth, but has a sudden change of heart and confesses. Meanwhile a gorilla has gotten loose at the cabin (don't all pet stores have gorillas?) and dispatches the two other accomplices. The woman flees, Chaney lets her leave with honest man, and the end of the film shows him back in the traveling sideshow.
Nothing overly spectacular about this one. It's always a treat to see a silent, and this was certainly a solidly constructed one. Browning has some nice shots, especially the trick shots that make the chimpanzee look as large as a man.
posted by Mike at 10:30 PM
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