The Unknown
Overview
On the lam, criminal Alonzo hides in the circus as The Armless Wonder – a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Alonzo keeps the arms he really has concealed to hide his identity. Meanwhile, ringmaster's daughter Nanon has a phobia of being touched by men, but is romantically pursued by not only Alonzo but the strongman Malabar. Alonzo's desperation to remain with Nanon will only end in tragedy.
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Trailer
Cast
Lon Chaney
Alonzo
Norman Kerry
Malabar
Joan Crawford
Nanon Zanzi
Nick De Ruiz
Antonio Zanzi
John George
Cojo
Frank Lanning
Costra
Tom Amandares
Gypsy Running to Zanzi's Death Scene (uncredited)
Margaret Bert
Fortune Teller (uncredited)
Louise Emmons
Gypsy Woman (uncredited)
Italia Frandi
Girl in Audience Flirting with Malabar (uncredited)
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Reviews(2)
CinemaSerf
@Geronimo1967March 27, 2024
Joan Crawford is the dazzling "Manon", daughter of a circus owner and keenly sought by strongman "Malabar" (Norman Kerry) and the newly arrived arm-less knife thrower "Alonzo" (Lon Chaney). It's the latter man who has a bit of a secret though, and as the story progresses we realise that he's a crimi…
Dr_Nostromo
March 28, 2026
66/100 A strangler on-the-run takes refuge as an armless man in a circus and falls in love with a performing girl who can't stand being touched. Sounds like the perfect match, doesn't it? This is actually an extremely mature look at unrequited love played out as an examination of irony as the man…
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