Reviews
CinemaSerf
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 criminal using a clever (if not desperately plausible) disguise to stay one head ahead of the pursuing police. She, meantime, is fed up being pawed and ogled at by men in general and "Alonzo" - being unable to touch her, plays on that increasing phobia hoping she will choose him. Her father "Zanzi" (Nick De Ruiz) violently comes a cropper suddenly and his daughter sees the crime, not the criminal. Distraught, she turns to "Malabar" whilst "Alonzo" decides that he must now make a pretty significant sacrifice if he is to get the girl and avoid the noose. I did really quite enjoy this. The expressive Chaney is on super form as the menacing knifester and there is plenty of meat on the bones of a plot that creates a few characters about whom you could actually care. The denouement with the strongman and horses is maybe a little strung out, but it's still a fitting end to a love triangle that dwells little on slushy sentiment and more on the nastiness of the scheming antagonist and his sidekick "Cojo" (John George). Crawford certainly comes across as a woman they'd want to fight over, too! see more
27 Mar 2024
More like this
Lonesome
1928
The Crowd Roars
1932
The King of Kings
1927
Our Dancing Daughters
1928
Dance, Fools, Dance
1931
Our Modern Maidens
1929
Dance of the Damned
1989
The Shining Hour
1938
Sudden Fear
1952
He Who Gets Slapped
1924
Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler
1922
Hitting the Apex
2015
Mildred Pierce
1945
La montaña sagrada
1973
The Gold Rush
1925
Imaginary
2024
Double Indemnity
1944
Sense and Sensibility
1995
Per qualche dollaro in più
1965
The Untouchables
1987