Discover
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Cedric Gibbons
Art Direction -
Tod Browning
Director -
Richard Day
Art Direction -
Waldemar Young
Screenplay -
Irving Thalberg
Producer -
Errol Taggart
Editor -
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Novel -
Joseph Farnham
Title Graphics
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CinemaSerf 3/27/2024 7:59:20 AM
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!
Joan Crawford
Nanon ZanziJohn George
CojoLon Chaney
AlonzoJohn St. Polis
Surgeon (uncredited)Norman Kerry
MalabarPolly Moran
Landlady / Servant in Audience (uncredited)Julian Rivero
Man in Theatre Audience (uncredited)Louise Emmons
Gypsy Woman (uncredited)