Two of earlier cinema's suspense and ghoul masters are in fine form in this traveling circus story about an armless knife thrower and the woman he made the ultimate sacrifice for. Lon Chaney is once again unlucky at love as Alonzo the Armless, a mysterious man with plenty to hide. He loves his assistant Nanon, who through unexplained hang-ups of her own (she is repulsed by the touch of a man) rebuffs the advances of Malabar the circus strongman, instead preferring Alonzo. Alonzo gets in an argument with the circus owner and strangles him. He then in reality has his arms amputated to throw the police off his trail. A short while later Nanon is treated and cured of her phobia. She then hooks up with Malabar. A devastated Alonzo plots revenge.<br /><br />Lon Chaney had the most intimidating face in the history of silent film. In Unknown there is less make-up and body parts than in Phantom and Hunchback but no less menace of character as he seethes and explodes with volcanic ferocity on more than one occasion. Joan Crawford as Nanon displays a decent silent acting style and great legs. There is a softness about her in this film that would soon disappear behind the hard Joanie of the 30's and 40's.<br /><br />Writer, director Tod Browning would return to the circus setting with even greater critical success when he would make Freaks (it was a box office disaster) in 1932 but Unknown holds its own with the classic in many ways. His script is filled with Freudian implication and scenes suggestive of ritual sado masochism. Combined with Chaney's penetrating revenge driven performance Browning delivers a provocative thriller and a little more.