I've probably watched maybe 25 silent films and this one certainly stands out as one of the best. Lon Chaney is more than a master of makeup or horror theatrics. He is also a great actor. 99% of his films were silent. His parents were both deaf mutes which meant Lon would have had to use sign language to communicate with them. This translates into his performances with the stealthy manipulations of his hands for emotional effect. In this film, however, you won't see much of his hands.<br /><br />The plot concerns a criminal going by the name of Alonzo and how he has fooled his fellow gypsy circus performers into believing he has no arms. The reason for this odd behavior is due to the fact he has a congenital birth defect which left him with a double thumb on one hand, a trait easily identifiable to police. While working in the circus as a knife thrower(he uses his feet to throw the blades with great accuracy) Alonzo falls head over heels for Nanon, the circus manager's daughter. By a strange twist of fate, Nanon is repulsed at the thought of being touched by men, therefore, she finds Alonzo strangely attractive. While dealing with his own problems of how to tell Nanon he really isn't armless, he now has to contend with the strongman who also has developed feelings for the girl. Alonzo convinces the strongman to pursue Nanon, believing that she will be turned off by the strongman's big strong arms/hands. But, as Alonzo's faithful dwarf friend points out, Nanon will eventually have to find out about Alonzo's secret and she might not understand or even be angry.<br /><br />So, Alonzo devises a rather sick solution to his problems. He seeks out a surgeon who he'd been blackmailing and orders him to surgically remove his arms at the shoulders so the deception will become reality. I don't want to give away the ending, but if you are familiar with Chaney's other characters, you know how he usually finds himself when The End appears on-screen.<br /><br />Of note is the newer musical score, which is at times synthesized carnival themes or something you might hear in a music box, followed by themes heavily influenced by Italian and Spanish tunes. I wouldn't say the music is necessarily appropriate for the film, but it's well orchestrated nonetheless. Occasionally, drums and cymbals fill in for certain sound effects that one would expect if the film had an audio track.<br /><br />This is an excellent film for fans of Chaney, Todd Browning, or those who enjoy a bit of "body modification."