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What's After the Movie?
Romantic horror film

The Unknown (1927): Cast

The Unknown (1927) movie poster

The Unknown is a 1927 romantic horror film directed by Tod Browning, starring Lon Chaney as Alonzo, Joan Crawford and Norman Kerry. It runs 1 hour 8 minutes.

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The Unknown (1927) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 8m (68 min)
Director
Tod Browning
Genres
Romance , Horror , Drama
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Unknown About?

The premise of The Unknown without spoilers.

Criminal Alonzo, on the run, takes refuge in a circus and masquerades as The Armless Wonder, an act that hurls knives with his feet while concealing his real arms. Ringmaster’s daughter Nanon, terrified of male touch, becomes the object of affection for both Alonzo and strongman Malabar, and Alonzo’s pursuit of her ends in tragedy.

The Unknown Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • unrequited love
  • aphephobia
  • muscleman
  • armless man
  • circus performer
  • love
  • bare chested male
  • body horror
  • drawn and quartered
  • sabotage
  • blown up skirt
  • comeuppance
+38 more
  • romantic rivals
  • scantily clad woman
  • man removes a woman's clothes
  • fear of being touched
  • gypsies
  • gypsy wagon
  • little person
  • beaten with a cane
  • kick in the rear
  • circus strong man
  • love triangle
  • fingerprints
  • domineering father
  • orphaned
  • woman rejects a man's advances
  • bandana
  • thumbs
  • woman kisses a man
  • drinking wine
  • romantic gesture
  • white horse
  • opera glasses
  • wrists tied
  • melodrama
  • horse whip
  • sexual melodrama
  • romantic sabotage
  • blackmail threat
  • murder of father
  • deformed hand
  • galloping horse
  • expert knife thrower
  • madrid spain
  • psychotronic film
  • murder by strangling
  • police manhunt
  • psychological thriller
  • dark romance
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Cast & crew

The Unknown Cast & Characters

Lon Chaney leads the cast as Alonzo, with Joan Crawford as Nanon Zanzi and Norman Kerry as Malabar. Directed by Tod Browning; 16 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Unknown

· 12 more
From the director

More from Tod Browning

More films directed by Tod Browning, best-rated first: Freaks, Dracula, Miracles for Sale and The Devil-Doll.

Full filmography
Details

The Unknown Also Known As

14 alternative titles, including “O Monstro do Circo” and “디 언노운”.

Also known as
  • O Monstro do Circo
  • 디 언노운
  • Garras humanas
  • Lo desconocido
  • Bilinməyən
  • Lo sconosciuto
  • L'Inconnu
  • Der Unbekannte
  • Непознатият
  • 未知者
  • Неизвестный
  • 괴인 서커스단의 비밀
+2 more
  • Bilinmeyen
  • Alonzo, muž bez rukou

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FAQ

The Unknown FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Unknown, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Unknown?

The Unknown runs 1 hour 8 minutes (68 minutes).

When was The Unknown released?

The Unknown was released on May 29, 1927.

Who directed The Unknown?

The Unknown was directed by Tod Browning.

More films by Tod Browning

Who is in the cast of The Unknown?

The Unknown stars Lon Chaney as Alonzo, Joan Crawford as Nanon Zanzi and Norman Kerry as Malabar, among 16 credited actors.

Does The Unknown have a post-credit scene?

No. The Unknown has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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