Mordaunt Hall in the New York Times  (June 13, 1927)

The Armless Wonder

Although it has strength and undoubtedly sustains the interest, "The Unknown," the latest screen contribution from Tod Browning and Lon Chaney, is anything but a pleasant story. It is gruesome and at times shocking, and the principal character deteriorates from a more or less sympathetic individual to an arch-fiend. The narrative is a sort of mixture of Balzac and Guy de Maupassant with a faint suggestion of O. Henry plus Mr. Browning's colorful side-show background.

The rôle of Alonzo, who poses as the Armless Wonder with a Spanish circus, is one that ought to have satisfied Mr. Chaney's penchant for freakish characterizations, for here he not only has to go about for hours with his arms strapped to his body, but when he rests behind bolted doors, one perceives that he has on his left hand a double thumb. Mr. Chaney really gives a marvelous idea of the Armless Wonder, for to act in this film he has learned to use his feet as hands when eating, drinking and smoking. He even scratches his head with his toe when meditating.

This tale is prefaced as if it were a circus legend, and soon one realizes that Alonzo is not only expert in the use of his feet when serving himself, but he is also supposed to be a crack shot and an unerring knife thrower. The girl who risks her life daily before Alonzo's bullets and knives is Estrellita, impersonated by Joan Crawford. She becomes interested in Alonzo because most men in the circus without provocation invariably want to caress her.

Estrellita even recoils from the attentions of Malabar, the handsome young strong man, whom Alonzo soon regards as his romantic rival. The only man with the show who knows Alonzo's secret is Cojo, who unlaces Alonzo's leather jacket when the knife-thrower goes to his little cabin. Alonzo's reason for posing as the Armless Wonder is because he is wanted by the police, and as he happens to have a weird double thumb on one hand, he thinks the only way to avoid capture is to appear without arms.

In one episode Alonzo is mercilessly beaten by the circus manager, and that night the manager is throttled by a man with a double thumb. Estrellita sees a flash of the deformity from her window, not knowing, of course, that the strangler was Alonzo. Hence, Alonzo realizes that if Estrellita ever discovers that he has a double thumb, not only will his chances of winning her be lost, but he will also stand in danger of being apprehended for murder.

In one very clever scene Alonzo is perceived sitting in his cabin with his arms free. He is, nevertheless, using his toes to pour out wine to drink and to hold a cigarette. Cojo calls Alonzo's attention to the fact that Alonzo is so accustomed to using his feet that he has forgotten that his arms are not strapped to his body. Alonzo has an idea of his own. He is trying to find out whether he could not do without arms. Not long afterward Alonzo insists that a surgeon amputate both arms, and some time later he finds Estrellita. Malabar, the man of strong arms, has won the affections of the girl and she is his wife.

Alonzo's nature changes, but his plot to cause Malabar's death fails.

Miss Crawford is not only beautiful but she gives a most competent performance as Estrellita. Norman Kerry is splendid as the strong man.

THE UNKNOWN, with Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick de Ruiz, John George and Frank Lanning, based on a special story by Tod Browning, directed by Mr. Browning; overture, "Second Hungarian Rhapsody"; "The Pirate's Frolic," with Richard Hale, baritone, and Capitol ensemble; "A Holiday in Sweden," a scenic; "The Newlyweds' Surprise," a comedy. At the Capitol Theatre.

Langdon W. Post in the New York Evening World (1927):

    When Lon Chaney is in a picture, one can rest assured that that picture is worth seeing. When Joan Crawford and Norman Kerry are also present to help Mr. Chaney put it over, its value is that much enhanced....Joan Crawford is one of the screen's acknowledged artists and each picture seems to merely justify this characterization. Certainly her performance in this picture is a most impressive one.

Bill Gibron on dvdverdict.com (2003):

Monkeys vs. Robots site review.

Rating:   of 5

The Unknown was the turning point in Joan Crawford's career. She was paired with the already legendary Lon Chaney in one of his most interesting films. I have yet to view many of her movies before this, but her acting is highly credible. She gives an excellent performance. Years later she confessed that it was Chaney who inspired her to take her acting seriously. Thanks, Lon!