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6.7/10
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"Talkie" remake of Tod Browning's 1925 silent film. A trio of former sideshow performers double as the "Unholy Three" in a scam to nab some shiny rocks."Talkie" remake of Tod Browning's 1925 silent film. A trio of former sideshow performers double as the "Unholy Three" in a scam to nab some shiny rocks."Talkie" remake of Tod Browning's 1925 silent film. A trio of former sideshow performers double as the "Unholy Three" in a scam to nab some shiny rocks.
Jack Baxley
- Outside Sideshow Barker
- (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey
- Arlington's Butler
- (uncredited)
Richard Carle
- Sideshow Barker
- (uncredited)
Ray Cooke
- Sailor at Sideshow
- (uncredited)
De Garo
- Fire Eater
- (uncredited)
Dot Farley
- Woman Buying Parrot
- (uncredited)
Charles Gemora
- Gorilla
- (uncredited)
Joseph W. Girard
- The Judge
- (uncredited)
Armand Kaliz
- Jeweler
- (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey
- Detective at Train
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaKnown as "The Man of 1000 Faces", Chaney signed a legal affidavit declaring all the voices he performed in this, his only talking film, were actually his own. Thus, in addition to multiple characters, he performed multiple voices.
- GoofsWhen the defense lawyer is about to request a postponement, he first addresses the judge by saying, "your honor". There is then a cut to a close-up of the judge looking at the defense attorney, then at the prosecutor as if he is listening to them talking. However, during the entire close-up no one is talking. Apparently the shot was meant to be a cutaway, but it was mistakenly used without audio.
- Quotes
Rosie O'Grady: [Both are laughing] Why, I... I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
[She laughs again and so does he]
Professor Echo, aka Mrs. 'Grandma' O'Grady: Well, why - why not do a little of both? You know the old gag. That's all there is to life. A little laughter... a little tear.
- Alternate versionsAn alternate ending was shot but never released. Closer to the original silent version, it has Echo telling Rosie to go to Hector at the carnival after he makes a full confession in the court.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000)
- SoundtracksIntroduction to Salammbô
(1920) (uncredited)
Music by Andrei Fedorov Arends
Featured review
The swan song of an artist
Make no mistake, Lon Chaney Sr. was one of the most talented and versatile actors in the history of American Film. And in this, his only completed sound film, he is brilliant. As Professor Echo he uses his own pleasant voice (William Holden's voice is a good comparison), while he effectively and believably changes his voice during his old lady disguise. One wonders if he knew he was terminally ill when he made this film. Several sound vehicles were planned for him: "Dracula" (Bela Lugosi became a star inheriting the Chaney part), "The Sea Bat" (Charles Bickford), "The Phantom of Paris" (John Gilbert), and "The Big House" and "The Bugle Sounds" (Wallace Beery, the former establishing him in sound films.). One can only wonder how any of these films would have been if Chaney had lived to complete them.
But Chaney's is not the only good performance here. Lila Lee and future director-screenwriter Elliott Nugent are both good as the young lovers, the former's scenes with Chaney being some of the best in the picture. And, just as much as he did in the silent version, midget Harry Earles conveys pure menace as the depraved dwarf Tweedledee, although a combination of early sound equipment and his thick German accent make many of his lines all but incomprehensible. Reducing that accent by half, he would do impressive work in "Freaks" and, of course, "The Wizard of Oz" later in the decade. The only other roles of any size fall to veteran character men Clarence Burton and John Miljan, and they prove themselves more than up to the task.
Probably the only way anyone will get to see this film, until MGM decides to release it on video, is on Turner Classic Movies, which is where I saw it recently. If you do see it, you're in for a rare treat.
But Chaney's is not the only good performance here. Lila Lee and future director-screenwriter Elliott Nugent are both good as the young lovers, the former's scenes with Chaney being some of the best in the picture. And, just as much as he did in the silent version, midget Harry Earles conveys pure menace as the depraved dwarf Tweedledee, although a combination of early sound equipment and his thick German accent make many of his lines all but incomprehensible. Reducing that accent by half, he would do impressive work in "Freaks" and, of course, "The Wizard of Oz" later in the decade. The only other roles of any size fall to veteran character men Clarence Burton and John Miljan, and they prove themselves more than up to the task.
Probably the only way anyone will get to see this film, until MGM decides to release it on video, is on Turner Classic Movies, which is where I saw it recently. If you do see it, you're in for a rare treat.
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- BobLib
- Feb 27, 2000
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- El trío fantástico
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 12 minutes
- Color
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