

The Unknown
Don't miss this startling spectacle!
On the lam, criminal Alonzo hides in the circus as The Armless Wonder—a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Alonzo keeps the arms he really has concealed to hide his identity. Meanwhile, ringmaster's daughter Nanon has a phobia of being touched by men, but is romantically pursued by not only Alonzo but the strongman Malabar. Alonzo's desperation to remain with Nanon will only end in tragedy.
TMDB
7.5/10
221 votes
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $217K
- Box office
- $847K
- Language
- No Language
- circus
- love
- black and white
- knife throwing
- silent film
- carny
- psychotronic
- armless
- circus performer
- suspenseful
- horror romance
- romantic
Top billed cast









Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical (limited)Springfield, Missouri29 May 1927
- Theatrical (limited)Los Angeles, California3 Jun 1927
- Theatrical4 Jun 1927
- Theatrical (limited)NRSan Francisco International Film Festival6 May 2014
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical (limited)Rated A, London7 Jul 1927
- TheatricalRated A27 Aug 1928
- TheatricalPGRe-release2 Aug 2002
- PhysicalPGDVD23 Oct 2023
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalPG26 Nov 1927
CanadaCA
- Theatrical7 Sept 1927
BrazilBR
- Theatrical19 Dec 1927
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical20 Apr 1928
FinlandFI
- Theatrical23 Apr 1928
FranceFR
- Theatrical (limited)TPRe-release19 Jun 2002
- Theatrical (limited)TPL'Éstrange Festival7 Sept 2010
- Theatrical (limited)TPLyon Festival Hallucinations Collectives2 Apr 2018
ItalyIT
- TheatricalT9 Apr 1928
JapanJP
- Theatrical1 Mar 1929
PortugalPT
- Theatrical13 Feb 1929
SpainES
- Theatrical (limited)Madrid - Artistic Metropol, subtitles provided22 Mar 2015
Frequently asked questions
The Unknown was released on 29 May 1927.
Audience reviews
2- C7/10
CinemaSerf
3/27/2024
Joan Crawford is the dazzling "Manon", daughter of a circus owner and keenly sought by strongman "Malabar" (Norman Kerry) and the newly arrived arm-less knife thrower "Alonzo" (Lon Chaney). It's the latter man who has a bit of a secret though, and as the story progresses we realise that he's a criminal using a clever (if not desperately plausible) disguise to stay one head ahead of the pursuing police. She, meantime,…
- D7/10
Dr Nostromo
3/28/2026
66/100 A strangler on-the-run takes refuge as an armless man in a circus and falls in love with a performing girl who can't stand being touched. Sounds like the perfect match, doesn't it? This is actually an extremely mature look at unrequited love played out as an examination of irony as the man will do virtually anything, regardless of how extreme, to win her affection only to have each decision make matters wor…
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