The Unknown
“Don't miss this startling spectacle!”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Unknown (1927) Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-01-23
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Lon Chaney
Alonzo
Norman Kerry
Malabar
Joan Crawford
Nanon Zanzi
Nick De Ruiz
Antonio Zanzi
John George
Cojo
Frank Lanning
Costra
Tom Amandares
Gypsy Running to Zanzi's Death Scene (uncredited)
Margaret Bert
Fortune Teller (uncredited)
Louise Emmons
Gypsy Woman (uncredited)
Italia Frandi
Girl in Audience Flirting with Malabar (uncredited)
Venezia Frandi
Woman in Audience (uncredited)
Polly Moran
Landlady / Servant in Audience (uncredited)
Julian Rivero
Man in Theatre Audience (uncredited)
Billy Seay
The Little Wolf (uncredited)
Dorothy Seay
Spectator (uncredited)
John St. Polis
Surgeon (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 3, 1927
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 23, 2023
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$217K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$847K
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.9x
+$630K net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Tod Browning
- Screenplay & Story
- Waldemar Young
- Original Title
- The Unknown
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- No Language
- Runtime
- 1h 8m
- Production Budget
- $217K
- Worldwide Gross
- $847K
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Tod Browning
Waldemar Young, Tod Browning, Joseph Farnham
Merritt B. Gerstad
Harry Reynolds, Errol Taggart
Irving Thalberg
Department Leadership Roster
Tod Browning
Director
Merritt B. Gerstad
Director of Photography
Harry Reynolds
Editor
Errol Taggart
Editor
Waldemar Young
Screenplay
Joseph Farnham
Writer
Lucia Coulter
Costume Design
Irving Thalberg
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Unknown.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Unknown.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Movies - Horror
Filmes Adultos
Filmes eróticos.
HFXHQ Halloween
Halloween movies, classic horror franchises and kids' Halloween favorites — curated for HFXHQ.
Similar Titles to The Unknown
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.4
6.4
6.5
5.9
7.4
8.7
4.5
7.0
7.0
6.8
7.0
4.5
6.4
5.7
7.4
7.1
6.8
More Like The Unknown
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Unknown
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Unknown about?
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.
Who directed The Unknown?
The Unknown was directed by Tod Browning.
Who stars in The Unknown?
The principal cast of The Unknown includes Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, Joan Crawford, Nick De Ruiz, John George.
When was The Unknown released and how long is it?
The Unknown was released in 1927 with a total runtime of 1h 8m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Unknown?
The Unknown had a reported production budget of $217K and grossed $847K at the worldwide box office (3.9 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Unknown?
The Unknown holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); FR: TP; GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).