Cinematheque . Film Schedule . THE UNKNOWN & WEST OF ZANZIBAR
Film Classics in 35mm! A Special Event! Tod Browning Double Feature! Jeff Rapsis accompanies
United States | 1927/1928 | Tod Browning
Before he directed such horror classics as Dracula and Freaks, Tod Browning made an unparalleled series of lurid, twisted silent thrillers starring the peerless “man of a thousand faces,” Lon Chaney. (One of them, 1927’s vampire movie London After Midnight, is one of the most coveted of lost films.) Tonight we show the best two Browning/Chaney movies that survive, both with live musical accompaniment by New Hampshire silent film pianist Jeff Rapsis (see 3/3 at 7:30). The Unknown (pictured above) is a creepy, unforgettable circus drama in which an “armless” knife thrower (Chaney) falls for a beautiful bareback rider (Joan Crawford) who doesn’t like to be touched. The Time Out Film Guide calls it “one of the great silent movies, astonishing in its intensity” and “by far the best of the remarkable series of Browning/Chaney collaborations.” In the sleazy, Africa-set West of Zanzibar, Chaney plays an evil magician, paralyzed from the waist down and known as “Dead Legs,” who vows revenge on the ivory trader (Lionel Barrymore) who caused his injury and stole his wife. Total approx. 120 min.
Special admission $15; members, CIA & CSU I.D. holders, and those age 25 & under $12; no passes, twofers, or radio winners.
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Related Films:
THE CAMERAMAN
Cinematheque
at the Cleveland Institute of Art
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Cleveland Institute of Art's public programming is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
General Admission: $12
Member: $9 (includes CIA and CSU I.D. holders)
Age 25 & under: $9 (proof of age required)
Additional film on the same day: $9 (or the member price for that film)
Note: Certain films cost more. Exceptions are noted.
No refunds unless screening is canceled.