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WEST OF ZANZIBAR (1928). Very sleazy story of an embittered stage magician (Lon Chaney) seeking revenge on the man who stole his wife and in an ensuing fracas left him crippled. The ruination of a young woman may also be a factor here, but things are not always what they seem....
The wife and I saw this this (and THE UNKNOWN) on the big screen accompanied by a live keyboardist last week and once again, Chaney just amazes by how versatile He was. His maneuvering around by only using his arms and hands is astounding. Also, despite the (sometimes well deserved) bashing Tod Browning gets for his sound films (mainly DRACULA and MARK OF THE VAMPIRE), He truly did excel in silent films, although a lot of his films truly had a decadent bent to them. He probably never got the hang of the talkies and I find his sound films are most effective without dialogue.
Of course, being Pre-Code, there is some racism/sexism in here so be prepared. If You get a chance, try going WTZ. ***1/2
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