Director Tod Browning has been well represented on DVD and Blu-Ray over the years. However that is mostly because of his star performers rather than for his name as a director. In addition to the ubiquitous DRACULA with Bela Lugosi, there are many collaborations with Lon Chaney. There are also his late Teens and early 1920s crime pictures (OUTSIDE THE LAW, DRIFTING, THE WHITE TIGER) with then top Universal star Priscilla Dean. Finally there are his late MGM sound movies MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935) and THE DEVIL DOLL (1936) but that is because of Lugosi in the former and Lionel Barrymore in the latter. The only picture without a marquee name is FREAKS (1932) and that is finally given the deluxe treatment in this new Criterion set entitled TOD BROWNING’S SIDESHOW SHOCKERS.
In addition to FREAKS (1932), there are THE UNKNOWN (1927) with Chaney and a young Joan Crawford and the little known THE MYSTIC from 1925. So much has been written elsewhere about FREAKS, his circus melodrama that uses real sideshow performers, that my review will concentrate on the other two movies. THE UNKNOWN has been around since the VHS days but only in a 50 minute version in so-so condition that until now was all that was available. The George Eastman Museum restored the film from a 67 minute Czech archive print which is only 3 minutes short of its original running time. Chaney plays an armless knife thrower who uses his feet to do everything. He loves his assistant (Crawford) who has a phobia about men’s hands. She, in turn, is loved by the circus strongman (Norman Kerry).
It’s even more bizarre than it sounds. Chaney’s character isn’t really without arms. He keeps them hidden to avoid detection for past crimes. The strongman wants to embrace Crawford who recoils in horror. Chaney encourages this to feed her phobia and then has a plan to make her his own. Browning uses a body double for most of the foot sequences but it is very skillfully done. Crawford (who was 20 at the time) and Chaney got along very well and she fondly remembered working with him over 40 years later. Norman Kerry had worked with Chaney before on HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME & PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. The digital 2K resolution looks great and the film is accompanied by an atmospheric piano score from silent film specialist Phillip Carli.
For me however, the best part of this collection is the rarely seen 1925 crime drama THE MYSTIC. 3 Hungarian gypsies and their American front man use a series of fake seances to try and get a fortune in cash and jewels from a young American heiress. Aileen Pringle, a forgotten silent screen actress, is simply marvelous as Zara the medium. Decked out in costumes by Erte’ plus some fancy Gypsy duds, she seems to be having a great time. The fake seance sequences are still pretty remarkable and obviously influenced the later film noir THE AMAZING MR X (1948). Browning would recycle them in his last movie MIRACLES FOR SALE (1939). The print quality for an unknown movie is excellent and the sound effects score by David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley is very effective.
As is usually the case with Criterion, they have done a first class job with the packaging. The cover is designed to resemble a vintage circus poster and inside this two disc set (FREAKS on one disc, THE UNKNOWN and THE MYSTIC on the other) is a 36 page booklet that tells you all you need to know about the movies and their restorations. In addition to the films there are a number of supplemental extras including commentaries and interviews with Tod Browning specialists David J. Skal and Megan Abbott. My only criticisms are why couldn’t Criterion have included Browning’s other circus melodrama THE SHOW (1927) with John Gilbert? It could easily have fit on Disc 1 with FREAKS. Also, since their content is identical, why does the Blu-Ray cost $20 more?
The Capsule Critic 