Simply A Masterpiece

Purely Joyful Movie!

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

if you're like me, you're thinking "why bother?" about this film. Give it a chance !! it drew me in, was never boring, was original, interesting and truly a very good movie -- yes, even though it's silent. At times, it's even pretty funny !! I feel so strongly about it that i wish it was on again so that i could catch the whole thing (watched 2/3).The acting and the atmosphere are top notch. It's definitely not one of those cliché ridden, predictable schlock movies. The man playing the "baby" is fascinating !! So innocent and convincing one second, then chomping his cigar and acting menacing the next. I give it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars -- i really liked this picture !! I can't think of one downside to it. High praise from me !! And the "baby face Finster" character (gangster midget !!) is a scream.

Lon Chaney known as the man of a thousand faces usually reserved those faces for some grotesque character or monster to which he brought his considerable acting talents to create sympathy. The Unholy Three is an unusual film because he's quite an ordinary man here, but he effects the disguise of an old woman for criminal purposes.Due to some light fingered activity at a carnival he was employed at Chaney, strong man Victor McLaglen, and midget Harry Earles find themselves unemployed. Chaney who is a ventriloquist decides that the three with their unique physical characteristics and talents can be used to create a nice criminal gang. Chaney in fact goes incognito in the guise of an old woman and Earles plays her grand baby. Personally I think he was way too big to be a toddler, but that's a little dramatic license that director Todd Browning was taking.Chaney also buys a pet shop and Mae Busch who was a carnival waif goes and lives with them. They also employ Matt Moore as a salesman who is totally clueless about Chaney's and Earles's real identity and what they really do.Things go wrong and a murder is committed on a job Chaney could not go along on. That sets the rest of the story in motion.Of course Chaney's guise as an old woman is an astounding success as were all the other characters he created. Yet all the makeup and special effects would be for naught had he not had the acting chops to make it real.Saying that and saying that because Chaney's virtuosity dominates the film. I thought the ending was truly a cop out. It dulls the impact of Chaney's artistry and it was quite a let down in a film I was ready to rate a notch or two higher.Still his legion of fans will be well satisfied with this silent version of The Unholy Three remade by MGM for sound, Chaney's one and only sound feature.

It's a tribute to Tod Browning that his THE UNHOLY THREE manages to have such holding power as you watch it. The story is strange and very unique. At the same time, there are so many implausible elements thrown into the mix that you must suspend disbelief in order to sit back and enjoy the excellent performances.While LON CHANEY is undoubtedly at his best as the old Granny who runs a bird shop for talking parrots, the attention is compulsively drawn to the evil dwarf (HARRY EARLES). Later on, he served as one of the Munchkins for THE WIZARD OF OZ, but here he's a grown man able to pose convincingly as a baby--a very conniving infant who instigates the robbery and murder of a wealthy store patron.Since Echo (LON CHANEY's ventriloquist name), throws his voice whenever the parrots talk, the ventriloquism device is used for effect in the climactic courtroom scene where Chaney decides to help an innocent man wrongly accused of the murder. It's here that Chaney gets a chance to show us (in reaction shots) the great actor he was simply by using various facial expressions. Even though the device of throwing his voice at a trial is completely beyond belief, he manages to convince the viewer that such a thing was entirely possible.Chaney is very effective as the smiling Granny, Earles is scary as the psychopathic dwarf posing as a baby between puffs on a cigar, and MAE BUSCH is effective as the woman Chaney loves.Although slowly paced, it's well worth watching, drawing the viewer from the start with its strange and incredible story, an entertaining triumph for all concerned. It's been years since I saw the later sound version from 1930, but I believe this has a slight edge over the other.

Lon Chaney was one of the greatest actors who ever lived. He expresses more emotion in this movie with his facial expressions than many of the actors today can do with their voices. Chaney stars as Professor Echo,a sleazy carnival ventriloquist, who plans to pull off a crime that would make him and his two counterparts rich. Echo a master of voices will pose as an old lady, the sideshow midget named Tweedledee will be the baby, and Hercules the strongman will be a bystander. Together this team of unholy individuals open up a pet store which specializes in selling talking parrots. These birds talk and sing in the store but when the buyer brings them home they stop.A rich man named Arlington buys a parrot and calls "Old Lady Mcgrady" to come have a look at it. Tweedledee notices a red ruby necklace."Don't worry Grannie will buy you a nice set of red pearls like that" Echo's girlfriend Rosie is falling in love with Hector the employee at the store. Echo is beginning to lose his concentration and his partners plot against him. Hercules murders Arlington and after Hector proposes to Rosie Echo plans to frame him for the murder.Yes the plot is a bit silly at times but Chaney and his cast tell it with the utmost sincerity. Chaney's Echo is a sad character,not necessarily evil but selfish. His love for Rosie redeems him and his evil ways at the end of the movie. Chaney is one of the greats. He creates a vivid character. Man of a Thousand Faces is the correct title for him but here he doesn't need his make-up to create a face just his perfect acting skills.10/10