| ~West of Zanzibar~ 1928 |
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| ~Lon Chaney~ |
| ~Lon Chaney~ |
| ~Lon Chaney~ |
| ~Lon Chaney & Jacqueline Gadsdon~ |
| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
In this lurid Tod Browning melodrama, boasting a thoroughly creepy performance by Lon Chaney,
Chaney plays Phroso, a limehouse magician who is thoroughly in love with his wife Anna (Jacquelin
Gadsdon). Also in love with Phroso's wife is ivory-trader Crane (Lionel Barrymore). After a performance,
Anna tells Phroso that she is leaving him to go away with Crane to Africa. After Phroso confronts Crane,
Crane kicks him down a second-floor landing, crippling him. Months later, Phroso, now known as "Dead
Legs" Flint, is now seen to be paralyzed from the chest down, and he gets around by pulling himself
forward by his hands. He enters a church where he sees Annie has returned, but she is dead at the altar,
leaving her child Maizie, whom Dead Legs assumes to be Crane's child, crying next to her. Hate consumes
the soul of Dead Legs, and he swears vengeance on Crane. Years pass. Dead Legs is now lording it over a
group of African savages as their god. Maizie (Mary Nolan) has been installed at a brothel in Zanzibar and
is now a broken-down alcoholic prostitute. Dead Legs conspires to steal some of Crane's ivory so Crane
can appear before Dead Legs, and his revenge can be redeemed. He sends for Maizie and reveals her to
Crane. He plans on killing Crane and, due to an African tribal custom that says a man's daughter must be
burned at the stake when he dies, have the savages have their way with Maizie. But when Crane arrives
and he tells Dead Legs that Maizie is not his daughter but Dead Legs' daughter, Dead Legs is stupefied.
Crane leaves and is shot by the savages, his body returned to Dead Legs. Now the bloodthirsty savages
want Maizie, so that she can be sacrificed at the stake. Dead Legs, as her father, must now conspire a way
to save his daughter from certain death.
Biography by Paul Brenner, AllMovie.com
Chaney plays Phroso, a limehouse magician who is thoroughly in love with his wife Anna (Jacquelin
Gadsdon). Also in love with Phroso's wife is ivory-trader Crane (Lionel Barrymore). After a performance,
Anna tells Phroso that she is leaving him to go away with Crane to Africa. After Phroso confronts Crane,
Crane kicks him down a second-floor landing, crippling him. Months later, Phroso, now known as "Dead
Legs" Flint, is now seen to be paralyzed from the chest down, and he gets around by pulling himself
forward by his hands. He enters a church where he sees Annie has returned, but she is dead at the altar,
leaving her child Maizie, whom Dead Legs assumes to be Crane's child, crying next to her. Hate consumes
the soul of Dead Legs, and he swears vengeance on Crane. Years pass. Dead Legs is now lording it over a
group of African savages as their god. Maizie (Mary Nolan) has been installed at a brothel in Zanzibar and
is now a broken-down alcoholic prostitute. Dead Legs conspires to steal some of Crane's ivory so Crane
can appear before Dead Legs, and his revenge can be redeemed. He sends for Maizie and reveals her to
Crane. He plans on killing Crane and, due to an African tribal custom that says a man's daughter must be
burned at the stake when he dies, have the savages have their way with Maizie. But when Crane arrives
and he tells Dead Legs that Maizie is not his daughter but Dead Legs' daughter, Dead Legs is stupefied.
Crane leaves and is shot by the savages, his body returned to Dead Legs. Now the bloodthirsty savages
want Maizie, so that she can be sacrificed at the stake. Dead Legs, as her father, must now conspire a way
to save his daughter from certain death.
Biography by Paul Brenner, AllMovie.com
| Directed by: Tod Browning Written by: Elliott J. Clawson - writer Joseph Farnham - titles Waldemar Young - adaptation Based on the play "Kongo," by Chester De Vonde and Kilbourn Gordon. |
| ~Remaining Credits~ Produced & Released by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Produced by: Tod Browning & Irving Thalberg Cinematography by: Percy Hilburn Film Editing by: Harry Reynolds Settings: Cedric Gibbons & Richard Day Assistant Director: Harry Sharrock Wardrobe: David Cox Presenter: Louis B. Mayer Length: 7 Reels Runtime: 65 Minutes Released: November 24, 1928 |
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SilentHollywood.com Discussion Group on Facebook Internet Movie Database Allmovie.com Turner Classic Movies American Film Institute |
| ~Cast~ Lon Chaney ... Phroso 'Dead-Legs' Lionel Barrymore ... Mr. Crane Mary Nolan ... Maizie Warner Baxter ... Doc Jacqueline Gadsden ... Anna Tiny Ward ... Tiny Kalla Pasha ... Babe Curtis Nero ... Bumbu Mae Busch ... Bit Role (uncredited) Chaz Chase ... Music Hall Performer (uncredited) Richard Cummings ... Bit Role (uncredited) Rose Dione ... Zanzibar Club owner (uncredited) Louise Emmons ... Old Woman on Street (uncredited) Fred Gamble ... Vaudeville Comedian (uncredited) Noble Johnson ... Bit Role (uncredited) Emmett King ... Stage Manager (uncredited) Ida May ... Bit Role (uncredited) Anita Page ... Bit Role (uncredited) June Riley ... Bit Part (uncredited) Dick Sutherland ... Bit Role (uncredited) Edna Tichenor ... Dancing Girl in Zanzibar Club (uncredited) Art Winkler ... Stagehand (uncredited) Dan Wolheim ... Zanzibar Club Customer (uncredited) Zalla Zarana ... Woman in Zanzibar Bar (uncredited) |
