This is quite the entertaining movie but to say the characters and events in the story defy credibility is probably an understatement. Which might lead you to wonder whether this was a crime story, a suspense story or just one with a bunch of oddball characters in it. Directed by Tod Browning in his first collaboration with MGM, the film is somewhat of a precursor to his 1932 film 'Freaks', which has more fantastic characters on display in an even more bizarre tale.
Browning sets up the action with a quick view of circus performers to whet the viewer's appetite for strangeness; there's an immense fat lady, a tattooed woman, a sword swallower and Siamese twins, all to get us ready for Professor Echo (Lon Chaney), an otherwise normal looking ventriloquist, Hercules the strongman (Victor McLaglen), and midget performer Tweedledee (Harry Earles). I got a kick out of a circus patron's remark to her young son to refrain from smoking cigarettes if he ever wants to grow up to be a strong man like Hercules. Hercules responds by lighting up a cigarette as the customers walk away.
Professor Echo uses his ventriloquism gimmick in more ways than one; as part of his newly established criminal enterprise, pet shop customers are enticed to buy talking parrots that seem to clam up once they're brought to their new home. Disguised as a sweet old lady with a young baby in tow, Echo cases the premises of his customers, and his partners rob whatever money or jewelry they can get their hands on. When one of their victims wind up murdered, they abandon the shop and head off to a remote cabin to wait out the authorities. Complicating this entire scenario however is a love triangle of sorts. Not only does the Professor fall for pretty Rosie O'Grady (Mae Busch), so does shop employee Hector McDonald (Matt Moore).
Though there are some suspenseful scenes throughout the story, others will leave you rather perplexed and scratching your head. The courtroom scene requires major suspension of disbelief, and you'll wind up wondering how and why the chimp from the pet shop seems to transform into a vicious ape at the hideout cabin. I guess you have to take it on faith that the snarling monkey settled the score with Hercules and Little Willie because they don't make it to the end of the picture.
But you know, through it all the story is an entertaining one, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how the individual players reminded me of more current movie actors. Depending on the way the camera presented Rosie O'Grady, Miss Busch resembled Terri Garr quite a bit, while Victor McLaglen and Lon Chaney both brought to mind first, a middle aged, and then a slightly older Tommy Lee Jones.
Browning sets up the action with a quick view of circus performers to whet the viewer's appetite for strangeness; there's an immense fat lady, a tattooed woman, a sword swallower and Siamese twins, all to get us ready for Professor Echo (Lon Chaney), an otherwise normal looking ventriloquist, Hercules the strongman (Victor McLaglen), and midget performer Tweedledee (Harry Earles). I got a kick out of a circus patron's remark to her young son to refrain from smoking cigarettes if he ever wants to grow up to be a strong man like Hercules. Hercules responds by lighting up a cigarette as the customers walk away.
Professor Echo uses his ventriloquism gimmick in more ways than one; as part of his newly established criminal enterprise, pet shop customers are enticed to buy talking parrots that seem to clam up once they're brought to their new home. Disguised as a sweet old lady with a young baby in tow, Echo cases the premises of his customers, and his partners rob whatever money or jewelry they can get their hands on. When one of their victims wind up murdered, they abandon the shop and head off to a remote cabin to wait out the authorities. Complicating this entire scenario however is a love triangle of sorts. Not only does the Professor fall for pretty Rosie O'Grady (Mae Busch), so does shop employee Hector McDonald (Matt Moore).
Though there are some suspenseful scenes throughout the story, others will leave you rather perplexed and scratching your head. The courtroom scene requires major suspension of disbelief, and you'll wind up wondering how and why the chimp from the pet shop seems to transform into a vicious ape at the hideout cabin. I guess you have to take it on faith that the snarling monkey settled the score with Hercules and Little Willie because they don't make it to the end of the picture.
But you know, through it all the story is an entertaining one, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how the individual players reminded me of more current movie actors. Depending on the way the camera presented Rosie O'Grady, Miss Busch resembled Terri Garr quite a bit, while Victor McLaglen and Lon Chaney both brought to mind first, a middle aged, and then a slightly older Tommy Lee Jones.