The Penalty

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Nick M Lon Chaney stars in this early gangster film that, considering the stature of the director and distributor, punches unexpectedly above its weight class. The plot, for the time, is refreshingly original (and is a clear forebear of both later gangster films as well as future comic book villains): a child who has his legs unnecessarily amputated by a well-meaning but inexperienced young surgeon grows up to be an arch villain with a master plan for despoiling San Francisco of its wealth and treasures. As his plans approach fruition, an opportunity for revenge upon the man that maimed him proves too tempting to resist. Frustratingly close to being a brilliant picture, I found The Penalty as captivating as I did ultimately disappointing. That it doesn't fall entirely on its face is largely down to the talent of one man. Lon Chaney delivers a masterful performance as the underworld kingpin known as "Blizzard". The production team engineered some absolutely inspired ways for him to navigate his world without legs, and Chaney takes to it all with such adroitness that if I didn't know better I'd assume he'd been getting around that way from birth. The attention to detail here and the commitment to the role are simply awesome. Moreover, the character is admirably drawn as sympathetic (despite being a frightening tyrant), vulnerable, and with human pain and motivation that is both believable and relatable. His performance is so good that his character may as well have been written for him. In fact, it's because of him that I am able to overlook a few rough spots in the plot along the way (e.g. nearly everything involving the police and their mole within his organization). Tragically, the film comes apart at the seams during the last 6 or 7 minutes. Blizzard's cavalier trust in the doctor at the end is entirely out of character for this otherwise highly intelligent figure, and the statement they attempt to make about the nature of evil and its just desserts rings hollow after a critical revelation is made about Chaney's character. This is all so disappointing after such a remarkable buildup. This excellent villain deserved a better ending. Justice for Blizzard! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/08/24 Full Review andy f Lon Chaney is mesmerising in this richly inventive dark thriller. Pre censorship and pre sound cinema was at its most inventive and this film is a fine example of the era. 100 years later and the majority of filmmakers today couldn't dream of making anything this astonishing. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member In probably my favorite Lon Chaney film, and not for his makeup but for his acting. He must have been in pain hiding his legs for this. You can see it on his face, or just brilliant acting. I'm sure it's the latter. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member This film was described by one reviewer as being "as cheerful as a hanging." Indeed, its horrific premise hangs like a black curtain over the characters. Chaney is excellent in his approach to Blizzard, capable of playing all nuances of a madman. Appearing in one scene was Italian actor Cesar Gravina, who had a long career that included horror films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Man Who Laughs. On Lon Chaney's order, no trick camera angles were used to conceal his legs. He wore an extremely tight harness that held his legs, bent up against his lower back. Its leather boot stumps and straps were complicated and very painful – he could only be in the apparatus for a short time before his legs needed to be massaged because of lack of circulation. It was this early role that resulted in many critics commenting on his "masochistic" tendencies – doing anything and everything possible to achieve the most bizarre characterizations. There are a few scenes in the film that detail Blizzard's plan to ransack San Francisco, and in these flash-forward sequences, he is seen with legs, commanding his army of criminals. There was a short epilogue sequence filmed that showed Chaney, out of character, to reassure audiences that he was not an amputee, but this was not included in the finished film since the flash-forward portions sufficiently demonstrated the fact. Lon's costume from this film has survived, kept in the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, and examination of it reveals its special tailoring with an extra-long and full back portion to conceal his doubled-up legs. Regardless, the contraption caused significant strain not only to his legs but also lower back. For his pains, Goldwyn Pictures paid him $500 per week – a career high – though they were actually willing to go as high as $1,500 – something he would remember later. His performance is not only one of a corrupted soul, but of a tortured man secretly wanting a normal (and even loving) life, highly nuanced for such an early movie. There are also plenty of scenes of vice and crime that made the final cut. These would never have been allowed in the coming 1930s with the storm of censorship that developed. Wallace Worsley, who directed, would go on to helm The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Chaney, using techniques even beyond those developed for The Penalty. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Lon Chaney is fascinating in this silent underworld crime story. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Lon Chaney is amazing in this silent film about a legless criminal kingpin. Chaney went to great lengths to hide his legs and fully inhabit the role, and it is a towering performance. the story is predictable but serviceable, but this is a film to watch for the performance. Seek it out! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Penalty

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