The Unknown (1927)

Cloaked in the grandeur of the circus, Alonzo is an enigmatic figure who seemingly possesses no arms, yet masters the art of knife-throwing and gun-shooting. Yet beneath this facade, he is a fugitive, his arms cunningly concealed, eluding the law with his accomplice, the diminutive Cojo. Alonzo's disguise hides more than his arms; it also conceals a grotesque deformity on his left hand, the very clue that would expose him as the criminal the police relentlessly seek. Nanon, the vibrant daughter of Zanzi, the circus owner, unknowingly plays the damsel in Alonzo's thrilling act. Despite the loathing of her father towards Alonzo, he harbors a deep affection for her. However, Nanon is pursued by Malabar, the circus's muscular strongman, whose overtly sexual advances and incessant desire to touch her repel the young woman due to her intense phobia of a man's touch. Alonzo manipulates this fear, aiming to win her heart as the 'armless' man she can trust. But when Zanzi stumbles upon the truth of Alonzo's arms, he meets a fatal end at Alonzo's hands, a murder unwittingly witnessed by Nanon, who sees only the deformed hand of her father's killer. As Alonzo continues his machinations to snatch Nanon from the smitten Malabar, Cojo plants a seed of doubt - she would despise him once she discovers his arms, and worse, his telltale deformity. A desperate Alonzo makes the chilling decision to amputate his arms, a task he accomplishes by ensnaring a surgeon in a web of blackmail. In his absence, Nanon conquers her fears and yields to Malabar’s affections. Upon his return, Alonzo, now truly armless, devises a lethal plan against Malabar, targeting his most perilous stunt yet.

The Unknown is a drama movie featuring Lon Chaney and directed by Tod Browning.

The Unknown is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Popflick, The Roku Channel and Tubi TV and it's also available on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy The Unknown on Amazon Video.