West Of Zanzibar (USA, 1928) 65 min B&W DIR-PROD: Tod Browning. SCR: Elliott J. Clawson, based on the play by Chester DeVonde. DOP: Percy Hilburn. CAST: Lon Chaney, Lionel Barrymore, Mary Nolan, Warner Baxter. (MGM)
One Sunday afternoon this spring, I saw this picture at the Cinematheque, introduced by director Guy Maddin, as part of his “Carte Blanche” series. In addition to showing his own films, he also programmed some choice picks which are part of his personal baggage. Lon Chaney Sr. once again displays his histrionic talents to the screen as a phoney magician who becomes crippled due to a scuffle arising from his discovery that his wife is running away with Lionel Barrymore to Africa. Fifteen years later, Chaney leads a motley group of people towards a meticulous revenge plot. Apparently his wife’s extramarital union sired a daughter, raised in a brothel (!) and has now summoned her to his lair to meet her father. This is an example of how sadistic Chaney’s character really is. Plus, he purposely has Barrymore’s ivory stolen in order to lure him into his web. Throughout there is a subplot of the natives burning the wife or daughter of any recently deceased man, which foreshadows Chaney’s diabolical scheme. This outrageous melodrama is one solid hour of cruelty, held. together by Chaney’s momentous command of the material. Seeing him twist his body around on the floor is once again another demonstration why he is considered to be the finest actor of the silent screen– when acting in silence meant body language over dialogue, he inhumanly contorted his own body to convey memorable portraits of twisted human beings. Also the drama is strengthened by a striking visual style which emphasizes the savagery. The high-contrast black and white, plus an expert use of lighting makes for a memorable mood piece of sadism. While certainly this is not politically correct now, it is a good example of the long partnership enjoyed by Chaney and Browning (sadly, many of their films together are now lost).
Originally published in Vol. #1, Issue #9.
Greg Woods
Greg Woods has been a film enthusiast since his teens, and began his writing "career" at the same time- prolific in capsule reviews of everything he had watched, first on index cards, then those hardcover dollar store black journals, then an old Mac IIsi. He founded The Eclectic Screening Room in 2001, as a portal to share his film love with the world, and find some like-minded enthusiasts along the way. In addition to having worked in the film industry for over two decades, he has been a co-programmer of films at Trash Palace, and a programmer/co-founder of the Toronto Film Noir Syndicate. He has also written for Broken Pencil, CU-Confidential, Micro-Film, and is currently working on his first novel. His secret desire is for someone to interview him for a podcast or a DVD extra.