The Road to Mandalay

Road to Mandalay, The (1926)

incomplete, 35min. version

Singapore Joe (Lon Chaney) is a crazed man with a strange appearance as one of his eyes were scratched out years earlier. Years earlier he also gave up a daughter after his wife died while giving birth and this daughter grew up to hate her father but she doesn't know who he is. When the daughter goes to marry a scumbag dad steps in and is willing the kill the man so that his daughter's future will be safe. Here's another teaming of Chaney with director Tod Browning, which is certainly the least interesting of their films I've seen but it's hard to judge the movie since this French version is the only print out there. Lost for years, a collector discovered a 9.5mm French print but it's missing at least one plus reels but the basic story outline is still here. Chaney gives a good performance and his scratched out eye makes for a nice special effect but the film appears to lack Browning's slick direction.