The Unholy Three (1930)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Sad to know that as Lon Chaney crossed over into sound film, he was already dying. The Man of a Thousand Faces went out with a really decent remake of a silent film he had starred in five years previously. Chaney again plays Echo, the leader of a group of minor felons, whose petty crimes against clients don't bring the big guns after them. Until, of course, murder of a wealthy man takes place. The fact that there are all these people (one of them clueless) makes it hard to keep them under control. And, then, having a gorilla around could complicate away situation. The thing most memorable for me is the courtroom scene. I found it superior to the silent one (but that may not be fair because sound really gives us more flexibility). Good acting and wonderful characters.

This is most notable as MGM superstar Lon Chaney's last feature film - and only "talkie" - he succumbed to cancer at age 47, as it was being released. "The Unholy Three" (1925) was one of Mr. Chaney's greatest silent triumphs, and this version is an inferior re-make. However, Chaney is revealed to be in fine voice. He was ranked the #1 male "Box Office Star" 1928-29, according to the industry standard "Quigley Poll"; and, would have certainly continued to be successful. Chaney's illness doesn't seem to hurt his performance; and, he enhances his earlier characterization; note, for example, how Chaney's "Grandma" testifies for Elliott Nugent (as Hector McDonald).While Chaney is fine, the film suffers in other areas. Most obviously, Harry Earles (repeating his role as Tweedledee) has not yet mastered the English language, and is often very difficult to understand (when he should be understood). And, the "Gorilla climax" sequence doesn't play as well in this version. In the original, as directed by Tod Browning, the gorilla was menacing; here, it's more humorous. Also, Chaney's treatment of Lila Lee (as Rosie O'Grady) seems too violent with sound. Watch him slap Ms. Lee so hard you can see the impression (make-up) on her left cheek. "I'll even take that from you, Echo," she replies.Chaney's last words: "I'll send you a postal card." ******* The Unholy Three (7/3/30) Jack Conway ~ Lon Chaney, Lila Lee, Harry Earles, Elliott Nugent

For Lon Chaney's sound debut, MGM had him filming a remake of one of his silent classics, The Unholy Three. I wish that Victor McLaglen had not been replaced by Ivan Linow as the strong man and Lila Lee is a more hardboiled case than Mae Busch, but the chance to hear Lon Chaney and realize he could have had a great career in sound makes The Unholy Three worth viewing.The title comes from a crack Chaney makes about him as the show ventriloquist, the strong man Linow, and the midget Harry Earles being an unusual gang. The three decide to pool their respective talents with Chaney being a master of disguise as a criminal gang. As a front they open Mrs. O'Grady's pet shop with Chaney in drag as little old Mrs. O'Grady.The weakness of the plot is Lila Lee who knows very well what this crowd is up to. She's along for the ride and she falls for a true innocent in this film, Elliott Nugent. He clerks in the pet shop and when murder is committed during one of their heists, he's set up to take the fall for it. However the film was done to display Chaney's talents in creating new makeup faces and to throw in the dimension of voice. Who would know that after this film was finished that voice was attacked by throat cancer and then stilled.One thing I found interesting showing the problems of early sound. During Nugent's trial sequence a note is passed to his lawyer Crauford Kent and Nugent reads it and they discuss the contents. They should have been whispering and would have been later on in sound. But instead they talk in normal conversational tone that certainly would have disrupted the trial proceedings. The microphone obviously wasn't sensitive enough to pick up whispers and/or the actors weren't accustomed to sound to fake it.Speaking of the trial, John Miljan who normally played villains in his career does good work as the District Attorney who unmasks literally, the whole criminal enterprise.The Unholy Three was not the best film Chaney could have done to make a sound debut, still it's our only record of him on sound and he registers well in the new medium.

The Unholy Three is a disappointing and sad picture to watch, not because it was bad but because death looms over Lon Chaney. I find it amazing how terrific he is in his talkie debut despite the fact that we was in pain for the entire production of this film. The Unholy Three isn't a great picture, it's better than mediocre at best but the fact remains is that Chaney was able to go out on a high note with so many questions left. Todd Browning's original Unholy Three is by far the superior picture it is darker and Chaney shows more undertones of villainy in it, as a remake this picture doesn't capture the spirit of the original at all. Harry Earles is one actor who could have remained silent, his voice is completely not understandable. In remaking the picture they should have given more dialouge to the Hercules character because he is merely a prop in the grand scheme of things.The problem with this picture is that that Conway doesn't understand the material. I wanted Todd Browning the entire picture. This one is far too light and the mood isn't as foreboding as it should have been. The scene with the detective in the original picture is full of suspense but here it lacks any dramatic conviction.Chaney's voice is the draw to this film and rightfully so. Well what did I think of it? I was somewhat disappointed, I wish he had done a picture that we hadn't seen before with it. He is very good but it takes away much of the mysterious allure that surrounded him and his characters. He does give a terrific performance though and I have no doubts that he could have enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the talkies. The fact is what we are seeing here isn't up to Chaney's full potential because keep in mind he was suffering from lung cancer at the time. The scene where Granny O'Grady goes for her cough syrup bi t at my soul. It is entirely fitting that Lon Chaney ends his career and sadly his life with that old gip "THat's all there is to life, just a little laugh, a little tear."