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Sorry, this movie sucks

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Imagine what self confidence (or maybe lack thereof) that one must have to answer an ad that states 'If you think you look like Satan, apply at studio of ...'. It wouldn't have been a problem for the 'Man of a Thousand Faces', the elder Lon Chaney who made the transition from vaudeville to silent films, and eventually into talkies. Chaney's films may be a little hard to come by, but they're worth catching if only to see the amount of dedication the actor put into his craft. That's demonstrated here by the painful looking exercise the man had to go through to appear amputated at the knee of both legs. You know, I kept marveling at how real the effect looked and wondering how the film makers did it, because it does look like the actor really has no legs. Other reviewers on this board describe the process, so one could check those out.The story itself is a rather ghastly one, as it follows the tragic amputation of a young boy's legs due to an accident, but which probably didn't have to be performed as suggested by a senior doctor examining the work of Dr. Ferris (Charles Clary). The operation affects the young man not only the physically, but mentally, as he resorts to a life of crime that transforms into a madness for corruption and power. Taking the name of Blizzard (Chaney), the evil madman concocts a bizarre plan of revenge on the doctor who operated on him, the doctor's daughter, and even the entire city of San Francisco.I have to admit, there were any number of disconnects in the story for me which one might attribute to the writing of the era. One of the major ones involved Blizzard's management of a workshop in which dance hall girls assembled thousands of hats! Later it was revealed that the plot to loot San Francisco involved ten thousand disgruntled foreign laborers, but even so, why the business with the hats? It all seemed rather bizarre, but no more so than the twist at the end of the story that restored Blizzard's brain to normalcy, even as he wound up paying the penalty for his formerly wicked life.I caught this film on the Turner Classic Movie channel, with a soundtrack that eerily fit the activity that appeared on screen. I doubt if it was the original score for the film if indeed there was any. The music offered was at times strange, mysterious, and other-worldly, expertly complementing the character of Blizzard and his garish life. One might even consider the version of the soundtrack I experienced to be somewhat devilish.

"Blizzard," a double amputee intent on revenge, ranks among the "Man of a Thousand Faces's" finest performances. Lon Chaney dominates "The Penalty," a 1920 silent film directed by Wallace Worsley. Although nearly a century old, the film is no museum curiosity, but rather a remarkably contemporary movie and an engrossing drama. The print is in good condition, projected at the correct speed, beautifully tinted, and well scored.While laying in his hospital bed, a young boy overhears his doctors admit that the amputation of his legs had been a mistake. Rather than admit their error, the doctors conceal their guilt, and, when the boy tells his parents what he heard, the doctors claim he is hallucinating from the effects of ether. The boy matures into Lon Chaney as "Blizzard," an underworld crime lord, who seeks to take revenge on the doctor, the doctor's daughter, and on the city of San Francisco. As part of his plan, Chaney manipulates his way into being the model for a statue of Satan, sculpted by the doctor's daughter. Meanwhile, the authorities have planted a mole among Blizzard's confidantes to uncover his plot. Although other members of the cast, such as Charles Clary, Doris Pawn, Claire Adams, and Kenneth Harlan are largely forgotten, their acting is naturalistic for the most part, and only a few overplayed flourishes of the "grand style" mar the film. Made well before the Production Code, the film has a flash of nudity and an implied sado-masochistic relationship between "Blizzard" and the woman who manually pushes the piano pedals, while he plays the keyboard.Fine sharp cinematography, an engrossing story, good performances, and a legendary star in a memorable role, "The Penalty" is a must see for silent film aficionados and Lon Chaney fans. For those unfamiliar with either silents or Chaney, the film is an excellent work in which to discover both.

I don't know how many musical scores this movie has. I have seen a version which didn't have any soundtrack so viewing it in complete silence was a weird experience. However that didn't take away too much enjoyment from my viewing experience. The plot is here very simple, a boy whose legs are amputated which aferwards didn't seem necessary. Later when the boy has grown up into an adult despite his handicap has become a mob leader named Blizzard feared by his employees and enemies. He has no trouble having people killed who stand in his way that is until pretty agent Rose goes undercover as a worker into his mansion soon developing into his personal assistant pedaling the piano. Still Blizzard seeks for revenge against doctor Ferris who he holds responsible for his handicap. When the doctor's daughter Barbara wants to make a Satan portrait out of clay, Blizzard succeeds in getting to model for it as a step to get his revenge on the doctor. Excellent performance by Lon Chaney his mean facial expressions are scary and he really looks and moves like a real crippled man. I wonder if they worked with a body double here. The end is surprising and eventually tragic.

This was Lon Chaney's first starring film after wowing everyone in "The Miracle Man".I watched "The Penalty" at night and it really scared me. Even though people are dismissive of the ending - that it is too "comfortable" - I needed that ending - I would have found it difficult to get to sleep otherwise. Lon Chaney plays Blizzard, the insane crime lord of the San Francisco underworld. As a child he was the victim of a botched operation which left him a double amputee. He overhears the doctors talking about how the operation was unnecessary and grows up bitter and twisted in his mind.Chaney's performance is outstanding - he endured great pain by strap- ping his legs up at the knees in a specially made harness. Not only that but he perfected the walk until he actually walked like he had always been an amputee. Jumping onto tables, climbing up ladders, sliding down poles - all landing on his knees!!!He runs a millinery where he terrorizes the factory girls by jumping on the table and grabbing their hair. If one happens to catch his fancy - she becomes his personal slave - and is forced to use her hands as pedals when he plays the piano as he has no legs!!!He is surrounded by an evil henchman - Frisco Pete - who will stop at nothing to keep in Blizzard's good books - even to killing one of the girls, Barbary Nell who has left the factory to make out on her own.Litchenstein head of the secret police wants one of his agents, Rose (Ethel Grey Terry) to go undercover to get evidence to destroy Blizzard. Blizzard has a plan to take over the city and seek revenge on the doctor that operated on him as a boy.The doctor, now a famous surgeon, has a daughter who is a sculptor but wants to do a worthwhile piece of art before she marries. She places an advertisement in the paper for models that look like Satan. Blizzard is hired!!!!Meanwhile Rose has been working undercover and found nothing. When Blizzard is out she finds an underground passage - complete with an operating theatre. He plans to form an army of disgruntled foreigners who will loot the city. Blizzard, by this time will have had an operation on his legs to make him able bodied and the legs he is looking at belong to Wilmot, the doctor's assistant. There is an operation but not the one he demands!!!Lon Chaney's facial expressions are really remarkable - in a lot of scenes he really looks satanic. There are no known names in the cast - Kenneth Harlan, who had a reasonable career and at one time was married to Marie Prevost, plays Wilmot. Cesare Gravina, who had a part in "Greed" as the junkman, has a small part in this film playing a sculpting instructor.This is a fantastic film - I will give it 10 out of 10.