The Penalty (1920)

The Penalty (1920), directed by Wallace Worsley, 3 stars

“Long before there was Jigsaw there was Dr. Ferris.”  Alright, though that might make a good tag line for “The Penalty,” better certainly than any of the ones listed on IMDB, it is a bit misleading.  Yes, Dr. Ferris, whose malpractical surgery sets “The Penalty” in motion, does precede the villain from “Saw” by 80 plus years.  And yes, limb removal plays a pivotal plot point.  But that’s really it.  Dr. Ferris, a freshly-minted sawbones, faces his first serious case; he must save the life of the young victim of a traffic accident.  He couldn’t possibly have known that his bias for action would “mangle the poor child for life” and lead to the legless lad growing up to become a king of the underworld—not to mention a megalomaniacal anarchist (shades of Fantômas).

Twenty seven years later, Lon Chaney as Blizzard reigns supreme in San Francisco’s notorious red light district dubbed the Barbary Coast.  His henchman are everywhere, and they keep him informed of everything of import, including the whereabouts of the now revered Dr. Ferris and his lovely daughter, Barbara, a budding artist.  Blizzard learns that she is advertising for someone to model for her sculpture of Satan.  To ensure that he is chosen, he orders his thugs to drive away all other contenders.  Having done this, he now has easy access to the most precious possession of the man on whom he has been seeking revenge for nearly 30 years.

Lon Chaney, the man of a thousand faces, came into his own in this film with his portrayal of Blizzard, a character crippled both in body and in mind.  Chaney's ability to effortlessly maneuver with his crutches and swing himself up a ladder and down a pole using only his arms is truly astonishing.  These feats are further enhanced through the ingenious and apparently very painful use of an apparatus Chaney designed and then wore to complete the picture.  He darts about on his knees, the lower part of his legs wrapped tightly behind him and hidden under a long coat.  The result is an absolutely convincing portrayal of a man with two missing lower limbs.

“The Penalty” also has a few moments that prefigure two of Chaney’s later and better known films: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Phantom of the Opera.”  All three feature women who are sympathetic despite the deformity of Chaney's character ([mild spoiler alert] though only in “The Penalty” does the guy get the girl).  In addition, like the Phantom, Blizzard is at his best when he’s tickling the ivories, and like the Hunchback, he’s extremely energetic and agile—almost graceful—despite significant physical handicaps.

Even though I've only seen a handful of his films, I consider myself a big Lon Chaney fan, and I wholeheartedly recommend "The Penalty" to anyone who is unfamiliar with his work or has only seen his more popular films.  It's available on DVD from Kino and for free from the Internet Archive (though not the greatest print).