West of Zanzibar (1928) / Z-View
West of Zanzibar (1928)
Director: Todd Browning
Screenplay: Elliott J. Clawson
Stars: Lon Chaney, Lionel Barrymore and Mary Nolan .
The Pitch: “Let’s make a movie with Lon Chaney directed by Todd Browning!”
Tagline: “A story of love and revenge in the African jungles!”
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
A magician named Phroso [Chaney] discovers his wife has been having an affair with a man named Crane [Barrymore]. Phroso confronts Crane, and during their fight is thrown over a rail, breaking his back and leaving him paralyzed and alone.
Later his wife returns only to die a short time later. Before she dies Phroso learns that she had a daughter and Crane is now an ivory dealer in Africa. Phroso heads to Africa with the child and plots his revenge. First his makes sure that his wife’s daughter is raised in a brothel so that she grows up to be a drug-addicted prostitute. Then he takes on the persona “Dead Legs” and over the course of nearly two decades builds his criminal empire.
Once the time is right, Phroso brings the grown daughter to him so that he can extract his final revenge on her and Crane. Dark stuff, indeed and with a twist [although easily seen coming] worthy of the Twilight Zone.
Rating:
