When it comes to partners in crime on the screen, you won't find a weirder trio than The Unholy Three (1930). This triple threat consists of a midget, a strongman, and a ventriloquist named Echo who concoct an ingenious plan to fleece the homes of weathy people in the dead of night. Their base of operations is the pet store of an elderly woman named Mrs. O'Grady and if you think there is something strangely familiar about her, you're right. Mrs. O'Grady is none other than Echo in drag!

For Lon Chaney's talking picture debut and, ironically, what would prove to be his final film, MGM producer chief Irving G. Thalberg decided on a remake of a previous Chaney hit, The Unholy Three (1925). The new version exploited Chaney's stage-trained voice as well as his gift for vocal impersonations. In the course of the him, you can hear him as Mrs. O'Grady, a parrot, a girl at a carnival show, and the ventriloquist's dummy. In fact, he actually learned ventriloquism for his role in the film. Despite his virtuoso vocal prowess, there were rumors circulated prior to the film's release that Chaney did not speak in The Unholy Three and used a voice double. To prove this was untrue, Chaney signed an a notarized affidavit confirming that his voice and the four others he used in the film were indeed his own.

Except for the final courtroom scene and the ending, The Unholy Three is almost a scene for scene remake of the 1925 version directed by Tod Browning. The new version also proved to be a hit with the public and would have been the beginning of a promising new career in sound films for Chaney. Unfortunately, Chaney died seven weeks after the release of The Unholy Three from bronchial cancer.

Director: Jack Conway
Producer: Irving G. Thalberg
Screenplay: J.C. Nugent, Elliot Nugent
Cinematography: Percy Hilburn
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons
Cast: Lon Chaney (Echo), Lila Lee (Rosie), Elliott Nugent (Hector), Harry Earles (Tweedledee), Ivan Linow (Hercules).
BW-72m.

by Jeff Stafford