The Blackbird (1926) User Reviews

A sinister tale of the London underworld

[LCShackley · 6/10 · 27 October 2008]

Lon Chaney gets to play his own evil twin in this Tod Browning crime adventure. The "Blackbird" is a low-life criminal who falls in love with Fifi, a music hall performer. Unfortunately, someone else loves her too: posh "West End Bertie," who wears a topper and a monocle like Bertie Wooster, but who's actually a crook himself, not above robbing his own friends while they're out slumming (including watching "chinkys" smoking opium).

The Blackbird and Bertie decide to become a team, but tension mounts as the Blackbird realizes that Fifi is falling for Bertie. Mixed in to the plot is the Blackbird's ex, who seems on a crusade to reform him, and his brother 'The Bishop', a helpless cripple known for his work among the poor. Blackbird and Bishop share a room but are never seen together.

The ending is tragic, as could be expected, but not without a trace of "cornball."

Browning's direction is excellent. He sets up the Limehouse location at the opening by showing a sequence of faces that evoke the atmosphere more than a mere set could do. He knew how to get the best out of Chaney, but the others in the cast also do a fine job with their facial expressions, all masterfully captured by Browning. The new score by Robert Israel, containing snippets from Chopin and others, fits the period well and never intrudes.

Strange tale permits Chaney to give memorable performance...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 27 October 2008]

If it weren't for the acting technique of LON CHANEY, here deceiving others by assuming a dual role, THE BLACKBIRD would be a lot less interesting to discuss. The plot at first promises to be intriguing, but soon becomes bogged down in a story of petty jealousy between two crooked men for the affections of a pretty girl.

OWEN MOORE is the aristocratic looking gentleman thief in love with RENEE ADOREE, as is Chaney. One of the film's saving graces are the close-ups of Chaney glowering at Moore when he realizes he's winning the heart of the girl that both of them love. Chaney uses all of his facial mannerisms in a way that makes the screen titles almost unnecessary since he tells everything with his eyes and his body movements.

But the thin plot is the culprit here. Many scenes drag on too long without sufficient reason to and the plot is ultimately a weak one by any standards. Todd Browning does get a terrific performance from Chaney, though, and that's the chief reason for watching in the first place.

The tawdry atmosphere of the Limehouse London scenes is effective but the story's ending is a weakness.

Summing up: Highly watchable for Chaney alone.

The Black Bird (1926) - TCM U.K. screening review

[Bunuel1976 · 13 June 2004]

By contrast, I was relatively satisfied with THE BLACK BIRD. The plot is somewhat derivative (particularly of THE PENALTY [1920]), but Chaney is in fine form here. The film goes a long way in simulating the Limehouse atmosphere, even where dialogue is concerned (which comes off as fairly hilarious if quite endearing).

The romantic leads, as played by Owen Moore and Renee' Adoree', are above average in this case; in fact, Moore (as a gentleman crook) is more of an anti-hero here and creates an interesting contrast to Chaney, who himself alternates between the villainous 'Black Bird' and the saintly 'Bishop' throughout.

For a Browning/Chaney effort, the film is fairly conventional and comes off as somewhat protracted (particularly the overly contrived ending) when compared to THE UNKNOWN (1927). Chaney's (deceptive) physical deformity of his 'Bishop' character is the sole weird element in evidence and, for once, here we get a chance to observe - on camera - the way Chaney accomplishes this amazing feat!

Lon Chaney Gets Bent Out of Shape

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 30 October 2008]

London's Limehouse District, "with its lust, greed, and love," lightly blankets its citizens in a sea of fog. There, ambidextrous Lon Chaney (as Dan Tate) successfully spends his nights thieving as "The Blackbird"; and, otherwise, masquerading as his own benevolent, but deformed, brother "The Bishop". Mr. Chaney likes to visit the local pub, where he falls for charming French entertainer Renée Adorée (as Fifi Lorraine). But, Ms. Adorée also attracts suave Owen Moore (as Bertram P. Glayde). Mr. Moore is a rival crook, who goes by the name "West End Bertie". So, conniving Chaney uses his respectable "Bishop" disguise to come between the increasingly more successful Adorée-Moore romance.

This is a formulaic Browning/Chaney film, featuring one of the versatile actor's lesser "disguises". For his transformation, Cheney twists an arm and a leg out of shape. It's more difficult than it looks to walk around in the disjointed position. Of course, Chaney's performance is outstanding. In particular, watch his reaction shots, which are incredibly accurate in mirroring whatever he is looking at, or reacting to. Co-stars Moore and Adorée also shine. Adorée had just been seen in "The Big Parade", and Moore has one of his meatier 1920s roles. Also enjoyable is Doris Lloyd (as "Limehouse" Polly), the ex-wife who loves Chaney.

******* The Blackbird (1926) Tod Browning ~ Lon Chaney, Owen Moore, Renée Adorée

Chaney Main Attraction In Dual Roles

[CitizenCaine · 7/10 · 27 October 2008]

Lon Chaney stars as a crook called the "blackbird" who tries to set himself up with a nice alibi by masquerading as a crippled character called the "bishop". The film is directed by Tod Browning who collaborated with Chaney numerous times to great success. Browning worked in a circus at one point and no doubt played a role in influencing Chaney's choices in portraying the "bishop". Chaney is contorted to a certain extent as the "bishop" and a bit over the top as the "blackbird" at times. The "bishop" and the "blackbird" illustrate the internal conflict Chaney has when faced with the goodness of Fifi, played by Renee Adoree, as the girl who softens the hard-edged Chaney. West End Bertie, played by Owen Moore, is the fellow crook who Chaney's character teams up with briefly until Chaney, as the "blackbird", notices Bertie getting sweet with Fifi.

The law eventually catches up with Chaney, and a terrible irony befalls the "bishop" before the fadeout. Chaney is the main attraction in this film, portraying two aspects of the same character so differently. It's a rare chance to see Chaney transform himself into characters on screen, when he is otherwise obscured by makeup. Chaney's acting style as the "blackbird" seems a bit much at times with his menacing grimacing, but it's really not out of the ordinary for the silent era. Instead of delving into the psychology of Chaney's character, director Browning unfortunately focuses on Chaney's petty jealousy of Owen Moore's character: West End Bertie. The film turns into a typical love triangle as a result. The ending is somewhat of a letdown and not too believable. The best reason to watch the film is seeing the marvelous Chaney at work near the end of his career. *** of 4 stars.

Excuse Me While I Change Into My Alter Ego

[Cineanalyst · 7/10 · 30 October 2020]

Lon Chaney's twisted performance as the eponymous Blackbird is much fun, as he literally bends himself all out of shape to pretend himself his good, crippled brother, the Bishop. The tortuous melodrama and love triangles of the rest of the film, however, leaves much to be desired. At least, with a Chaney and Tod Browning collaboration, one is bound to be treated to something at least a little offbeat, and such is the case in "The Blackbird," although it doesn't quite reach the level of their better films, such as "The Unholy Three" (1925) and "The Unknown" (1927), although its ironic twist of fate, or double deception, anticipates the latter.

Besides Chaney's physically-demanding dual roles, there are a couple things I appreciate about this one that reinforces his performance. One is the play-within-the-play puppetry. Blackbird's love interest played by Renée Adorée is a vaudeville performer whose face is superimposed over the pliable body of the puppet, the effect not only being actually a film-within-a-film with the multiple-exposure trick--a photographic technique rather than a theatrical one--but also to mirror Chaney's physical transformations. Adorée's stage performance being explicitly a trick calls attention to the doubled deception supposedly off-stage by Chaney--that of his fooling fellow characters and that of the few moments on screen where he doesn't share the deception with the spectator. Even though the photoplay spends too much time on Chaney and the rest lounging about at the club's bar doing not much of anything and even taking time out for Blackbird to intimidate an interracial couple and for a couple of intertitles to include a racial slur against Chinese characters, I do appreciate the reflexivity of the play-within-play, or film-within-film puppetry.

The other interesting aspect is Owen Moore's character. Whereas Chaney's Blackbird/Bishop continues a charade, including going in and out of his room to change personas as if anticipating Clark Kent going into phone booths to reveal his Superman costume, to maintain his "true identity" as a lowly thief by the protection of his respectable alter ego, Moore's "West End Bertie" has completely adopted his respectable persona as a dandy while still carrying out thefts--and, more than that, he exploits the character for the purpose of stealing from his upper-class acquaintances. The love triangle stuff is bland, especially when an old lover of Blackbird's is thrown in the mix, but the initial fascination and rivalry expressed by Chaney when Moore's character is fully revealed to him is compelling.

If one gets past some particularly bad pacing and overdone melodrama for this Browning-Chaney collaboration, or that Adorée's performer turns out to be disappointingly featherbrained and Moore's monocle-wearing dandy none too interesting, either, after his initial confrontation with Chaney's Blackbird, there's clever, reflexive play going on here. On stage in the puppetry and off-stage in the criminal deception and anchored by Chaney's unparalleled bodily versatility, it's a film about characters who pretend to be something else--actors playing actors--and about the malleability and illusory quality of cinema.

Lon Chaney...

[simeon_flake · 7/10 · 9 June 2015]

Perhaps, one of the lesser known collaborations between Lon Chaney Sr. and director Tod Browning--"The BlackBird" has all the conventional trappings of a Chaney/Browning film; or any Chaney Sr. film now that I think about it. One of those trappings being the "love triangle" as it seems that Chaney spends a fair amount of time pining for a woman who ends up falling in love with another man.

This film also has Lon playing a double role--no elaborate makeups to disguise himself with--just the master craftsman contorting his body to play the part of the crippled "Bishop", and his nefarious brother "The Blackbird." Apparently, the Blackbird needed a cover to help hide his criminal activities and thus the part of the Bishop comes into play.

"The Blackbird" starts off a bit slow, as we the audience are introduced to all the principal characters, but picks up steam towards the end. Overall, I can see why this movie is not one of the more well-known Chaney/Browning collaborations--not that I'm saying it's bad, far from it. It's a good movie & if you're a fan of Chaney Sr. then you will definitely add this one to your collection. Now, if someone could only find a surviving print of "London After Midnight."

7 stars

A great role for Lon Chaney

[franzgehl · 10/10 · 31 August 2000]

Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde in a bad quarter of London : Lon Chaney plays a double role in the film and in the story, a robber (the Raven) and a man who carries about poor people (the Bishop). The way of acting is remarkable because it's a silent movie. The great thing is that the Bishop is half-paralyzed so Lon Chaney has to play the contorsionist when he moves from Raven into Bishop. The strange atmosphere is very well described with threatening faces and slumhouses.

Bye Bye Blackbird!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 1 May 2017]

"The Blackbird is one of the brilliant Lon Chaney's lesser known movies. Directed by the legendary Tod Browning, it is nonetheless somewhat of a minor masterpiece.

Chaney here, undertakes a dual role of sorts, first as the underworld figure known as Dan "The Blackbird" and alternately as a saintly like character known as "The Bishop" who runs a mission in the London lime house district for the under privileged. "The Bishop" is a broken down cripple in marked contrast to his so called "brother".

In a seedy Music Hall Dan is surprised by his ex-wife, Limehouse Polly (Doris Lloyd) who has returned to the cabaret after a long unexplained absence. Also on the bill is a young French performer known as Fifi Lorraine (Renee Adoree) with whom Dan becomes infatuated. Enter fellow crook East End Bertie (Owen Moore) a finely dressed dandy who also takes an interest in Fifi.

Fifi is lured by Bertie's charm and the two fall in love. Not to be denied, Dan devises a plan whereby the coppers are sent to Bertie's flat to recover stolen jewelry. As he escapes, a policeman is shot by an unknown assailant and the blame placed upon Bertie.

Bertie goes to "The Bishop" for help in finding a place to lie low. Dan meanwhile, works on Fifi to cast doubts in her mind over the sincerity of Bertie towards her. Polly visits Dan and during their encounter an unexpected tragedy occurs and............................

Chaney as always, even in his lesser films, gives another outstanding performance. He moves between the two "brothers" with ease and conviction. His transformation from the surly "Blackbird" to the kindly crippled "Bishop" is a sight to behold as he contorts his body into a twisted, broken shell of a man. The only criticism I had was the fact that when he transforms from "Bishop" to "Blackbird", Chaney's tell-tale bald spot suddenly disappears and his ears are suddenly pinned back, a minor point to be sure.

Of the other performers, I thought that Doris Lloyd stood out as the shunned ex-wife. Renee Adoree was a rising star at MGM having just appeared in "The Big Parade" the previous year. Owen Moore slicked backed hair, monocle and all is also good as Bertie. And watch for long time character actor Ernie Adams as one of Bertie's hood.

Lightweight plot enlivened by Chaney's double performance

[DPMay · 5/10 · 22 January 2007]

Rather an odd film this. The characters and setting initially promise an intriguing plot but in the end its all rather inconsequential leaving a lot of the film's best ideas unexplored.

Set in London's seedy Limehouse district, we're shown early on that the number one crook operating there, Dan Tate, or "The Blackbird" as he is nicknamed (Chaney) is also secretly leading another life as his own brother, a kindly cripple known as The Bishop who runs the local mission and is well-liked within the community. Now to me that scenario opens up all sorts of possibilities so its a bit disappointing to see the film then spend the next hour or more revolving around petty jealousy between Tate and another crook in the area, albeit a more gentlemanly one, over the affections of French stage performer Fifi.

I was left wondering which of the film's characters I was supposed to be feeling sympathetic towards. Both Tate and his rival, Bertie, are crooks, a fact Fifi is aware of but seems unconvincingly untroubled by. And just to add another plot twist, Dan Tate's ex-wife turns up also, yet her involvement in the plot is surprisingly minimal. The fact she wasn't aware of the double life Tate has been leading does ask more questions about their marriage than we ever get answers to. She makes a comment that she still loves Tate for the good side to his character that he himself probably doesn't realise he's got, which makes you think this will be explored later in the film - sadly it isn't.

Too many scenes in the film go on far longer than is necessary to get their point across, while other major incidents take place off-screen, such as the shooting of the Scotland Yard detective, or the tip-off which tells the police that it was Tate who fired the shot. Who betrayed Tate and why? We are never told, even though this could easily have been built up to earlier in the film.

Also a bit silly is the film's ending. In his guise as the crippled Bishop, Tate is knocked over by a door as he rushes to open it. From this mishap we are supposed to believe that he breaks his back and subsequently dies! All of which leaves Fifi facing an uncertain future with Bertie and leaves us, the audience, wondering really what the point of the film was when the main character has come and gone with us learning nothing about his mysterious double life except how he tried to use it to fend off a love rival.

That said, it is always fascinating to see Lon Chaney's creation of different characters and with two (of sorts) on display here, the film is worth watching for him alone.

Fantastic Silent Film

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 28 October 2008]

Always liked Lon Chaney films and his great acting skills and fantastic make up which many times gave him a great deal of pain while he was acting his many roles. In this film Lon played a double role as The Blackbird/The Bishop where he twisted himself into a pretzel. In this film there is a struggle between an evil brother, Blackbird and a good brother, The Bishop who is beloved by his neighbors and friends. There is also lots of romance between West End Bertie, (Owen Moore) and Renee Adoree, (Fifi) and the Blackbird tries to interfere with their love relationship. There are plenty of ugly looking faces in these British pubs with lots of smoke and plenty of draft beers being rolled around in mugs and glasses and down plenty of people's throats. This is a masterpiece of Lon Chaney Films. One of his Best, Enjoy.

Flawed, but watch it for the great Lon Chaney

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 21 October 2020]

Lon Chaney and Tod Browning are a favorite combination of mine, and this is a solid enough effort, but it's not as macabre as some of their other films, and doesn't hit any home runs. The parallel the film makes between a wealthy man ('West End Bertie,' Owen Moore) and a thief ('The Blackbird,' Chaney) are interesting, and there is something subversive in the film not having Bertie be "the good guy." They're both enamored with a young vaudeville performer (Renée Adorée) and prey on her, and they both look down on "chinks," with members of both classes unfortunately using the slur. The parallel is even stronger when we find out that Bertie is also a thief. While both men are devious, The Blackbird has an advantage - his alter ego, a phony 'twin brother' who is the altruistic leader of a mission. I guess you could say both guys have an alter ego, since the other man has his veneer of respectability. Through his disguise as his brother, though, The Blackbird tries to manipulate both Bertie and the young woman.

Watching Chaney switch between characters is one of the highlights, because the brother he's invented is partially paralyzed, and he has to bend himself into an odd shape and hobble around when he plays him. There's also a pretty cute vaudeville sequence where Adorée's head appears on a miniature doll, and is then ogled by a male doll whose neck elongates in an obvious phallic reference. The film bogs down a bit in its second half but it doesn't lag excessively. The ending is ironic if unbelievable, reminding me a little of Twilight Zone. Overall, worth seeing.

A lesser Browning-Chaney collaboration

[MissSimonetta · 5/10 · 25 July 2013]

I usually love the teaming of Lon Chaney and macabre director Tod Browning, but The Blackbird (1926) did nothing for me. While the movie perfectly captures the seedy Limehouse atmosphere, the story falls flat and outside of the main character, nobody is all that interesting. Chaney does an excellent job as usual, overshadowing Renee Adoree (who would do much better work with Browning in The Show (1928) opposite Jack Gilbert) and Owen Moore. I felt the story could have been stronger, and that the double life element was not utilized as well as it could have been.

All in all, there's nothing TERRIBLE about this film, it's just dreadfully forgettable. Chaney and Browning did much better work in The Unholy Three (1925) and would do much better work in their greatest collaboration of them all, The Unknown (1927).

Nice Chaney

[Michael_Elliott · 4 May 2009]

Blackbird, The (1926)

*** (out of 4)

Lon Chaney plays duel roles in this crime melodrama from MGM. The Blackbird, a mastermind criminal and The Bishop, his crippled brother who is loved by everyone in the town. They're both the same person and the plan is to keep it that way but soon another criminal (Owen Moore) enters the picture as well as the love for a woman (Renee Adoree). I've know seen every Chaney feature that is currently not lost and I must say my appreciation of him as an actor has never been so high. I've always looked at him as one of the greatest actors in film history but after seeing this film I might go even further to call him the greatest actor in the silent era. It's really amazing at how brilliant this guy was and his acting abilities are on full display here. The viewer is the only one who knows that Chaney, playing both Blackbird and Bishop, are the same person yet like the characters in the film we forget because at how wonderful Chaney is. You could call this a Jekyll and Hyde type role as we're seeing good and evil and I'd probably say this is the greatest performance at that type of characters. How evil Chaney can come off and then how nice and holy is just amazing to watch and he really sells these characters perfectly. It's also rather amazing watching him play a cripple and deform his own body. Both Moore and Adoree add nice support but it's clear who this picture belongs to. Browning also should get a lot of credit because the screenplay here isn't too original nor is the love story that breaks out and controls most of the running time. While it's not original Browning does bring a lot of style to it and makes the movie flow like a stream. I've never been too fond of his sound features but I think his silents make him one of the most visual directors out there.

double duty

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 15 October 2020]

In London's Limehouse District, Dan 'the Blackbird' Tate (Lon Chaney) is a thief who has created a beloved character to hide behind, his crippled brother 'The Bishop'. This ruse helps with providing an alibi for the clueless cops. His ex-wife Limehouse Polly performs in the vaudeville theater. He falls for her rival performer Mademoiselle Fifi Lorraine who has also caught the eye of West End Bertie with the appearance of a rich man. Fifi falls for Bertie even after he's revealed to be a crook.

This would work much better if I actually like Bertie. I don't. The Blackbird is an interesting character and Lon Chaney delivers as he often does. He does double duty. It's great but I can't root for anything or anyone in this. Fifi deserves better. At least, she deserves better than either one of these two.

Overall enjoyable, with a strong back end... just not as essential as some of its contemporaries

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 30 January 2024]

Tod Browning was one of the most noteworthy filmmakers in early cinema, with a knack for infusing a sense of fantastical whimsy into his pictures even when they were straight dramas or crime flicks. Lon Chaney, "The man of a thousand faces," needs no introduction, for his immense versatility as an actor and skill as a makeup artist made him a great prize for any production. Just because two luminous figures team up does not guarantee success, however; likewise, some of the best films ever made hail from the silent era, but there are also many examples of contemporary fare that was more middling and unremarkable. There's much to appreciate in 'The Blackbird,' Chaney not least, and the story is duly engaging. Be that as it may, I don't think it's unfair to say that this 1926 flick rather swiftly makes an impression that's less than wholly dazzling. It's a reasonably good time, but not one of the more essential titles among its brethren.

There's nothing specifically wrong with the movie per se. The root story of crime, love, jealousy, and manipulation, penned by Browning himself, is suitably solid, if nothing that's especially grabbing and noteworthy; Waldemar Young's subsequent screenplay, and Joseph Farnham's intertitles, can similarly claim some fine ideas, including characters and scene writing. This is well made generally, including splendid sets, costume design, hair, and makeup. Some odds and ends, like the various acts seen in the music hall, come across as somewhat empty frivolities needlessly tacked onto the whole, but I still commend the contributions in and of themselves, and they'd have been just swell if included in another type of picture; then again, while some instances of sexism or racism can be passed off as part of the writing of characters that are meant to be unlikable, there's some language herein that simply hasn't aged well and would not (and should not) be acceptable today.

The primary strengths in 'The Blackbird' are almost certainly Browning's reliable direction, orchestrating shots and scenes and guiding his cast so as to maximize the impact, and that cast in and of itself. Even given material that doesn't necessarily leave much of a mark, all involved give admirable performances that inject some personality into the proceedings. Of course that goes for Chaney above all, master that he was and effectively given a dual role, but co-stars including Renée Adorée and Doris Lloyd are pretty much just as terrific. With all this having been said, inasmuch as one might pinpoint discrete faults with the feature, what it really comes down to is a sad dearth of vitality that would allow any of its best value to shine. Try as Chaney, his co-stars, and Browning might, there's all too little punch in the screenplay; the course of events just rather trundles along even on paper, dry and flat. From one reel to the next the realization on film doesn't get much further - be it a lack of dramatic timing, a lack of sufficient drama altogether, or inability of Browning or the stars to meaningfully convey that drama, the sum total is just too humdrum. It all looks good, and everybody did their part, but the flick is just regrettably missing the utmost heart and energy that would make any of it land, and matter.

It's not bad, not by any means, and it does ably provide some level of entertainment. Some moments are distinctly stronger than others, and certainly the narrative picks up more steam in the back end as events heat up and emotions run high. I just wish there were more such care taken throughout the length, and more vibrancy, for even as the last reel or so at last give us the compelling plot we desire, overall these seventy-odd minutes pass by without particularly sticking with us. 'The Blackbird' is enjoyable, and a credit to those who participated in its creation - it's also just not a title that stands nearly as tall as some of its contemporaries, and is best suggested for those who are already enamored of the silent era. Watch it, if you have the chance, and have a good time; just don't go out of your way for it, and save it for a quiet night rather than set time aside.

A Lon Chaney/Tod Browning collaboration drenched in humanity not the macabre

[DarthVoorhees · 10/10 · 27 October 2008]

I feel like I could teach Lon Chaney 101 because each of his characters follow a similar archetype and yet each one of his characters couldn't be anymore different from the other. Lon Chaney is Dan aka The Blackbird, a seedy criminal in London's underground who has a great alibi, he is also his "twin" The Bishop a saintly cripple. The Blackbird has his eye set on the beautiful Fifi who is naive and overwhelmed by the dark and shady streets of London. West End Bertie also has his sights set on the beautiful Fifi. Bertie is rich and powerful but is not above common criminality and Dan makes it his obsession to out bid him in the quest for Fifi's heart.

Visually the Blackbird is one of Browning's finest achievements. Chaney stands out as the Blackbird but so does the world he lives in. For some reason this felt the most authentic of any of the settings Browning ever did. The poor house and the crowds all felt real to me. I don't know why it was but it did feel real. I felt I could see this happening in a real world unlike some of the other Chaney films which were too melodramatic to be true.

The Blackbird really stands out in Lon's resume, so many expect Tod Browning's films to be about elements of honorer but the Blackbird isn't and I praise it for this. It is a class struggle story and I can think of no one b better to tackle this challenging role than Lon Chaney. In a way the Bishop side of the character didn't need to be so extravagant because there are too sides to every man. The Blackbird poses interesting and relevant questions even for today and it is a highly entertaining picture. In a large way it is Tod Browning's take on the moral code we live our life by which was something he really liked to place in his films. Are the poor who mourn the Bishop wrong? It isn't a social commentary but it does embody humanity like few other Browning films could do. The pacing and acting are all picture perfect and I believe it is one of the finest aged Chaney films.

Formulaic Chaney Vehicle

[richardchatten · 4/10 · 28 December 2016]

This is one of the more routine Chaney-Browning collaborations, which recycles various ideas better executed in better films. Chaney does one of his double-ups as the crooked Blackbird (who rather resembles False face from the TV series 'Batman') and his noble but grotesquely deformed 'brother' The Bishop who, being Chaney, is nevertheless nimble at getting about on a crutch despite this disability.

The film starts well in typical Browning style with the camera lingering upon the faces of various lowlife types in a smoky Limehouse bar, into which Renée Adorée makes a memorable entrance performing on stage as a head atop a doll's body against a black backdrop (a device Browning would recycle the following year in 'The Show'). But the local colour established, the film then slows to a crawl as another familiar Chaney trope kicks in when the Blackbird begins pining for the fair hand of Miss Adorée, who is predictably swept off her feet by the no less crooked but more patrician West Side Bertie, charmlessly played by Owen Moore.

If It Wasn't for Chaney's Presence and Rene's Beauty....

[kidboots · 8/10 · 20 September 2014]

....this would be just another above average romantic melodrama. Browning draws you into the first scene with his eerie montage of faces that illustrate the stream of London's Limehouse district. Dan Tate (Chaney) alias "the Blackbird" plies his crooked trade of thievery but meanwhile his brother, a twisted cripple, beloved by all and known as the Bishop, runs a benevolent society and is praised for his good works. Chaney's character has more in common with his "Frog" character from "The Miracle Man" and he provides a fascinating glimpse into how he uses contortions to turn himself into the deformed character. Almost a lesson in the art of illusion because it shows from the start that the Blackbird and the Bishop are one and the same, courtesy of a row that Tate stages between himself and the Bishop when the police come to question him about the latest robbery. Tate's haunt is the local music hall and the film grinds to a snail's pace as characters are introduced and the story line is developed. There is Limehouse Polly (Doris Lloyd), Tate's first wife, who feels there is a spark of goodness in him - but she is wrong. The Blackbird is as hard as steel and also has his eye on Fifi Lorraine (Adoree) a petite little French performer.

She in turn catches the eye of "West End Bertie" who is with a party slumming in the seedier clubs, however he is a jewel thief who has robbed his own group to throw suspicion on the Blackbird. Tate sees through his game and together they strike up a deal. It is here that the movie loses it's way for me - the weak spot is Owen Moore. His character needed an actor like Clive Brook to give it humour and heart. Moore pumps ice water through "West End Bertie's" veins and how a captivating personality like Fifi finds Bertie the man of her dreams is a real mystery. He has all the sneering expressions down pat, just not the real feelings. Anyway they fall in love and visit the Bishop for his blessing but he does his best to throw doubt and distrust between them.

Definitely the best parts are the atmospheric sets, the titles that really capture the colourful Cockney language, Doris Lloyd as Polly who makes her character well rounded and heartfelt, Rene Adoree's beautifully expressive face and of course Lon Chaney. I agree with the other reviewers, Chaney's face just compels the narrative - no titles are needed, you can tell his exact thoughts about Polly. He purposely disregards her when she is pouring out her heart. Lon also makes that whole scene involving the meeting of Fifi and the realisation that he has a rival mesmerizing - you can read everything on his face. And when the Blackbird's character overpowers the "kindly" Bishop - watch out!!!

Not the best

[drjgardner · 4/10 · 23 December 2015]

Tod Browning and Lon Chaney made 10 films together, some of which ("The Unholy Three", "London After Midnight", "The Unknown", "Phantom of the Opera") were true classics of the silent era. They were at their best when the settings were exotic (like the circus) and the characters were truly depraved, both physically and psychologically. The physical part of this was never better acted than by Chaney, who could do just about anything who could play even an armless man throwing knives with his feet.

This film, unfortunately, doesn't display Chaney's tremendous versatility, either as a contortionist or as an actor. Of course he doesn't do a bad job as the kindly "Bishop" and the devilish "Raven", but he did so much better in other films true Chaney fans will be disappointed.

Browning's direction, as well, is far better seen in many of his other films. He does do a good job giving us the atmosphere of London's Limehouse section, but the plot seems to drag on and on.

Chaney Carries an Average Programmer

[GManfred · 10 June 2009]

Caught this one at the Film Forum in NYC recently. I have not seen a great deal of Lon Chaney's work outside of 'Phantom' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' but I thought he was excellent in his dual role in 'The Blackbird'. In fact, he carried the picture and the rest of the cast in this fairly routine melodrama set in the Limehouse district of 1920's London.

Had not seen Owen Moore before but I felt he was very competent. A veteran of silents, he died prematurely in the late '30's. Renee Adoree was a perky ball of fluff and added her good looks to the proceedings.

I did think the premise of the story was a stretch, especially as he presumably hoodwinked his ex-wife as well as all others with his dual-existence duplicity. The sets and the extras seemed extremely authentic and added immeasurably to the production.

This was worth the price of admission, especially Chaney's virtuoso performance. I hope to see others in the future to determine if this was an exception or the norm.

Anyone who has played chess knows that the bishops are . . .

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 27 October 2020]

. . . by far the most obscene pieces on the board. These pointy-capped rooster heads zoom around diagonally, incapable of toeing a straight line (like the Queen) or being on the square (such as the knights). THE BLACKBIRD's bishop is a grotesquely misshapen malingering miscreant, behaving exactly like his Real Life counterparts as he pursues lusty forbidden carnal liaisons with multiple skirts, including Polly and Fifi. He's almost as crooked as a papal appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court, willing to lie, cheat, steal and kill to thwart the Will of the People and work to wreck the Common Good. The only silver lining here is that the Bishop croaks in the midst of his infernal Evil Reign, setting a proper example for Lucifer's Justices.