West of Zanzibar - Lon Chaney

1928 directed by Tod Browning, starring Lon Chaney, Lionel Barrymore, Mary Nolan and Warner Baxter, based on a play called Kongo by Charles de Vonde and Kilbourn Gordon.

Chaney is a stage magician named Phroso who becomes paralyzed in a brawl with an ivory trader (Lionel Barrymore) over his wife, who runs away with Barrymore, (the saucy wench). However, Barrymore, who’s even saucier than the wench, skips out on her after getting her preggers and Chaney finds her dead in a church clutching a crying baby. Thinking the baby is Barrymore’s, Chaney plots revenge and no one can revenge like Lon Chaney.

The film cost $249,000 to produce. Its gross was $921,000. The film was released both silent and with sound effects and a synchronized music score.