Another typically bizarre Tod Browning, Lon Chaney collaboration, THE BLACK BIRD is an immensely powerful film. In-fact, this is Probably Chaney's most underrated feature at MGM? Personally I liked it better than either HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (1924), or THE UNHOLY THREE (1925), neither of which are among my favorites.
THE BLACK BIRD is set in the foggy Lime-House district of London. It is unclear rather the setting is intended to be contemporary for 1926, or set sometime before the Great War, but this matters not.
This is without question one of Chaney's greatest performances ever! He plays another dual role, sort of. That of the beloved grotesquely contorted Cripple "Bishop" who runs a Mission for down and out's, and his Evil brother Dan Tate, known as THE BLACK BIRD! In reality, they are one in the same! This is not giving away any of the story, because the audience is let in on the secret almost from the very start.
Renee Adoree is beautiful, and charming as "Fifi the Puppet Queen", A popular English Music Hall performer. Although the young lady is perhaps to innocent and naive for her own good. Dan loves Her, but She prefers his partner in crime, the suave, but dastardly "Bertie The Gem Thief"! (Owen Moore). A hardened criminal himself, He reforms for love of Fifi! At first Bertie's attraction to the lady is purely physical. but it soon develops into something more profound.
Dan is unimpressed when Bertie decides to turn over a new leaf, and goes to desperate measures to try to eliminate his rival from the picture, while not giving himself away.
He eventually frames Bertie, for the murder of a Scotland Yard Detective. On the run from the Police, He now hides him as Bishop at his own Mission, but only after being implored to do so by Fifi! Because of his deep love for her, He is unable to say No! What happens next, one simply must see for themselves!
A rarity for Chaney, Dan Tate actually has an Ex-Wife in this film, "Polly" (Doris Lloyd), who is still very much in love with him! Though He treats her with appalling derision. Somehow He has managed to maintain the illusion of Bishop even to Her, despite their Marriage!
The sparkling TCM restoration of this film contains a new score by the revered Robert Israel and his orchestra. The print is in amongst the best condition of all Lon Chaney's surviving MGM features that I have seen. Ranking right up there with TELL IT TO THE MARINES, and MR. WU.
THE BLACK BIRD should definitely be much better remembered than it is. With a new TCM Archives Lon Chaney DVD set about to be released in the coming year, I wonder why this superb film isn't slated to be included in the package? In may opinion it definitely should be! Especially, considering that the set will contain a freshly produced documentary on director Tod Browning
Also given the fine condition of the movie. I would rate the print here about an A- not totally pristine, but pretty close, with a bare minimum of artifacts! Why the film is apparently not being considered for this collection doesn't make much sense to me?
An important note, you will have to type a space between the words BLACK and BIRD, or you will not find this movie in the TCM Movie Data Base. It's there, but many people have probably had a rough time locating it in the past? Please go to their Data Base and vote for an official DVD release! Also let TCM know that you would like to see this picture scheduled to air in the near future, using "Request A Movie".
