IMDb RATING
7.4/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
A deformed criminal mastermind plans to loot the city of San Francisco as well as revenge himself on the doctor who mistakenly amputated his legs.A deformed criminal mastermind plans to loot the city of San Francisco as well as revenge himself on the doctor who mistakenly amputated his legs.A deformed criminal mastermind plans to loot the city of San Francisco as well as revenge himself on the doctor who mistakenly amputated his legs.
Jim Mason
- Frisco Pete
- (as James Mason)
Montgomery Carlyle
- A Crook
- (uncredited)
Michael Dark
- Man
- (uncredited)
Cesare Gravina
- Art Teacher
- (uncredited)
Lee Phelps
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Madlaine Traverse
- Woman
- (uncredited)
Edouard Trebaol
- Bubbles
- (uncredited)
Clarence Wilson
- A Crook
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLon Chaney had both of his lower legs tied back and had to walk on his kneecaps for his role as an amputee. It was so painful he could only have his legs tied back for a few minutes at a time, and his knee muscles sustained permanent damage.
- Quotes
Barbara Ferris: Why do you live in the underworld?
Blizzard: When Satan fell from Heaven he looked for power in Hell.
- Crazy creditsThere is no cast list, but the 8 main actors and their character names are credited in the inter-titles as each appear in the film.
- Alternate versionsThe original release featured a short epilogue with Chaney as himself walking down a flight of stairs. It was shown simply to prove that the actor was not a real amputee.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Kingdom of Shadows (1998)
Featured review
"I Can Murder Anything But Music"
Lon Chaney gives yet another outstanding performance as a man living with his legs amputated at a young age by mistake. He overhears the doctors first saying it was a mistake and then forging a pact to lie and say the surgery was essential. Chaney grows up to be a bitter, malevolent leader of underground activities in San Francisco. The role gives Chaney several opportunities to show his undeniable skill as an actor and human contortionist. Doubling his legs up and walking on his knees, Chaney mesmerized me with his ability to change reality into fantasy. He looks like a crippled man. Chaney also again showed me his range as an actor that could create pathos through his facial expressions. Never playing a one-dimensional part, Chaney is often brutal and cruel throughout much of the film, yet he enjoys music and art and always possesses a certain charm and affability. A wonderful performance all around! The other actors are very good and the direction is nice and tight. The story is very strong with some melodramatic overtones to be sure. There are some great scenes in this film like Chaney carrying on like a madman demanding the legs of a young doctor and, in particular, the scenes where he poses as Satan after the fall. The film has a nice pace for a silent picture, and the title cards are extremely powerful and literate.
helpful•62
- BaronBl00d
- Nov 26, 2001
- How long is The Penalty?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- El hombre sin piernas (The Penalty)
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $88,868 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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![Claire Adams and Lon Chaney in The Penalty (1920)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTZhZTk5YWQtMTZlMC00NTM4LTkxNjEtOTFkOThiZmIyNGM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDI2NDg0NQ@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2,90,133_.jpg)