The Unholy Three (1930)

[rungirlmgg]

Oh my gosh! He talks! What a great voice he has!

[Sac077]

Wow, there's something strangely soothing about his voice, its like one of those really sharp but soothing old school voices that you just don't hear anymore

[801liveable]

LON CHANEY, was the man..but when he made this movie LON CHANEY, was a very sick man..he was in the begining stages of throat and lung cancer..people close to this movie said on some days CHANEY, did not have enough strenght to make on to the set but still this movie is proof positive he would have been a success in the "TALKIE ERA"..

[normanby100]

Just think. If he had lived, he would probably not only have played Dracula, but the monster in Frankenstein as well. Lugosi and Karloff would be unknown today. He might have even played the Wolfman and parts like Lennie and put his own son out of work. The whole history of horror cinema would have been changed if he had lived.

[simba30]

As you see Mr. Chaney would have succeded with talkies because he had a fine speaking voice he was taken to soon for he was a true artist in every aspect. Frank Stallone

[FRDndsn]

@simba30 I couldn't agree more. I saw the silent version of this movie on TCM recently, and was curious about the "talkie" version. I would love to see it in its entirety. Chaney was a genius in every film he made.

[clintbronson5]

When you think of a ACTORS ACTOR....You think Lon Chaney

[EpicF4iLx23]

lon chaney sr did alot of slient films he did it more then sound films

[Deppaddicted]

@EpicF4iLx23 This was the only sound film he did because he died the same year.

[darthzach]

Good actor, not a great ventriloquist.

[ilovetruffles99]

@ThatSoRandom100

haha I remember age 14, hormones were nuts. I had a huge crush on David Bowie. Just make sure you don't get too starstruck though, that can be bad.

[ilovetruffles99]

it's interesting, his voice matches the typcast that he is. it's so sharp and carrying, and even a little offensive to the ears, just like the characters that he played in the silents. this must've been a bizarre transition for him.

[jazzandmint]

It's so interesting to hear him talk! He's really attractive as well. Who knew that underneath The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame was this stud? :)

[Crackpot7272]

@ThatSoRandom100 -lovely to hear that Lon's impact will never fade! Extremely handsome & super talented.

[librarybob1958]

He sure had a fine voice. William Holden's is a good comparison. He could have been as big a star in talkies as he was in silents, had not terminal cancer killed him, right after this film was made, at the age of only 47.

[PittsBurghFuzz]

how ironic, in the video, they called him, the "man of 100 golden voices" and he is the "man of 1000 faces".

[madcapromanian]

I didn't know Chaney made a talkie picture. too bad he didn't live beyond 1930. He was slated to play Dracula, but died before it. Then came Bela Lugosi.

[phantomzeroex]

Do you have the rest? If so can you put up the rest, please. I've looked for this to buy online but it doses't seem they ever made a DVD, I don't think they made a VHS either.

[flomarsh]

What an actor! A real perfectionist.

[tabbygail7]

Just a little laugh, a little tear...

[lordkremlore]

His voice wasn't that bad. It's very unfortunate that he caught pneumonia while making that film and passed away. Such an astounding legacy he left behind.

Could you imagine just how great it would have been if Todd Browning casted him in 'Freaks'?

[rtghffdfdg]

Actually, he caught pneumonia during the making of "Thunder" the year before and was out for 18 days. He was dealing with lung cancer by this film and had to film only half-day shoots when he was feeling too sick.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

but you can hear the heavy smoking took its tole on his Voice.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

He is so talented And I am learning the same stuff he Did as a child.

And this is the first time i have ever Heard His Voice! if only his vintriliquism was used in Phantom. but the silence made it what it is so cant very much Argue that.

Gosh if I wanted to coplete what I would love to say. it would take Hours So I will say.

I cant wait to meet you in Heaven Lon, Rest In Peace body on Earth And ALL of your thousand faces.

[Vmac1394]

It's such a shame he died, think of how amazing it would have been had Lon Chaney been cast as Dracula.

[SWiNETHEA]

so, wheres the rest?! I remember this from tv way back. I wanna see it all. Please.

[reeltoreelmaster]

lon chaney has a good voice

[youngfreak32]

At least there's a recording of his voice. Think of all the silent movie stars whose voices we'll never get to hear.

[MildredDavisLloyd]

LMAO!!!! You guys are cracking me up with comments like "holy shit! LON CHANEY!" and "did lon chaney just talk? YAY!" Isn't his voice awesome? And SOOOOO HANDSOME AND SEXY!!!!!!! God, I LOVE this man!!!!

[fudgemonkeyz79]

what an amazing voice.

[sadakokid45]

did lon chaney just talk? YAY!

[klaviklack]

The great Lon Chaney, the greatest of all!

[jpnightwalker]

holy shit! LON CHANEY!

[HarleyQuinn0389]

Yessss! I finally got to listen to his voice! :'') <3333

[gizmobizness1]

wow first time I got to hear his voice.

thanks for posting.

[sadakokid45]

and last :(

[gizmobizness1]

yeah it's a pity because I think he would hve transitioned well into the sound era.

[Nergaladdictchic]

Quick! this movie will be on on saturday night on TMC. don't miss it!!!!!!!!!

[sps242]

anyone have any idea of where I can find the silent version?

[nippon1962]

Just to let everyone know, TCM will be showing this version of Unholy Three on Saturday, July 25th at 3:15 am. I can't wait!

[BabetteBombshell]

Where is this availible? Can anyone give me a tip? I'd love to see the talkie version. I love the 1925 silent version.

[greenangusbob]

Bombshell,

You can order a DVD copy of this film (talkie version) from scootermovies . com for $10...I ordered one for myself and it came no problems.

[BabetteBombshell]

Thanx a bunch greenangusbob! You made my day!!!

[greenangusbob]

no problem :-)...oh and small correction its scootermoviesshop . com...good luck to ya

[texas1701]

any place i can get this?

[tabbygail7]

No doubt the best of all time! I got up 2 hours early to see this on TCM a couple of months ago. I collect Lon's films (what few there are left). He can envoke every emotion known. He will live forever!

[MacJaxonManOfAction]

The man of a thousand voices

[MildredDavisLloyd]

I cannot thank you enough for posting this! I have been wanting to hear Lon Chaney's voice for a loooooong long time! You are awesome for this! God, he was soooooo handsome and amazing! BEST ACTOR EVER!!!!!!!!!

[asdesas]

@MildredDavisLloyd Without doubt, the greatest, there will never be another like him.

[jbankens5150]

@MildredDavisLloyd I agree! Greatest actor in history!

[Crackpot7272]

Certainly has a sexy voice!

[Nergaladdictchic]

Oh definately. it sucks that he was batling with lung cancer around this time...

[Crackpot7272]

Sadly he passed away not long after this film-a cruel twist of fate that after his only talkie-he lost his voice &had to revert back to sign language in the hospital(this was mentioned in his biopic by Michael F Blake)

[thecopykidofthestarz]

@Crackpot7272 his throat was ravaged and thinned by throat cancer its not a sexy voice its a fighting voice. Ironic that it gave way at the end of scilence. and boy do movies have mouths nowadays.

[aewd1980]

@thecopykidofthestarz - i think it's a huge pity that lon chaney snr. didn't go on to star in other talkies. i heard he was planning to remake a lot of his silent films in sound. such a loss and at a relatively young age. i also heard that he was terminably ill when he was making the unholy three in 1930.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

@aewd1980 he was terribly sick when making this film. he endured serious pain between Takes, at several points he couldn't go on filming for more than an hour.

there is a scene where his friend gives him a box of sigarettes Ironic that that life long addiction is what Killed him, Because Shortly After the Unholy Three Lon Passed Away At 47 Of a Hemorhage in the middle of the night. (his throat gave way)

[aewd1980]

@thecopykidofthestarz - yes, i read somewhere that on the film before his last, a film called thunder, lon chaney began to feel ill and filming had to be halted. i can imagine that filming the unholy three must have been tough for him. i also knew that he smoked heavily and that was what killed him but i also heard that some of the chemicals that were in the makeup that he used, they were harmful to him. i wonder if that is true or not?

[thecopykidofthestarz]

@aewd1980 no Not at all, He may have gotten alergic reactions but nothing deadly. the thing that brought him major illness was the cancer.

people also thought he brought himself serious pain when making the phantom makeup but its not true.

[aewd1980]

@thecopykidofthestarz - i see. i agree that a lot of myths have been built around the way lon chaney applied his makeup. using small discs to insert into his mouth for the phantom, that simply wasn't so. i do wish i could watch london after midnight but i can't see that happening! lol. there are still more of his existing films that should be issued on dvd that haven't, like the unholy three, west of zanzibar, tell it to the marines etc.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

@aewd1980 Yeah I'm sure they will be released soon.

[aewd1980]

@thecopykidofthestarz - me too, i hope so. do you have a favourite chaney film? i've only seen about 3 or 4 but i'd nominate phantom of the opera as his best for its suspense, film sets and of course for lon chaney himself.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

@aewd1980 I have two. One deeply personal. Another as A respect for his acting,

my mind is racing at the moment so I cant remember the name of this one. but as for the one film that is a great inspiration and display of his Devotion. the film where Chaney plays a no legged amputee. As for my deepest personal Favorites. The Phantom of the opera For my shockingly similar life to Erik's, that film displays all the pain the world can coldly deliver to a human being and the power of music!

[PittsBurghFuzz]

@thecopykidofthestarz do you mean, the penalty?

[thebttfchannel]

@PittsBurghFuzz YES, The Penalty.

[tamandocomando]

could you please post the entire talking version of 'unholy three'? i would very much like to see it :)

[DevilJosh4ever]

Yes I want to thank you as well. On one of the Lon Chaney websites when you click on the pic of him holding his famed makeup case, a soundclip of him saying "That's all there is to life, a little laugh, a little tear", plays. It literally causes one to tear up. We need a definitive dvd release of this film onto dvd. Hell if TCM can play it all the time you'd they someone would release it.

[EmilyGreene1984]

That is the official Lon Chaney website, run by Lon's great-grandson that your speaking of.

[Crackpot7272]

Wow! What a voice! Thankyou! I adore Lon Chaney Sr!

[sonofaurora]

How great was Lon Chaney....This Great man was dying of cancer while making this his first talking film and his, unfortunatley last film performance. I believe he died 4 months after wrapping this film.

That is what I call a trooper! The ultimate professional. What a man, what an actor, what a great talent. Tha's why he's one of my heroes!

[POTO4ever]

OMG!! thats it!! i need to hear more he such a talented man i love him to death!!

[TheaterRaven]

Wow, I've been hoping this clip would come back on YouTube. It was on a long time ago and then disappeared. How fitting that I should search for it today--on Lon's birthday--and find it! What an incredibly gifted man he was . . .

[MacJaxonManOfAction]

Leonidas, thank you so much for posting this video. That's the real treasure of Youtube, that likeminded peeps can share gems like this.

[DraxZombie]

We still miss this man. When I didn't know about him, I used to think "what's the hell up whit this guy? Why everyone talks this much about him?". A friend gave me as a gift his Phantom of the Opera and I gave him a chance.

OH-MY-GOD.

Hooked since then. This man was the greatest!!!! The best actor from his time!!!!

[DraxZombie]

We still miss this man. When I didn't know about him, I used to think "what's the hell up whit this guy? Why everyone talks this much about him?". A friend gave me as a gift his Phantom of the Opera and I gave him a chance.

OH-MY-GOD.

Hooked since then. This man was the greatest!!!! The best actor from his time!!!!

[PC3900]

Chaney had very aggressive treatment after his diagnosis in 1929, including radiation therapy. He probably would not have survived the cancer even with today's treatments.

[EmilyGreene1984]

Poor Lon, to be suffering with lung cancer all throughout this film and his prior two films. If only there was something that could have been done for cancer back then. At least, God allowed Lon to be here long enough to hear him, not only speak, but sing as well. Thank you for uploading this.