Like A Tale of Two Worlds, this Gouverneur Morris tale is not only also set in San Francisco, but has an even larger credibility gap. If it's hard enough to credit that Leatrice Joy is so mentally deficient, she never once had the slightest inkling that she was not Chinese, it's even more difficult to comprehend that even the most asinine of doctors would risk performing an amputation with absolutely no assistance whatever. And he didn't strike me as the sort of doctor like Charles Coburn in King's Row who carries a surgical saw around in his bag. We are then asked to believe that this incompetent quack who is nonetheless such an expert with the surgical saw, is joined by an equally criminal halfwit who makes a correct diagnosis but then not only covers up his colleague's error, but does nothing to remedy the patient's real problem. Instead of focusing on these criminal incompetents, however, the story takes a somewhat different tack and asks us to believe that the victim has set out to revenge himself on these quacks with an ingenious plan that utilizes only five or six thousand people and ties up only about two or three million dollars in bribes, real estate and extensive construction work. And to add insult to injury, Morris doesn't bother to tell us how the end result - namely looting the city - is to be achieved. We are given hints, but actual facts elude us, and after building up our expectations, the movie ends on a very lame note indeed. But until this disappointing fade-out, the movie certainly grips the attention - and that's mostly due to Chaney's startling performance (and gymnastics). This is his movie, and he never lets us forget it.

Imagine what self confidence (or maybe lack thereof) that one must have to answer an ad that states 'If you think you look like Satan, apply at studio of ...'. It wouldn't have been a problem for the 'Man of a Thousand Faces', the elder Lon Chaney who made the transition from vaudeville to silent films, and eventually into talkies. Chaney's films may be a little hard to come by, but they're worth catching if only to see the amount of dedication the actor put into his craft. That's demonstrated here by the painful looking exercise the man had to go through to appear amputated at the knee of both legs. You know, I kept marveling at how real the effect looked and wondering how the film makers did it, because it does look like the actor really has no legs. Other reviewers on this board describe the process, so one could check those out.The story itself is a rather ghastly one, as it follows the tragic amputation of a young boy's legs due to an accident, but which probably didn't have to be performed as suggested by a senior doctor examining the work of Dr. Ferris (Charles Clary). The operation affects the young man not only the physically, but mentally, as he resorts to a life of crime that transforms into a madness for corruption and power. Taking the name of Blizzard (Chaney), the evil madman concocts a bizarre plan of revenge on the doctor who operated on him, the doctor's daughter, and even the entire city of San Francisco.I have to admit, there were any number of disconnects in the story for me which one might attribute to the writing of the era. One of the major ones involved Blizzard's management of a workshop in which dance hall girls assembled thousands of hats! Later it was revealed that the plot to loot San Francisco involved ten thousand disgruntled foreign laborers, but even so, why the business with the hats? It all seemed rather bizarre, but no more so than the twist at the end of the story that restored Blizzard's brain to normalcy, even as he wound up paying the penalty for his formerly wicked life.I caught this film on the Turner Classic Movie channel, with a soundtrack that eerily fit the activity that appeared on screen. I doubt if it was the original score for the film if indeed there was any. The music offered was at times strange, mysterious, and other-worldly, expertly complementing the character of Blizzard and his garish life. One might even consider the version of the soundtrack I experienced to be somewhat devilish.

If not the very first to reach a wide audience, Wallace Worsley's The Penalty survives to this day certainly at least as one of the more memorable and enjoyable proto-noir gangster thrillers from the mid-to- late silent era. Featuring engrossingly dark imagery throughout, a wonderfully gritty plot line filled with characters blooming from a pre-code era and a sense of pace in editing and direction so brisk you might have to look twice at its production date; The Penalty has plenty going for it but by far its best feature lies in the magnetic and grotesquely alluring performance of its lead star Lon "the man of one-thousand faces" Chaney.Committing fully to his role as a man wrongly crippled at a young age by inept Dr. Ferris in the late 1890s, Chaney is so convincing in his role that viewers unfamiliar with his more famous works could be forgiven for Googling his name to find out if he really did have legs or not. Apparently the apparatus he wore to achieve the effect (which he had to insist on wearing against the studio's reported resistance) left him with lasting back problems for the remainder of his life. Whether true or not, the result is nevertheless a marvel to watch as his character of Blizzard—a brilliantly creative, megalomaniac-kingpin of sorts—hobbles his way in and out of people's lives, playing their strings all the while grinning sardonically with facial contortions likely to strip paint off walls. When Blizzard begins to enact on a long-dreamt-of plan of retribution against the now-successful Ferris however, it's the inclusion of the doctor's daughter Barbara that allows the audience to see briefly the sadness and morose qualities underneath the surface of the crime- lord's chagrined demeanour. Chaney nails both sides of the coin equally well, despite the film's best and most enjoyable moments resulting from Blizzard's more-often-than-not irritable and ill- tempered outbursts. Then there are the moments where the character switches back and forth like a light switch. During an early scene, Blizzard, while playing a wonderfully sombre and melancholic classical piano piece, begins: "I shall be the master of a city! And for my mangled years the city shall pay me—with the pleasures of a Nero and the power of a Caesar!" The contrast here is palpable, and were it in the hands of a lesser talent, may have come off stilted or jarring for the wrong reasons.On the other hand, the picture is by no means without its flaws. It's sometimes a little too melodramatic for its own good, specifically during the last 10 or so minutes. Furthermore, some plot lines go nowhere interesting, and the overall wrap-up is misguided and rushed to the point where it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, even though it does boast the best line in the film. As a package however, I would recommend at least one viewing. Much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde released a few months prior, the performance of its lead star is worth the time invested alone. Unlike said film however, The Penalty still has plenty else going for it outside of Chaney whether it's from the performances of the supporting cast or the brisk direction by Worsley cut with incisive, well-written and paced intertitles. If you do seek out the film, again I would recommend the newly restored blu-ray which has been respectfully scanned and cleaned up by the George Eastman House Motion Picture Department and released by Kino. The disc also features a score composed by Rodney Sauer performed by the Mont Alto Orchestra which bounces off and compliments the film beautifully to the point where they actually bring piano melodies played by Blizzard alive as he muses over his plans to conquer San Francisco by force. It's a nice touch and much like Chaney strapping his legs behind his thighs, brings a level of commitment and dedication that gives an extra spark to already bright and highly enjoyable film.

A car accident leaves a small boy in the care of a doctor who decides to amputate both of the boy's legs. The boy also has a contusion at the base of his skull--a plot point that will become very important towards the end of the movie.Much to the doctor's shock and dismay, one of his colleagues reveals that amputation wasn't necessary and the boy overhears how the doctor butchered him. Years later, the boy would grow up to become Blizzard, the King of the San Francisco underworld.Blizzard has plans--not only to rob the city blind, but to exact revenge on the doctor who robbed him of his legs.This was without doubt, the best Lon Chaney Sr. movie I have seen. No elaborate facial makeups, just the acting skills of a master silent screen star--and the no doubt arduous pains Chaney must have gone through to affect the double amputee look.This might also be one of the very few Chaney Sr. films I've seen where he gets a girl. Not the one he had his eyes on throughout the film, but a girl nonetheless and after an operation, it appears Chaney may get a very happy ending--that is until he must pay the Penalty.This might also be the best restoration I have seen of all of Chaney's surviving silents. There's still one or two I have not purchased yet, but there was not a whole lot in the way of grain or dirt, static, whatever else may effect old movies such as these.Overall, if you're a fan of Lon Chaney, then "The Penalty" is required viewing. 10 stars