West of Zanzibar

1928
TV-G
1h 5m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A magician seeks vengeance upon the man who paralyzed him and the illegitimate daughter he sired with the magician's wife.A magician seeks vengeance upon the man who paralyzed him and the illegitimate daughter he sired with the magician's wife.A magician seeks vengeance upon the man who paralyzed him and the illegitimate daughter he sired with the magician's wife.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos19

+ 12

Top cast19

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Lon Chaney

Phroso

Lionel Barrymore

Crane

Mary Nolan

Maizie

Warner Baxter

Jacqueline Gadsdon

Anna

Tiny Ward

Tiny
(as Roscoe Ward)

Kalla Pasha

Babe

Curtis Nero

Bumbu

Chaz Chase

Music Hall Performer
(uncredited)

Rose Dione

Zanzibar Club Owner
(uncredited)

Louise Emmons

Old Woman on Street
(uncredited)

Fred Gamble

Vaudeville Comedian
(uncredited)

Emmett King

Stage Manager
(uncredited)

Dick Sutherland

Cannibal
(uncredited)

Edna Tichenor

Dancing Girl in Zanzibar Club
(uncredited)

Art Winkler

Stagehand
(uncredited)

Art Winkler

Stagehand
(uncredited)

Dan Wolheim

Zanzibar Club Customer
(uncredited)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
In the ceremonial tribal dances the local extras had difficulty dancing to the drums.To remedy the situation a radio was brought to the set and played Jazz tunes by a local station.

Goofs
When the natives are crossing the river with the ivory tusks and Tiny appears as the evil spirit, they drop the tusks and run. The tusks float on the water.

Quotes
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': I'm particular who I eat with. Feed her on the floor!
Doc: I'm down pretty low, but not so far that I'll stand for this.
Phroso 'Dead-Legs': Yair? Well, you'll stand for anything *I* say.
Maizie: Say, Mister! Don't get in trouble on account of me.
Doc: I'll eat with her. I'm particular about who I eat with, too.

Alternate versions
MGM also released this move without any soundtrack.

Connections
Edited into Kongo (1932)

User reviews39

Review

Featured review

9/10

Hard to find, worth the effort.

The opening sequences of Lon Chaney as the magician foreshadow the dark atmospheres that director Tod Browning would later create for Freaks and Mark of the Vampire. Excellent photography and an astonishing physical performance that was the hallmark of Chaney's work.

I remember this film being shown on Chicago's PBS outlet WTTW-TV during the 1970s. It was tinted in certain scenes and featured a new score that was fresh, yet not too modern. A master from this television showing has to exist somewhere.

Why this fantastic film is not more readily available is a mystery. It deserves to be seen on DVD or Turner Classic Movies.