The Unholy Three is a 1925 American silent crime melodrama film involving a trio of circus conmen, directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney. The supporting cast features Mae Busch, Matt Moore, Victor McLaglen, and Harry Earles. The Unholy Three marks the establishment of the notable artistic alliance between director Browning and actor Chaney that would deliver eight films to M-G-M studios during the late silent film era.
Principal photography went from December 1924 through January 20, 1925. The film had a premiere on May 30, 1925 in San Francisco. It went into release in New York at the Capitol Theatre on August 16, 1925. The film's budget was $114,000, and the worldwide box office gross was $704,000. Stills exist showing Chaney's two makeups in the film, his ventiloquist act, as well as a group shot of the Unholy Three plotting together.
The film was remade in 1930 as a talkie directed by Jack Conway. Chaney and Earles repeated their performances as Professor Echo and Tweedledee. Chaney died shortly after filming the [1930 remake]...the only film to feature the actor’s voice.
Plot
Three performers leave a sideshow after Tweedledee (Harry Earles), a midget performer, assaults a young heckler and sparks a melee. The three join together in an "unholy" plan to become wealthy. Prof. Echo, the ventriloquist, assumes the role of Mrs. O'Grady, a kindly old grandmother, who runs a pet shop, while Tweedledee plays her grandchild. Hercules (Victor McLaglen), the strongman, works in the shop along with the unsuspecting Hector McDonald (Matt Moore). Echo's girlfriend, pickpocket Rosie O'Grady (Mae Busch), pretends to be his granddaughter.
Using what they learn from delivering pets, the trio later commit burglaries, with their wealthy buyers as victims. On Christmas Eve, John Arlington (an uncredited Charles Wellesley) telephones to complain that the "talking" parrot (aided by Echo's ventriloquism) he bought will not speak. When Madame O'Grady (Chaney's aka) is trying to sell ordinary parrots as talking parrots, she throws her voice to fool the customers.
When "Granny" O'Grady visits Mr. Arlington to coax the bird into performing, "she" takes along grandson "Little Willie" in a baby carriage (to case the place). While there, they learn that a valuable ruby necklace is in the house. They decide to steal it that night. As Echo is too busy, Hercules and Tweedledee grow impatient and decide to go ahead without him.
The next day, Echo is furious to read in the newspaper that Mr. Arlington was killed (by Hercules) and his three-year-old daughter badly injured in the robbery (choked into unconsciousness by Tweedledee, although the violence in the robbery sequence was edited out of the final print). Hercules shows no remorse whatsoever, relating how Arlington pleaded for his life. When a police investigator shows up at the shop, the trio become fearful and decide to frame Hector, hiding the stolen jewelry in his room.
Meanwhile, Hector proposes to Rosie. She turns him down, but he overhears her crying after he leaves. He goes back into her room and, to his joy, she confesses she loves him but is ashamed of her shady past. When the police arrest him, Rosie tells the trio that she will testify in his defense, forcing them to abduct her and they all flee to a mountain cabin. Echo takes along his large pet ape, who terrifies Hercules.
In the spring, Hector is brought to trial. Rosie pleads with Echo to save Hector, promising to stay with him if he does. After Echo leaves for the city, Tweedledee overhears Hercules asking Rosie to run away with him and the loot. Tweedledee releases the ape from his cage. Hercules strangles Tweedledee to death just before the ape kills him.
At the trial, Echo agonizes over what to do, but finally rushes forward and confesses all. Both he and Hector are set free. When Rosie goes to Echo to keep her promise of marrying him, he lies and says he was only kidding. He tells her to go to Hector. Echo returns to the sideshow, and the last scene shows him on stage, giving his spiel to the customers: "That's all there is to life, friends, ... a little laughter ... a little tear."