This movie has Lon Chaney making the most out of standard fare. He is working with Irish actor Victor McGlagen, who plays a circus strongman named Hercules. There is also Harry Earles, who plays Tweedledee, a dwarf. The three, work a con game. They distract patrons, by causing a disturbance. Rosie O’Grady,(Mae Busch), then picks the pockets of the people. She is Chaney’s girlfriend. Chaney’s character, Echo, is a ventriloquist. He is tired of the circus life and petty theft. He meets with his two partners, and they decide that grand larceny will be their new line of work. They even have a name, The Unholy Three.
Echo has decided to open an exotic pet shop. He will disguise himself as a harmless old lady. He will sell rich people birds. The birds don’t talk, and the owners complain. Echo goes to the address with his accomplice, Tweedledee, (Harry Earles),disguised as a baby. Echo,uses his talent, to get the birds to talk. Later they,rob the house. Everything is going well, until Rosie, starts falling for Hector McDonald, (Matt Moore). Echo is arguing with Rosie about the attention she is giving to Hector, the sales clerk. The three are supposed to rob another house. Hercules and Tweedledee, decide to leave Echo, and do the job on their own. They manage to rob the house but the two thieves murder the rich owner.
They tell Echo and he is outraged. He explains that they don’t kill people they just rob them. That is why they don’t carry guns. Hercules and Tweedledee say they aren’t taking the fall. Echo comes up with a plan. They will frame Hector. This will get him out of the way, and no one will come between Echo and Rosie. The three head to a remote cabin in the mountains. Rosie is forced to come along. Echo brings along an ape, as protection against his two accomplices. It will figure into the story. It wasn’t the first time a Chaney character used an exotic animal in a movie.
Echo’s plan is working. Hector was arrested and charged with murder. Rosie is heartbroken and escapes. Echo is troubled by his conscience. He decides to leave, and tell the truth. His accomplices must face the ape, that Echo left behind. Echo arrives in the courtroom, with an all but convicted Hector, staring at the grim reaper. Our con man/ventriloquist, will try his best to set things right.
The Unholy Three was the first major film for Todd Browning. It was the first of thirteen films that he and Chaney made together. They became good friends. Browning directed numerous films after this one. Dracula being the most famous. There was speculation that Chaney was going to be cast as the lead. It would have been an interesting spin on The king of the vampires. His untimely death prevented that. Chaney did get a chance to play Echo in a sound version, before he died. Todd Browning had nothing to do with it. It was directed by Jack Conway. He had great success working with MGM’s biggest stars, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. The Unholy Three is a crime drama, with a romantic triangle. It’s star is worth the viewing. Chaney performs at just the right level to keep this movie watchable.