Outside the Law

Tod Browning's crackling underworld thriller features Lon Chaney in a dual role as both a ruthless Chinatown crime boss and a kindly Confucian philosopher, with Priscilla Dean as the reformed crook's daughter caught between the straight life and the criminal world that won't let her go. Anna May Wong delivers a scene-stealing early performance as a cunning accomplice. The film moves with a propulsive energy unusual for its era, and Chaney — already demonstrating his extraordinary gift for physical transformation — gives two completely distinct performances that showcase his range. The Chinatown setting traffics in the exoticism typical of the period, but Browning's genuine affection for his outsider characters gives the film a rough vitality that transcends its conventions.