Before turning to the young medium of cinema, Tod Browning had been at home in the world of vaudeville, circus and Luna parks as an actor, magician and dancer. This is the world of ‘The Unknown’, which tells the story of the unhappy hope love between the armless knife thrower Alonzo and the mortally timid Estrellita. Unlike his rival, the strongman of the circus, Alonzo manages to get closer to his beloved and build up a certain trust. But their familiarity bears the risk of Estrellita noticing that Alonzo’s armlessness is only pretended and that he is by no means as harmless as he seems.