Editing Tod Browning (section)

=== ''The Big City'' (1928) ===
A [[lost film]], ''[[The Big City (1928 film)|The Big City]]'' stars Lon Chaney, [[Marceline Day]] and [[Betty Compson]], the latter in her only appearance in an MGM film.<ref>Erickson, Allmovie: "Betty Compson, who co-starred with Chaney in his breakthrough picture [[The Miracle Man (1919 film)]], provides romantic contrast as Collins' hard-bitten gun moll."</ref> Browning wrote the story and [[Waldemar Young]] the screenplay concerning "A gangster Lon Chaney who uses a costume jewelry store as a front for his jewel theft operation. After a conflict with a rival gang, he and his girlfriend Marceline Day reform."<ref>Rosenthal, 1975 p. 64</ref>

Film historian Vivian Sobchack remarked that "''The Big City'' concerns a nightclub robbery, again, the rivalry between two thieves. This time Chaney plays only one of them—without a twisted limb or any facial disguise.'"<ref>Sobchack, 2006 p. 24: see here for See her for excerpts from contemporary NYT reviews.</ref> Critic Stuart Rosenthal commented on ''The Big City'': "...Chaney, without makeup, in a characteristic gangster role."<ref>Rosenthal, 1975 p. 64: quote from photo caption.<br />Erickson, Allmovie: "''The Big City'' was perhaps the most "normal" of the Lon Chaney-Tod Browning collaborations. Minus makeup, Chaney plays gangster boss Chuck Collins, who despite his ruthlessness is a basically decent fellow."</ref>

''The Big City'' garnered MGM $387,000 in profits.<ref>Erickson, Allmovie: "As it turned out, Chaney's star-power enabled ''The Big City'' to score a box-office success to the tune of $387,000 in profits."</ref>