The Trap (1922) User Reviews (11)

Wolf Call

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 19 May 2008]

In the happy French-Canadian village of Grand-Bellaire, simple-minded miner Lon Chaney (as Gaspard) leads an idyllic life. In the spring, he works his mine and plays with children; Mr. Chaney is "filled and thrilled at the joy of being alive, with trust and love for all mankind in his heart." Chaney's radiant life comes to an abrupt halt, however, when greedy Alan Hale (as Benson) steals both his mine and his girl, Dagmar Godowsky (as Thalie).

For seven years, Chaney is consumed with hate; he is lonely, crushed, and beaten. Meanwhile, Mr. Hale and Ms. Godowsky fall on hard times; he is unable to profit in mining, and she becomes terminally ill. The unhappy couple's only success is their cute five-year-old son Stanley Goethals (as "The Boy"). Obsessed with revenge, Chaney gets his chance when he declines to back-up Hale during a barroom incident; and, Hale is sent to prison. After Godowsky dies, Chaney gets custody of "The Kid" (Goethals), whom he plans to abuse…

This formulaic film combines themes found in Lon Chaney's own "The Penalty" (1920) with Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid" (1921). It is, understandably, not as good as its film cousins; but, Chaney's great performance and its excellent production values, handled by Robert Thornby (director) and Virgil Miller (photographer), make "The Trap" worth getting into.

******* The Trap (5/9/22) Robert Thornby ~ Lon Chaney, Alan Hale, Stanley Goethals

A Lon Chaney revenge story...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 12 May 2023]

...from director Robert Thornby. Chaney plays French-Canadian miner Gaspard, an illiterate but good-natured fellow who hopes to strike it rich with his gold mine and marry his sweetheart Thalie (Dagmar Godowsky). Things go south when slick city-boy Benson (Alan Hale Sr.) comes to town, swindling Gaspard out of his mine and stealing his girl, too. Gaspard swears revenge and has Benson sent to prison after a set-up. Gaspard then kidnaps Benson's young son (Stanley Goethals) in order to engineer his final vengeance, a horrifying trap set for Benson upon his return.

I won't reveal the details of the end trap, but it's typically bizarre, like a lot of stuff in Chaney's movies. The whole thing only runs an hour, which seems about right. Chaney is good, although his French patois title cards get old.

A decent print at last!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 4 June 2014]

Based on a story by Lucian Hubbard, Irving Thalberg and Chaney himself, "The Trap" was formerly available only on an extremely poor dupe of a dupe. The original tinted Kodascope cutdown has now surfaced on a lined but very watchable Grapevine DVD, which does justice to Virgil Miller's crisp yet moody photography. True, Lon Chaney's "performance" is still rather hammy, but now that we know what he really looked like (thanks to "Tell It to the Marines"), we can appreciate what a magnificent job of make-up it was that enabled Lon to convert his pugnacious features into the expressive simpleton's identity. Alas, Chaney makes the simpleton too expressive in fact (and too slow-moving as well). Nevertheless, now that we can clearly see what's actually happening on screen, the story has much more point and poignancy. Although he obviously could not control Chaney's mugging and camera hogging, Robert Thornby otherwise directs with a sure hand and coaxes effective acting from the rest of the cast, particularly Alan Hale (as the "villain") and young Stanley Goethals (as the unwanted child) who both succeed admirably in bringing their rather difficult roles to believable life. Thornby was an actor/director (mostly of shorts) who seems to have abandoned his multiple movie career in 1930.

Not among Chaney's best...but still worth seeing.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 17 November 2010]

This movie has several major strikes against it at the onset. The film is in terrible shape--it's choppy and faded and badly in need of restoration. Also, the intertitle cards are sure hard to read, as Lon Chaney plays a French-Canadian and the cards or written phonetically--and are very hard to read. The story is awfully hard to believe and Chaney overacts occasionally. But, in spite of all this, the film still is worth seeing--particularly for its crazy but exciting ending! The film begins with a scum-bag using legal technicalities to steal a mine away from a decent man (Chaney). Now suddenly poor, Chaney can't afford to marry his sweetheart and is forced into poverty. However, instead of seeking revenge right away, he allows this hatred to seethe within until he has a chance to repay the jerk for stealing his mine. Years later, this new miner owner is attacked and shoots a man in self-defense. The only witness is Chaney--who realizes that if he doesn't corroborate the story, the man will go to jail. So, he keeps his mouth shut and laughs as the guy is sent to prison.

In the meantime, Chaney plans on taking revenge on the man's young son as well, but unexpectedly he grows to love the kid as his own. And, to keep the kid, he plans a complicated trap to kill the father when he is released from prison. I'd say more, but really don't want to spoil this crazy but exciting ending. See the film--just see if you can find a non-public domain version that is in better shape--if that's possible.

Another Brilliant And Classic Herr Lon Chaney Performance

[FerdinandVonGalitzien · 6/10 · 18 March 2007]

Last night, was another silent, bizarre and Teutonic night in the Schloss, a soirée in which "The Trap", a film directed by Herr Robert Thornby in the silent year of 1922 was shown.

This German count, thanks to his aristocratic breeding, knows very well elegant languages such as German or Teutonic but that wasn't enough to comprehend the strange language in which were written the majority of the inter-titles of this film (set in the surroundings of Canadian Northwest).

Thanks to an elderly and learned unit specializing in dead Amerikan languages whose specialty it is to decipher such strange and enigmatic letters, the film plot was revealed to this German Count. It depicts the story of Gaspard (Lon Chaney), an innocent and ignorant fur trapper. He owns a mine and loves Thalie (Dagmar Godowsky). However, he will be ultimately fooled by Benson (Alan Hale) who keeps the mine and the girl.

From that moment on, Gaspard only lives for taking revenge on both of them.

In spite the strange language that Gaspard speaks, it wasn't a problem for this German Count to enjoy another brilliant and classic Herr Lon Chaney performance. "The Trap" is a film in which his many facial expressions and body language are brilliantly displayed.

Gaspard, a good and simple man will be transformed in a fiend with no limits to accomplish his vengeance. As he said to his enemy, again according to the Amerikan dead languages experts unit: "wen you steal my mine, an' my gal, I t'ink firs' to keel you, but I know if I keel you quick, you not suffaire lak me." It seems that inner human transformation is not a problem to Herr Chaney, it's so easy for the audience to watch his acting merits. Paradoxically, Gaspard finally will be the avenged avenger, the trap trapped.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count doesn't talk the same language.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Chaney in "The Great White North"!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 2 January 2018]

In this rarely seen offering from Lon Chaney, he has no grotesque makeup or withered limbs. He plays an illiterate French-Canadian Trapper/miner named Gaspard the Good. He is completely happy what with his gold mine which he works every spring and his beloved Thalie (Dagmar Godowsky) whom he hopes to marry .

Into the mix comes city slicker Benson ( a slim and trim Alan Hale) who announcers to Gaspard that he has gained ownership of Gaspard's mine. It seems that Gaspard's father had not properly filed his claim on the mine. To make matters worse, Benson runs off and marries Thalie leaving poor Gaspard despondent and vengeful.

The local priest (Herbert Standing) councils Gaspard, "Thou Shalt not Kill" according to God's law. Gaspard decides to use other means to exact his revenge. Seven years pass and Benson is on the verge of ruin due mainly to Gaspard's sabotage of the mine.

One day in the local bar, Gaspard enlists town tough, the slightly retarded Pierre the Bully (Dick Sutherland) to attack Benson. Benson shoots the man down and is then arrested by the local "red coat" (Frank Campeau) and taken off to jail. Gaspard hopes that Benson will hang if Pierre dies but is disappointed when he is only sentenced to a jail term when Pierre survives.

Gaspard goes to see Thalie but finds her on her deathbed. Gaspard takes and adopts her and Benson's young son (Stanley Goethals). At first he treats the boy shabbily making him sleep on the floor. Gradually, He begins to develop an affection for the boy even enrolling him in school under the guidance of the teacher (Irene Rich).

Just as things are beginning to go his way again, Gaspard learns of the impending release from jail of Benson, the boy's father. Not wanting to lose the boy, Gaspard devises an elaborate trap in his cabin designed to ensnare Benson within under attack from the "devil-wolf Toto. But things don't go exactly as planned and............................................................................

Chaney as always, gives his usual great performance. With that expressionistic face of his he goes from happiness to bitterness to sadness to revengeful with ease. The scene where Gaspard taunts Benson in his jail cell is especially poignant. Alan Hale would go on to be one of the busiest and most popular character actors of the 30s and 40s. And I'm sure that I spotted a young Lon Chaney Jr. among the young people crowded around Gaspard, at the beginning of the story.

Chaney Fans Get Trapped

[zpzjones · 5/10 · 8 September 2010]

The print of this film is so washed out I had to keep freeze framing to read the intertitles. It doesn't help that the particular copy I was watching kept sticking throughout. Still photos of Lon Chaney & Irene Rich taken on the set of this movie show that the cinematography was top notch and not the mess this video presentation indicates. Chaney's character (Gaspard the Good) is a similar northwoods trapper with nearly identical makeup to the Raoul character in "Nomads of the North"(gosh how many trappers did Chaney play in his career?) The character Gaspard is tricked out of his land by the film's villain Benson (Alan Hale Sr.). Though the Chaney character has been wronged, he is quite unlikable. This makes the viewer more irritated because the print is so crappy. Actor Herbert Standing's scenes are so washed out & obliterated that you can't see his face. This movie, though similar in theme to "Nomads of the North", is such a 100% turnabout from the pleasures of that movie. Both in story and film preservation. Stanley Goethals, the cute kid from Chaney's "Outside the Law", is given an almost identical though less engaging role here. His cuteness in "Outside the Law" was accentuated by the charm of Priscilla Dean in the apartment scenes. In "The Trap" his cuteness is dissipated by the unlikable adults around him. Why would Chaney want to raise the child born from his enemy(Hale) and his former girlfriend (Dagmar Godowsky; in a most unflattering & brief role), who had left him for Hale? Where was Child Protective Services when you needed them? Leading lady Irene Rich, a beautiful actress who appeared in many silent films, is reduced to looking like a drab schoolmarm(she's actually playing the local teacher). She hasn't the chance to shine like Betty Blythe in "Nomads of the North". Still photos from the set of the movie show Irene Rich wearing a pretty Betty Crocker type checkered dress. You can't tell in the print of the film because her face & body are so washed out. I realize that the condition of the print of this film is one of the reasons I give it a negative review. The music score is monotonous & uninvolved with the action on the screen. "The Trap" certainly did not look like this when new and had likely been released tinted and toned. If asked 'have you seen a bad Lon Chaney film'? I'd say no!, but this movie almost came close. The enjoyment of a silent film depends so much on the visual quality of the action you're watching. I waited a long time to see this film & am somewhat disappointed. If a better print shows up, I'll think about doing another review when I can see the action. Also I don't recognize any evidence of Creighton Chaney(aka Lon Jr) in this print of "The Trap", in which his hands are supposedly seen. Lastly Chaney fans should appreciate that this film 'survives' in any kind of condition. directed by Robert Thornby, Universal Pictures.

Time has not been kind.

[anches-725-976306 · 3/10 · 20 November 2011]

My copy of this film is very poor and the score is rubbish-a tweety fairground organ playing chirpy music on a loop! Chaney's character, Gaspard, goes from being good to bad too easily but the process whereby he learns to love the son of his nemesis is tenderly done. When his fiendish plan to destroy his enemy puts the lad in danger, Gaspard sees the error of his ways and becomes good again. When this movie was shown at the Imperial Hall, Walsall, in 1923, the reviewer had high praise for it, so maybe a better copy with a better score would elicit a better review from me, but for now, this is one of the worst Chaney films I have seen to date.

Incredible Chaney Vehicle

[richardchatten · 8/10 · 5 June 2018]

Anybody who complained that Lon Chaney was too monotonously jolly in the earlier 'Nomads of the North' (1920) can seek refuge in this astonishing old school melodrama in which he starts out playing a superficially similar character of very similar appearance; but which then proceeds to cram several eventful years sometimes reminiscent of 'Silas Marner' into just 60 minutes (did the film really race through its incredible plot so quickly when it first opened?) and Chaney hurtles from one emotion to another from vengeful rage to tenderness.

I don't know how much of the plot stands up to more measured consideration - and the way some of the characters evolved and their interrelationships shifted didn't even convince me at the time - but, like Chaney's hammy but compelling performance as Gaspard the Good, sweeps you along and keeps your attention right up to the equally unconvincing but satisfying conclusion.

Isn't worth Chaney's talent

[DarthVoorhees · 5/10 · 13 December 2008]

The Trap contains Lon Chaney's least interesting character nd most uninspired performance. It's a disappointing film in the master's filmography. Chaney was the premier character actor of his time but this character is simplicity it's self and it doesn't showcase his talents or catch the interest of the audience. I find it hard to believe or follow Chaney as Gespard, an illiterate mountain miner. It begs me to ask if Lon Chaney really wanted to play this type of character and how much input he really had into the scenario of The Trap and the creation of the character Gespard.

The draw to this picture is the fact that Chaney is credited as one of the writers of this picture and I can see traces of his personality in this story. Chaney was clearly an outdoors man and the backdrop of the The Trap is the terrain of French Canada's wilderness with Gespard trapping and fishing. The class conflict between the rich and the poor. I see Lon there but I just don't like the character he is playing. I don't know if I feel it is too easy for him or if having a simple minded miner is insulting but I don't like this character at all. Lon Chaney doesn't give a bad portrayal and there are tender moments between Gespard and the boy but I don't think you can build a film around Gespard. For one thing his illiteracy and simple mindedness are played to the extreme to the point where they add it to the titles and it becomes hard to even understand what is being said. Luckily Chaney's pantomime is unmatched and even in the horrible print of the film I had we could see his mastery. I guess my problem is this, How could a character like Gespard create such an elaborate plan for revenge? And what has this character lost? The film takes no time to develop it's characters. Wouldn't this story have more potency if we saw ourselves in Gespard, a poor man who works hard for a living. This character is more of a farce than anything. I realize that a person in Gespard's situation would not be educated or well versed but The Trap plays it to the extreme. We aren't able to invest ourselves in this character. Chaney's performance is fine but I wish he did more to make this character more human. Gespard is not a representation of the normal man which is what I imagine Chaney was trying to convey if he wrote the picture's character development.

Lesser Chaney but Still Worth Watching

[Michael_Elliott · 25 May 2011]

Trap, The (1922)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Incredibly far-fetched and melodramatic film has Lon Chaney playing Canadian miner Gaspard, a good-hearted man who has his mine and love of his life (Dagmar Godowsky) stolen by the no good Benson (Alan Hale). Years later Benson shoots a man in self defense but Gaspard testifies that it was a planned so that Benson gets sent off to prison while at the same time his wife, Gaspard's ex, dies and her son just happens to go to Gaspard. Things take an even stranger twist as Gaspard begins to have feelings for the boy just as his father is about to be released from prison. All of this "plot" happens in a 45-minute span so needless to say there's really not too much development and in the end this melodrama is mainly going to be for those who must see everything Chaney has done. Fans of Chaney will enjoy his performance here even if it's certainly not one of his best. Chaney had a remarkable talent to make you feel pity for his characters and that's the case here. This character is almost too nice and then too mean to be believable but Chaney is able to pull it off. Hale is also good in his role as the bad guy but Godowsky doesn't have too much to do. Stanley Goethals is pretty good as the child Chaney falls for. The IMDb lists Lon Chaney, Jr. has having a small part playing "a boy's hands" but I wasn't able to spot such a scene. The story itself is just way too far-fetched for one to really have any emotional connection to. It takes a matter of ten-minutes for Chaney's character to turn from a great man to a bitter one and then back to a great man and this simply isn't enough time for his character to grow on you. Another problem is that everything seems extremely rushed from the plot to the silly conclusion, which just comes off very badly. I'm really not sure if this was originally longer or not but there appears to be something missing. THE TRAP isn't a very good movie and there's really nothing too memorable about it so those interested in Chaney will be the only ones willing to stick around till the end.