"White Tiger" (1923) stars Priscilla Dean, Raymond Griffith, Matt Moore, Wallace Beery, and a few others, but it is the fact that it is directed by Tod Browning that makes it supposed to have the added umph. The acting is flawless. The story, one of murder, deception, theft, greed - the typical brew of Browning, plus his added tricks - is not a bad one. Unfortunately, though this is worth two stars out of four, it's worth no more. Why? Browning must have been bored. He directs this thing with precision and he gets the performers to perform. But still, it just doesn't go anywhere...and almost literally. Scenes remain stagnant, and stagnant people in the scenes have little blocking. The story just doesn't seem to be moving, even when it is. The best thing about the film... The scenes where the thieves all begin to distrust each other, much like the later - and much better film! - "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". There's always a reason to watch a Browning film. Priscilla Dean was at the top of her game during this period. One knows, or suspects, that Beery isn't going to be a father figure or any kind of angel during this period of his career. And - he has talent. Raymond Griffith playing a nasty? Well, he's good, if not a tad wormy in this. Matt Moore and his part may be the weakest link. The story begins with Beery killing Mike Donovan, father of Dean and Griffith. Then Beery takes Dean and raises her to be a thief. Griffith has run away and grown up somewhere else. He's now a "chess player" - that is, he is inside a supposed mechanical chess board against which people play - though they don't know Griffith's inside playing the game. He seems to always win - of course. COINCIDENTALLY - and there's enough coincidence in this film to flabbergast even the most indulgent - all these people meet up again and pull off a jewel theft - Beery and Dean not knowing Griffith is her brother, nor he knowing Dean's his sister. Moore all the while is the patsy, though it's his family's home they've robbed.

Years ago I watched this on an old VHS tape. This new release on a 4K restoration disc of "Drifting" and another Dean fragment, "The Exquisite Thief", is also the weak link of the three on the disc. It's better seemingly than the old VHS tape, but it's filled with scratches and artifacts and contrast of lighting that isn't up to original snuff by any means. I won't need to re-visit this one again.

Even though Tod Browning is closely associated with Lon Chaney, he was first assigned Priscilla Dean and began to weave a spell of success around her. She had come to Universal in 1917 because she was impatient with Biograph's failure to utilize her talent and by 1920 she was Universal's top female star. Often teamed with Lon Chaney, it was her performance in "The Virgin of Stamboul" that had the front office realizing they had a winning actress and from then on her stories were hand picked, mostly with Tod Browning as director.

Earlier in the year Universal had scored a hit with "Drifting" so they reteamed the stars, Priscilla Dean, along with Wallace Beery and Matt Moore, as well as director Browning in "White Tiger" about a trio of international jewel thieves. Raymond Griffith was one of the crooks and all the stars as well as Browning boosted the film's prestige. Siblings Roy and Sylvia are innocent victims trapped in a brutal criminal family. When their father is killed little Roy is led to believe that his whole family is dead and he vows to have his revenge on vicious Bill Hawkes (Beery) but Sylvia has escaped and 15 years later.......

The three come together at a London wax works. Hawkes, now working under the name Donelli, has a pick pocketing racket going with Sylvia, posing as his daughter, as the lure. Roy, known as "the Kid", is also on the shady side of the law as an unbeaten "Mechanical Chessman" but seeing Sylvia lift a watch he stops to admire as from one crook to another - never dreaming she is his sister!! With Browning a freak show or carnival is never far away and there are some pretty grisly wax exhibitions: someone remarks "why do you want to hang around these gruesome figures for"!!

They pool their talents. Roy feels that "Donelli" looks vaguely familiar but is persuaded to team up as they try their con game in America. With Roy dazzling the idle rich with his mechanical chess man act, the others are given the run of the house where they can locate the safe etc. Hiding out in a mountain cabin Hawkes begins to sow seeds of distrust by questioning the loyalty of both Sylvia and Roy - all the while handling a box of Argentine Ant killer. Scary stuff!! Matt Moore has an ambiguous part, Roy says from the first "there's something suspicious about that guy! I don't trust him!" and he is a shadowy figure but if you have ever seen him in a movie you'll know the part he plays!!

Wallace Beery looks pretty imposing with his bleached white hair but for me the stand out is Raymond Griffith. It is a pretty grim and at times far fetched story but Griffith's light touch lightens the mood. There is a scene (sort of reminiscent of "Paths to Paradise") when he is strolling around the mansion having already robbed the safe and hidden the jewels, trying to act nonchalant and put the pesky butler off the scent. Another scene has him donning glasses as becomes his role of Donelli's secretary and not being able to see a thing because of the thick lenses: it is not a slapstick routine, he is just very skillful, slightly stumbling over an obvious chair etc. Griffith pulls it all off with aplomb. Very easy to see he had been a professional dancer.

Highly Recommended.