White Tiger

Tod Browning's taut crime thriller about three criminals — a master thief, his beautiful accomplice, and a resentful partner — who pull off a spectacular heist only to find that the real danger lies not in the law but in their own mutual distrust. Priscilla Dean dominates the screen as the cunning Sylvia, and the film's exploration of betrayal within a criminal "family" anticipates the heist-gone-wrong genre by decades. Browning's direction is lean and efficient, building tension through the claustrophobic dynamics between characters forced into hiding together. The film is a valuable example of Browning's pre-Chaney work, showing that his gift for atmosphere and his fascination with the criminal underworld were fully formed long before the spectacular collaborations that would make him famous.