# The 1929 movie that gave Billy Bob Thornton a lifelong phobia: “That’s how the whole thing started”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1929-movie-that-gave-billy-bob-thornton-a-lifelong-phobia-thats-how-the-whole-thing-started/
- Published: 2026-07-24T17:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-24T18:20:33+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/movie-gave-billy-bob-thornton-lifelong-phobia/
- Topics: Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Thornton links an antique-furniture phobia to *The Unholy Three*.
- He saw the 1929 film as a child.
- The film starred silent-era actor Lon Chaney.

## Summary

Billy Bob Thornton has said that watching the 1929 film *The Unholy Three* as a child triggered his lifelong fear of antique furniture. The actor linked the phobia to a scene involving a ventriloquist’s dummy and a sinister old-fashioned setting, saying it was where “the whole thing started”.

*The Unholy Three*, directed by Tod Browning and starring Lon Chaney, follows criminals who use disguises to carry out robberies. Thornton’s fear has reportedly affected his daily life, particularly around antique furniture, and he has spoken about it publicly on several occasions.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.