Man of a Thousand Faces

Introduction

It's extraordinary to think of the number and range of films that were made in the silent era, from the earliest work of the likes of Georges Méliès, the Lumiere Brothers, Sergei Eisenstein, D. W. Griffith and the silent comics. One of the most prolific actors in Hollywood at this time was Lon Chaney, known as the Man of a Thousand Faces because of his incredible physical pliability and genius with make-up.

This biopic begins by showing the reverence shown to him when his death was announced and goes back, not quite to the beginning, but to when he was a Vaudeville stage act, playing the clown. Born of deaf-mute parents, he learned how to use his body as an expressive tool from an early age and had no problem as a mime. When he takes his pregnant fiancée home without informing her of his parent disability, she recoils and panics that deafness is hereditary. As any film follower knows, Creighton 'Lon Jr.' Chaney had no problem with his hearing and went on to have a varied and successful career. However, his father was a groundbreaking artist with his physical transformations and tortured performances in films like Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

This 1957 film follows Chaney from stage to screen and the problems in his personal life that arguably led to his ability to convey such emotion.

Video

A clear monochrome picture with good contrast and clarity and some sterling make-up work that makes it look like Chaney was really filmed - although no attempt was made to make James Cagney look like Chaney, the recreations of the characters he played are spot on.

Disappointingly, the film was originally shot in CinemaScope but is only presented here in anamorphic 2.35:1 rather than the original aspect ratio of 2.55:1 but I'm not sure where the blame lies for this; most likely none of the original film stock exists to get a transfer with the OAR.

Audio

The dialogue is sharp and there is a typically melodramatic score, heavy on the emotion (some would argue going over the top) but characteristic of a melodrama from this era.

Conclusion

Depending on the subject, biopics can be interesting and informative or dull and tell you nothing you didn't know before - I didn't like Michael Mann's Ali because 'The Greatest' is much too complex a character with a fascinating life story to possibly cover in and detail and depth in two hours whereas Raging Bull pulls no punches (pardon the pun) telling the rise and fall of Jake LaMotta in a compelling character study. I didn't know anything about the life of Lon Chaney, only his films, and Man of a Thousand Faces doesn't concentrate too much on his on-screen career - Chaney made over 150 films - but rather what drove him from stage to screen, his failed marriage to Cleva Creighton and Lon Jr.'s interest in his father's work.

In the title role, James Cagney is terrific, showing his aptitude for dance and physical acting but also displaying the tortured soul that drove Chaney to such memorable performances. Playing his first wife, Dorothy Malone shows all the complexities of the woman (though I assume some poetic licence has been taken) and her strained relationship with Chaney; Jane Greer too deserves an honourable mention as Chaney's second wife Hazel.

With an Oscar-nominated script, excellent performances throughout and accomplished direction by Joseph Pevney, this is a compelling story which translates into a fascinating film about one of the silent era's true stars. Despite the vanilla disc and rather ambitious RRP (it can be currently pre-ordered for just under £10), this is well worth your time and attention and its release on DVD in the UK is to be welcomed.