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Man of a Thousand Faces
 
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Man of a Thousand Faces

James Cagney (Actor), Dorothy Malone (Actor), Joseph Pevney (Director) | Rated: NR (Not Rated) | Format: DVD
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Lon Chaney earned his nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces" with a gallery of grotesque, misshapen characters created through a combination of elaborate makeup, contorted postures, and sensitive performances. After a rich silent-movie career starring in such classics as He Who Gets Slapped, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Phantom of the Opera, he died after completing his first and only sound film, a remake of his silent crime picture The Unholy Three. James Cagney plays Chaney in this glossy Hollywood biography, a reverent, melodramatic tribute that focuses on his turbulent private life and rise from vaudeville clown to hard-working Hollywood extra to movie star. Dorothy Malone costars as his unstable first wife, who flees her husband and their young son after a failed suicide attempt, Jane Greer is the loving showgirl who fills her void, and future real-life superproducer Robert Evans plays legendary MGM producer Irving Thalberg. Cagney is a short, thick pug of an actor where Chaney is tall and lean, but he oddly resembles the star in his craggy face, and his rarely tapped dancing skills are put to good use in the early vaudeville scenes and contorted recreations of twisted Chaney characters. But most importantly, Cagney brings to the role passion and compassion that burn through the indifferent direction and show-biz clichés to create a vivid, energetic portrait of the enigmatic cult star who rarely let audiences see his true face. --Sean Axmaker

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars CAGNEY gives an all time great performace, Feb 28 2003
By 
Something Special INC (caldwell, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Man of a Thousand Faces (VHS Tape)
No actor of our time comes close to james cagney or bogie of course. Cagney shows his versitily in this drama of the life of Lon Chaney. Cagney is GREAT and this movie will hold your interest through the entire 2 hours nothing drags. You will feel such compassion for lon chaney as the age old truth that money and fame can not bring you happiness is still true today. You will see such suffering from a bad marriage and a wife who didnt even want to bear his son because chaney's parents were deaf and dumb she was afraid that her child would be as well. Later she wants to act again and when that doesnt work out she tries to commit suicide. Obviously she is not fit to be a mother and chaney files for divorce and of course gets it but to his shock the court takes his child away from him since he has no wife. Later a female co-worker and friend who was secretly in love with chaney offers to marry him and he accepts they then get the child back. Of course later in life the mother shows up wanting to see her kid who thought she was dead. This is such a touching and realistic story that is all too common now adays you couldnt write a ficton this dramatic. Watch this movie it deserves 10 stars but dont expect gangsters and action this is a drama.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Ah. The golden days of old Hollywood., Jan 14 2002
By 
This review is from: Man of a Thousand Faces (VHS Tape)
"Man of a Thousand Faces" is a melodramatic vehicle, which allows Cagney to soft-shoe his way through the life and roles of Lon Chaney, famous silent movie actor.

Chaney was born to profoundly deaf parents and this was a major contributor to his success as a silent screen star. His wordless ability to express great and subtle emotions was legendary. Chaney's is best remembered today for his portrayals of grotesquely disfigured humans. He was able to evoke a sympathetic reaction from the audience in his original presentations of Quasimodo and the Phantom of the Opera.

This movie gives Cagney an opportunity to relieve the glory days of vaudeville. Numerous dance numbers find their way into the picture. As well as recreating scenes from many of the movies that Chaney was famous for. Still I can't help but notice that Cagney seems to act like Cagney throughout the picture. The typical tough-guy loner whose motto is "my way or the highway" that we see in so many other films.

The film spends no small amount of time covering Chaney's turbulent first marriage. The main contention between Chaney and his wife in this movie is anger at his not revealing the dark secret about his parents (their deafness). Her anger at this secret and his anger at her rejection of his roots leads to a downward spiral in the marriage. Eventually, Chaney is able to find happiness with an ex-chorus girl and provide the stable home for his son he has always dreamed of.

I enjoyed the movie but would caution you that it is not likely to be taken as a serious biography of this legendary film star.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, but oh, so dated, Jan 5 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Man of a Thousand Faces (VHS Tape)
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid (I'll never forget Cagney knocking that guy down backstage and the revelation that immediately follows). It's still engrossing, but the attitudes it reflects about the deaf back then are absolutely stunning today. It's hard to believe things were ever that bad. I only hope deaf viewers can see past that to the wonderful performance Cagney gives. He's as good as any actor Hollywood ever produced.
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