Customer Reviews

Lon Chaney Coll

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well,it took me a heck of a long time to get around to reviewing TCMs release of this Lon Chaney collection of films but it has finally arrived.This two disc set includes The Ace of Hearts(released Oct/21,running around 70 minutes),Laugh,Clown Laugh(released April/28 and running around 71 minutes),The Unknown(released June/27 and running around 50 minutes).Also included is Chaneys London After Midnight(released Dec/27),however being a lost film this is a recreation using stock MGM footage but mainly publicity stills.It gives one a rough idea of the films narrative.I first got onto Chaney way back when,when I was attending my silent film soirees and saw The Shock,He Who gets Slapped,The Unholy Three,The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera.There is no doubt Chaney was a master actor,never mind the makeup which was just the cherry on the cake.I have NEVER seen anyone on screen whose emotions jumped out at you and pulled you into his character like he could;he had no peers,period.
The first film on tap is The Ace of Hearts,and although showing a bit too much old school melodrama at times,it has a fascinating plot which keeps you riveted from beginning to end.Chaney is a member of a secretive organization who seem to have a God complex.When they come across an entity who they believe is a menace or drag on society they take them out.To do this they draw cards and whoever gets the movies title card,that is who gets the "honour" of extinguishing that persons life.Lon and another member have a rival love for the only female member of the group.Lon loses out as the other man gets the ubiquitous honour of taking out someone they have deemed unacceptable.In fact both eventually marry,and Lon is torn up inside.The morning after the night before has weakened her resolve to go through with the murder by explosive,but not her new husband,who remains committed.Lon has camped outside their residence all night and confronts his rival in the morning,testing his resolve,as he leaves to do the deed.Lon returns to the group while the other goes on with his task.He is a waiter and when a younger couple who have eloped sit down at the next table he has a change of heart.He returns to the group with the news he didn't go through with the deed and HE is now #1 on the hit list.Chaney has promised his old flame he would help get the two out of their predicament,but the group will not be swayed.Chaney activates the bomb as they sit drawing cards and as "kismet" would have it,he draws the Ace of Hearts.There is an explosion and the couple who have fled are now free to live their lives without fear due to Chaney's sacrifice.This was Chaney on the rise as a star and he is basically just another player in an ensemble cast,but he sticks of the crowd as if he had a permanent spotlight on him constantly.Oh yes,this is a Goldwyn picture,before he joined Metro pictures.Few recall it was Goldwyn who originally had the lion at the beginning of his films.When he merged with Metro/Mayer he of course brought along his lion with him.No,I'm not lion.
Laugh Clown,Laugh has Chaney as Tito the clown,later known as Flik.He has a traveling act with his brother,later known as Flak(one wonders if the ice skating European pair of Fric and Frak were inspired by this film?).They raise an orphan girl as their own,played later when grown by a 14 year old Loretta Young;called Simonetta.However Chaney has now fallen in love with her...yes,THAT way,and he becomes increasingly conflicted knowing it is wrong.He eventually seeks psychiatric help at the same time an Italian count seeks help for his affliction of uncontrollable laughter.The two decide they can help each other but the count has fallen for Simonetta also and becomes Chaney's rival,adding another dimension to his inner conflict.As the film progresses Simonetta finally realizes the real extent of Chaneys love for her.When she goes to tell the count their engagement is off Chaney's turmoil comes through once more and he decides there is only one way out for both of them.
This film really showcases Chaney's acting to the nth degree and became one of his signature films and it is good to have it here in this collection.At one point his brother is urging Chaney to "laugh,clown laugh...laugh,though your heart is aching".Now for those in the know,the latter is a line,word for word, from Chaplin's song Smile,written in 1936 for his film Modern Times.Hmmm.
The Unknown stars Chaney as an "armless" knife thrower in a circus act.Trouble is he is NOT armless and he is using the circus as a front for his nefarious activities in different towns the circus travels to.He is in love with a young Joan Crawford who hates being pawed by men.Chaney's rival for her affections is the strong man who slowly but surely brings her around.In the meantime Chaney resorts to extreme measures to win her love forever.He decides to have his arms really removed by a surgeon that he blackmails.After the deed is done he returns to the circus to find that his love has finally settled on the strongman and both are to be wed.The couple show Chaney their new act which involves the strongman restraining two horses on either side of him,both on treadmills.If one of them or both were to stop his arms would be ripped out.This is Chaney's chance and as the treadmills slow down Crawford sees what Chaney has done and jumps down in front of one of the horses to stop it rearing up.Chaney pushes her aside and dies under the horses hooves.
The most famous scene in this film is the moment Chaney has returned to the circus after his arms have been amputated and realizes his love is marrying someone else.The range of emotion that Chaney exudes is unparallelled.This scene lives up to its hype and beyond.When Gloria Swanson tells William Holden in Sunset Boulevard"...we had faces then",you better believe it as you watch this scene.
Technically speaking the films have been remastered to their best and generally are clear and crisp.All of them have age related problems,and are mostly incomplete,but they are the best we have as of this writing,which over all is more than acceptable.Extras include two featurettes on the music scoring candidates for two of the films,commentary on the films,opening commentary by TCMs Robert Osbourne and a beautiful 85 min.documentary by silent film expert Kevin Brownlow on Chaney that you won't want to miss at all.It features many rare clips of his films and is a great primer for those just learning about the master craftsman.
All in all this is a must own set of Chaney films for all of his fans and those of the silent era in general.All of the films,though mostly truncated,are mighty nice to look at and a testament to the man of a thousand faces and his peerless acting ability.They do NOT make 'em like Chaney anymore...and we are the poorer for it.

Lon Chaney was perhaps the greatest cinematic contortionist in the history of cinema. His gimmick was to use make up as camouflage, thereby appearing in each film with a completely different and unique look; most of them hideous. In this box set we get three of Lon's chameleons; The Ace of Hearts, Laugh, Clown, Laugh and The Unknown - where Chaney convincingly plays an armless knife throwing circus performer opposite Joan Crawford.
THE TRANSFER: Each film is presented in its most complete surviving version. The B&W and tinted color elements are remarkably pristine, considering the vintage. Though age related artifacts are present throughout they do not distract and quite often vanish into the backdrop of each engrossing story. Shadow and contrast levels are perfectly balanced. Image flickering and film grain are kept at their minimal levels. As these are "silent" movies we get a newly remastered 5.1 scoring that is amply presented across all channels of one's home theater set up.
EXTRAS: A wonderfully comprehensive documentary on Chaney's life, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, as presented on Turner Classic Movies. A reconstruction of "London After Midnight" a film that no longer exists in any form other than still photographs. Also an audio commentary track for each of the feature films in this box set.
BOTTOM LINE: This is an incredibly well done tribute to the silent cinema's haunted man of immeasurable mysteries and one that is well worth your time and your money.

"The Lon Chaney Collection"is one of the best DVD's of 2003.I'm a 14 year old Lon Chaney fan,and this will defintely be one of the best things I'll own my whole life. "The Lon Chaney Collection" has two discs. Disc one has an introduction by Robert Osborne and the Lon Chaney movies "The Ace of Hearts" and "Laugh,Clown,Laugh". Disc two has the Lon Chaney movies "The Unknown" and the "lost" 1927 film "London After Midnight". Also included is "Lon Chaney:A Thousand Faces", a documentary about the life and films of Lon Chaney. The best film on "The Lon Chaney Collection" is "Laugh,Clown,Laugh". "Laugh,Clown,Laugh" is about a man named Tito (played by Lon Chaney) whose job is playing Flik,a circus clown who entertains people and makes people laugh. One day, Tito finds a little girl who has been abandoned. Tito asks his partner to take care of this abandoned little girl- but he refuses- because he believes women bring bad luck. So Tito takes care of this little girl, and soon she becomes a woman. Tito and his partner fall in love with her, and there is a dispute over who is going to love her. The most interesting film Lon Chaney ever made-it's my all time favorite Lon Chaney movie. The best part of "The Lon Chaney Collection" is the "lost" 1927 film "London After Midnight", where a man is found dead in his London home. Investigators aren't sure if the death was murder or suicide-but then get some evidence the supposed victim is still alive. "London After Midnight" was released in 1927 and was "lost"in a fire in 1962. Because of this, there is a photo reconstruction. "The Lon Chaney Collection" is a must have for all silent film fans.

This is an EXCELLENT set of Lon Chaney DVDs! All I will say about the three wonderful features here is that unlike most silent films that date badly and put you to sleep, each of them will draw you in until you can't stop watching them until they're over. Great stories and Chaney in my opinion was the KING of "method acting."

The DVD of the Chaney documentary is a great way to learn more about the master after wathcing the three of these films. Look out for the extremely rare clip from "The Miracle Man" (1919). Most of that film remains lost, unfortuantely.

However, the still photographic reporduction of the lost "London After Midnight" is a bit much. In this day of computer graphic animation, this could have been done better (hint for possible future packaging).

But in either case, watch and enjoy the works of the master. After this, check out DVDs of "Sparrows," "The Penalty," "The Hunchback," and "The Phantom" (provided you get one with the color footage). Hopefully, "Zanzibar" and "He Who Gets Slapped" as well as the sound and silent versions of "The Unholy 3" will soon make it on to DVD. In the meantime-enjoy.

No need to read all the reviewers who felt compelled to write book-length bios of Chaney and/or commentary on the films. It's just showing off. If you don't know Lon Chaney Sr. or only know a little (ie. Hunchback or Phantom), here's all you need: The man was a genius, plain and simple, and this set illustrates it perfectly. Buy it.

I first came to know Lon Chaney through Turner Classic Movies and I have been an admirer and fan ever since. Lon Chaney was the only silent film star I've ever seen that could portray complex human emotions without making them seem contribed or fake. Even through all that makeup the heart of the character can clearly be seen. And he also did all of this without sound.

Although his classics are monster films like Phantom and Hunchback, this collection highlights three of his best films outside the horror genre. The three films have a similar theme: Chaney's character is in love with a woman who's in love with someone else. In the end, except for The Unknown, he realizes that if he can't have her at least he can leave her happy and that becomes more important to him. Laugh, Clown, Laugh is my favorite of this collection.

Here's hoping this collection introduces him to more people and shows others that he can do more beyond monster movies!

Warner Home Video has just released the 2-disc DVD "Lon Chaney Collection"; 3 complete films, scene selections, photo galleries, audio commentaries by Michael Blake, and an intimate Chaney documentary. The first film is Goldwyn Pictures' 1921 "Ace of Hearts", with Chaney at the center of a vigilante secret society. The second movie is MGM's macabre 1927 masterpiece "The Unknown", directed by Tod Browning. Chaney stars as a deranged carnival knife-thrower who sacrifices his human limbs to enter the arms of the young girl he loves. Co-starring is 23-year-old Joan Crawford. "The Unknown" was thought to be a lost film for many years. In the early 1970's, Cinematheque Francaise discovered metal cans containing unidentified reels of film. The canisters were marked "L'Inconnu", French for "Unknown". The third is MGM's 1928 "Laugh, Clown, Laugh", a mesmerizing love story with Chaney as Tito, a jovial circus performer. Tito finds a young baby girl by the river's edge(abandoned by her parents), and adopts the tiny waif as his own. This begins his life-long love of the girl, then the woman, known simply as Simonetta. Chaney's anguished portrait of the aging clown, transfixed by a lovely young woman, is charismatic and eloquent. Simonetta is played by an enchanting 15-year-old Loretta Young. "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" has never been released on video or DVD before. It was first seen on TV in 2002 on TCM cable. If you have never seen this film, I envy the pleasure you are about to enjoy. You also receive the photo gallery/continuity-script recreation of 1927's "London After Midnight". After 1930, the negative and print of "London After Midnight" was stored away in vault 7 at MGM. The print, still in good shape, was viewed along with Tod Browning's sound re-make, "Mark of the Vampire", in 1935. The last known record of the film was in a note in the studio files in 1955. Twenty years later, a fire in vault 7, caused by ignition of improperly stored nitrate film, destroyed the last known print and original negative. "London After Midnight" is the most famous "lost film" of all time. Born into poverty, the object of ridicule(his parents were deaf and dumb), Lon Chaney perservered. Juggling low-paying jobs and a new son, his first wife attempted suicide in 1913. The scandal collapsed Chaney's theater career, and he started over in the fledging L.A. movie business. Chaney would eventually triumph, transforming misfortune into a series of radiant, elegant silent film roles. In 1930, Chaney signed for his first sound movie, unaware that it would prove to be his last. Already afflicted with the lung cancer that would kill him, he starred in "The Unholy Three". Chaney finally speaks to his adoring fans. Chaney portrays a convicted jewel thief, and in the final reel, says goodbye to his girl. He cracks a joke. Suddenly the girl cannot control her joy. Should she laugh or cry? Chaney reminds her: "Why don't you do a little bit of both? You know the gag. That's all there is to life. Just a little laugh, a little tear..."

For those of you who only know Lon Chaney as The Phantom or Quasimodo and for those who don't know him at all, this collection is the ideal introduction to one of the most gifted artists to ever step in front of a camera. Start first with the British documentary on Chaney narrated by Kenneth Brannagh to give yourself some background. The first movie to watch is LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH (reportedly Chaney's favorite among his films) which ably demonstrates his ability to convey deeply felt emotions by the use of his body language and without heavy make-up although he does wear clown make-up at the end. Also the 15 year old Loretta Young is remarkable in her feature film debut. Follow that with THE ACE OF HEARTS which is the weakest of the three but still a pretty good film that allows Chaney the opportunity to shine in a fascinating storyline that is still of interest today. Save Tod Browning's THE UNKNOWN for last as it is truly a one of a kind film that will stay with you long after it's over. Chaney plays an armless knife thrower who isn't really armless while a young Joan Crawford has a phobia about being touched. Even more bizarre than it sounds with vivid performances and an astonishing visual composition. Each movie is taken from the best available source material and comes with a newly recorded score composed specifically for each film. View the other supplements whenever you choose to get a fully rounded picture of this incredible talent. All in all a remarkable set at a good price. Like the PHANTOM and METROPOLIS DVD's released earlier this year, this is how it should be done. Hopefully Turner Classic Movies can now turn their attention to the other classic M-G-M silents in their library (BEN HUR, GREED, THE BIG PARADE, THE WIND) and release them as well. For the next deluxe package how about "The Greta Garbo Collection". Thanks to efforts like this, the art of the silent film is alive and well and being passed on to a new generation of film lovers.

Lon Chaney was and is still built today as Hollywood's first horror actor. However, Chaney was much more than just that. He was Hollywood's first CHARACTER actor. He was a true acting master of his time. This DVD set shows you just why he is still thought of today as an amazing actor and man. Its features include:

The Ace of Hearts
Laugh Clown, Laugh (said to be Chaney's most favorite film)
The Unknown

*BONUS FEATURES:
Documentary - Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
London After Midnight (Still Photo Reconstruction)
Audio Commentaries by Michael F. Blake
Photo/Memorabilia Galleries
Behind the Scenes of the films' musical scores
Special Introductions by TCM host Robert Osborne

Overall, this two-disc set is an amazing package! I would have liked if they would have included another disc with possibly two or three more films, but the set as it is has plenty of footage and features to keep you coming back for more! No true Chaney or Horror-movie fan can pass up this great set!

Lon Chaney clearly thrived at the MGM studios and this DVD is a fine selection of 3 of his films. The Ace of Hearts was one of his four films made for Goldwyn Pictures (sadly, only this and The Penalty have survived). Laugh Clown Laugh and The Unknown are two of his finest films at Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. Both feature outstanding performances by Chaney.

This is the first set of Chaney silents released by Warner Home Video. Not mentioned, it also features the TV reconstruction of London After Midnight. If you're a silent film fan or just someone who loves movies, this set is a must-have.

Extras include a documentary on Lon Chaney by Kevin Brownlow and commentaries for the 3 main films by Chaney historian Michael F. Blake.