False Faces

Dr. Silas Brenton (Lowell Sherman) is an extremely unethical surgeon. The story starts with him being discharged from the hospital where he worked due to his spectacularly absent ethics. So, instead of learning from this and behaving more ethically, he moves to another part of the country and sets himself up as a plastic surgeon to the rich and famous. The problem is that he has no training in this and he's more concerned with self-promotion instead of the health and well-being of his patients. As time passes, he becomes more and more audacious and you know that sooner or later his actions are going to land him in hot water.

The DVD cover for this reads: "Scandalous Pre-Code Classic". Well, since it debuted before July, 1934, it is Pre-Code...but scandalous? This makes the movie look like some sort of exploitation film or would at least imply that there's so really salacious content...which there isn't. Sure, it shows a highly unethical man...but the film could have been made and shown after the toughened Production Code was put into force. In other words, if you are looking for sleaze, well, this isn't really what you are going to see...though Dr. Brenton is a real jerk.

Is it worth seeing? Yes. Sherman's performance is enjoyably slimy and the film is never dull. It's a shame that the print on the Alpha Video DVD is so blurry and in need to restoration. Not a brilliant film but one worth seeing.