User reviews

I think it's a mistake to compare silent movies in general to modern films. The medium is just plain different- subtlety isn't a strong point- kind of like vaudeville. This movie is a great little snippet of history. The story- about anarchists preparing to assassinate a "bad man" is very current for its time- only 3 years after WWI- caused by the assassination of a world figure by an anarchist. So, the message of the movie, that love trumps anarchy was current, and timely. Lon Chaney was a master of silent emoting- and yes, perhaps the acting seems stylized and mannered, but taken in context, it's a great deal of fun. It's also an interesting portrayal of a woman within a political movement- first as an ideologue detached from love and romance and then as a woman consumed by her passion and ready for her husband to abandon his principles to remain at her side. She's in some ways the villain of this piece- and in some ways the hero. Very nice shades of ethical grays.

...the plot isn't particularly strong to begin with; one has to have a good knowledge of the post-WW1 "Red Scare" to get out of it what the filmmakers intended, and even then it's not much to speak of. However, that actually works in an odd way, since it allows for this picture to be an example of how Lon Chaney's acting talents contributed to his movies. They truly carry the show here, especially the subtleties of his facial expressions. There's also a rare opportunity to see John Bowers, one of the stars of silent cinema whose career came to a screeching halt with the advent of talkies; the character of Norman Maine in the first two Hollywood productions of A STAR IS BORN was in part based on Bowers. It's also interesting to see the original Goldwyn Pictures logo at the beginning of the picture, before the design was only slightly adapted for use by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer three years later...

... and yet he still commands your attention. Here, Chaney is part of some secret society that apparently summarily executes people whom they think have "lived too long". And I'm not talking about nonagenarians in poor health. They have made that decision against some industrialist who they say "failed to make the world better". They get a close-up view of him by posing as waiters even a portrait painter, and report on his perceived state of mind. So these people are essentially terrorists and anarchists without ever using those words. What a bold theme about which to make a movie in 1921, with the very recent Red Scares.

So the group always decides who carries out these executions by drawing cards until the Ace of Hearts is drawn. The group is very egalitarian in that even the one female member could be chosen. You see, all of the members of the society are men except Lilith (Leatrice Joy) and she does NOT look like Emma Goldman. Farallone (Chaney) and Forrest (John Bowers) are in love with her, and thus want to compete for her affection by drawing the card. Anybody who draws the card could be killed in the assassination attempt, since the device to be used is a disguised explosive device with a supposed time delay, but would it work or just instantaneously ignite?

You'll have to watch and find out if the morality of all of this deciding life and death extra-judicially is ever discussed. I will say that the film creeps along at a snail's pace and the acting technique is rather broad and antiquated for one from the 1920s, even the beginning of the twenties. It is worthwhile to see Chaney effectively use his acting chops in a film that isn't quite up to his talents. For Chaney fans, probably the best scene in the film is Chaney, spending the night on a park bench in a blinding storm, soaked to the bone, diligently keeping a vigil of sorts from a distance.

"The Ace of Hearts" is essentially another variation of the eternal triangle. As was usually the case Lon Chaney doesn't get the girl.

The plot involves a secret society referred to as "The Cause", a vigilante group of seven men and one woman who decide to rid the world of people who were in a position to do some good in the world but did not for their own selfish reasons. The group led by Mr. Morgridge (Hardee Kirkland) has chosen its next victim. The group is then dealt cards until one of them is dealt the ace of hearts. The holder of the ace of hearts is then given "the honor" of carrying out the execution.

Within the group are Mr. Farallone (Lon Chaney), Lilith (Leatrice Joy) and Mr. Forrest (John Bowers). Forrest draws the fateful ace of hearts and eagerly looks forward to the task at hand. Lilith was absent from the meeting so Farallone and Forrest, who are both in love with her, go to see her and tell her the news. She rejects Farallone's advances, but agrees to marry Forrest if as she says, that will provide him with the courage he needs.

The couple marry and return to Lilith's apartment for their wedding night. Broken hearted lover Farallone greets them to ensure that they did in fact get married. Later as the couple retires and turn out the lights, we see the pathetic Farallone standing in a driving rain lamenting his lost love. This scene alone makes the movie worthwhile. Chaney could show such emotion facially that one cannot help but feel pity for the distraught lover. This was a method Chaney would repeat in many of his other films as well.

When it comes time to murder "The man who has lived too long" (Raymond Hatton), Forrest, having succumbed to the tender love of Lilith, sees the error of the plot and backs down. Later, the committee condemns Forrest to death for his failure to carry out his assignment. But Farallone sees a way to give the couple their freedom.

Chaney plays what amounts to a supporting role here as the story centers more on the Forrest and Lilith characters, but as I pointed out, Chaney steals the film with that aforementioned scene in the rain. Raymond Hatton by the way, went on to a lengthy career in "B" westerns in the 30s and 40s usually playing the crusty old sidekick.

Vintage Chaney.

The members of a secret society vote on condemning a man to death. Two members of the society, Farralone and Forrest, are in love with the only female member, Lilith. Lilith deals cards to the members, and Forrest gets the ace of hearts, which means he has the "honor" to kill the victim the next day. Lilith agrees to marry Forrest that night, and then tries to convince him not to go through with the murder. But Forrest feels duty bound to carry out the deed. Lilith tries to get Farralone to intercede, but he offers her a bargain instead. Circumstances prevent Forrest from committing the murder, which causes the other members to condemn him to death. Farralone gets the ace of hearts. But he has another plan in mind. He begins to laugh ...

I've seen this twice, and upon further review, I can say it's an interesting story, but it's almost done in by some overacting by the three leads.

There are also plenty of holes in the film. I wanted to know how this society was formed, why it only has one female member, why Chaney has a George Washington haircut, why everyone except Bowers and Joy looks to be in their 50s or 60s, why they chose their victim (referring to him as "the man who lived too long"), etc. If you can ignore all this, you'll probably like the film.

Although I've seen the standard Lon Chaney horror classics in the past--such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925)--I haven't seen them for a while. This is the first of Chaney's less currently popular films that I've seen. I was very impressed. Although it wasn't just Chaney, but everything about The Ace of Hearts that "clicked" for me on this viewing.

Despite the conventional wisdom, I think The Ace of Hearts works marvelously if you don't have the background information on the story. I think that was part of my attraction to it--it's presented as something of a mystery. As shown on screen, the film concerns some kind of very solemn secret society who have decided that a particular individual is a "Man Who Has Lived Too Long".

We learn that some members of the secret society have been interacting with him--one, Mr. Forrest (John Bowers), has regularly served as his waiter for breakfast for a number of years. "The Man Who Has Lived Too Long" has been going to the same restaurant at 9:00 a.m. every day. Another, Mr. Farallone (Chaney), has been painting "The Man Who Has Lived Too Long's" portrait. We learn the procedure for the secret society's carrying out of their death sentences, which involves the executioner being "randomly" chosen by receiving the Ace of Hearts. The executioner is chosen, and he's given the tools he needs for the job as a plan is settled on. All that's left is to carry out the sentence. However, there's a snag when the executioner has second thoughts, and The Ace of Hearts becomes something of a twisted parable about morality.

As presented in the film, we never learn very much about who the main characters are, who their villain is, and so on. The story stays extremely focused on the plot, which is deceptively simple. There are only two aspects--the machinations of the secret society planning and attempting to carry out the death sentence and a love triangle between Mr. Forrest, Mr. Farallone and Lilith (Leatrice Joy), the only female member of the secret society.

Without knowing the background information that fueled the film, The Ace of Hearts is a taut, metaphorical work about "the power of love". Early in the film, one member of the secret society expresses relief that he wasn't chosen as the executioner because he has a wife and kids at home--there is a chance that the executioner may come to harm while carrying out the sentence. The eventual kink in the plan arises because of love, through an ironic plot development that was initially to give the executioner strength, or added resolve, but that ended up undermining the operation. And the final resolution of the film arises through love and a realization that the final course of action is the right one ethically.

Chaney is amazing in his ability to convey complex emotions and thought without the aid of sound. Apparently, his abilities developed partially out of the fact that his parents were deaf, and he learned how to communicate with and even entertain his ailing mother through gestures.

Wallace Worsley's direction is inventive. Goldwyn films were relatively low budget at the time, so costs were cut by keeping sets to a minimum, for instance. Worsley gets maximum mileage out of the few sets in the film. He uses a well-planned mix of economic shots to easily convey the plot. The few shots set "outside" are extremely effective, with the torrential rain and hurricane-force winds (both caused by technical limitations of the effects at the time) lending an appropriately gloomy atmosphere in crucial scenes. It's just too bad that there aren't very clean prints of the film floating around, or that spending time and money to clean them up wouldn't be justified financially.

Another big factor that helped me love this film is the DVD version I watched--Turner Classic Movies' "Archives" Lon Chaney Collection release. This features a new score by Vivek Maddala that is simply fantastic. It's even more incredible when we consider that this was Maddala's first score--he obtained the gig by winning a contest that TCM hosted. The score is beautiful and modern, with inventive harmonies. It always meshes exquisitely with the action, and goes far in helping to tell the story.

But what about that background information? Well, even though I don't think it's necessary to enjoy the film, it's interesting in its own right. The story, by Gouverneur Morris, was a response to the first "Red Scare" in the U.S., from 1917 to 1920. Although the roots were complex and associated with World War I, all one needs to know is that the Red Scare involved anti-communist ideology, connected to communist paranoia among the public.

Thus, the "secret society" in the film is supposed to be a Russian communist group (although they're often said to be intended as anarchists, but that's complicated, as well, as "anarchist" can mean very different political ideologies). Lon Chaney's character was originally named Rattavich, but the script was eventually generalized to avoid the more overt politicizations. Under this interpretation of the film, the "Man Who Has Lived Too Long" is a capitalist whom the communist secret society feels the need to assassinate--sometimes this is seen as something of a parallel to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria, which is said to be one of the causes of the first World War. This interpretation helps explain how a film that is mostly on the "wrong" side of the moral compass, or even nihilistic (until the ending), made it past the censors. Whatever the reasons, though, it's a refreshing, unusual and well-made film that gains bizarre, eerie universality through its ambiguity.

In October 2000 Turner Classic Movies aired for the first time on television The Ace of Hearts. Although this may not be Lon's most famous movie it is still a good one. The movie is about a secret society who seek to rid the world of wealthy capitalist. The member who draws the ace of hearts gets to kill the capitalist. This is also a love story. Lon loves this girl who loves someone else. The girl loves the man who is going to kill the capitalist but love changes their attitude about the whole thing. The society kills it's members who betray them. Will Lon save the girl he loves? Will the capitalist be murdered? This movie now has a new music score! My hat off to TCM for airing the movie and for making the music score possible. The print is in very good shape. It's very scratchy in places but all in all very clear. What do we expect for a movie 80 years old. TCM probably used the best, if not the only, print in existance. TCM should be showing the movie soon and often from now on. The Ace of Hearts is a must for Chaney fans.

Although the plot is definitely one of its weaker points, it is nevertheless an entertaining and well done movie. Turner Classic Movies has recently re-mastered, restored and re-scored the film and it is quite an impressive effort. The political basis of the plot is rather hard to believe, but the love triangle is quite touching. Lon Chaney's character is very convincing, if a bit over the top (which can be quite common in silent pictures.) Leatrice Joy and John Bowers are also quite good as the lovers who second guess their original political beliefs.

This tense, interesting drama features a story full of suspense and a typically fine performance by Lon Chaney. The combination of an assassination plot with a romantic rivalry is hardly unique, but it works particularly well in this setting, and it is used to bring out a number of ideas with significance that go beyond the events themselves. Although set in its own era and to some degree connected with political concerns of the early 1920s, it probably works even better when it is removed from the historical context, since this allows the plot to work on a higher level.

It starts with a secret society planning the death of a powerful man who in some undefined way poses a menace to society. It's both interesting and effective that the particular offenses of 'the man who has lived too long' are never detailed. Thus, instead of focusing a debate on whether or not the specific things he has done ought to be punished, the questions become broader: whether it is right to use violence to punish a dangerous or evil person outside of the law, and whether it would ever be right to harm innocent persons in the process. These kinds of questions are at least as important now as they were at the time, and the movie provides a worthwhile perspective.

Chaney's character here has little of the make-up and disguises for which Chaney was well- known, so that his considerable acting talents do the work instead. His character is at the same time a broken-hearted suitor and a vengeful member of the radical group, often with conflicting motives, which gives Chaney lots of material to work with.

The first part sets up the story in a careful and intriguing way. The middle part moves more slowly, and focuses most of the attention on the radical couple played by Leatrice Joy and John Bowers. Both are adequate, but their scenes together sometimes lack intensity, and even in limited screen time Chaney still has the stronger presence during this stretch. The couple's agonized soul-searching then sets up some very tense moments in the last part of the movie.

THE ACE OF HEARTS is a strange, haunting tale about a mysterious club devoted to the elimination of "the man who lived too long." LON CHANEY is a member of this group of assassins who are determined to end the life of someone they've decided to kill. All of their motivations are never fully explained.

The plot thickens when Chaney is not assigned the task, but the job is given to a man in love with LEATRICE JOY--as is Chaney. When the man cannot do the job, the club turns to him when he inadvertently chooses the Ace of Hearts and is expected to carry out the kill and thereby win the heart of Miss Joy. Strange indeed, as far as the plot goes. To tell more, would be to give away the twist ending.

There's a mysterious element throughout, due partly to the story itself and the masterful photography capturing dark and windy scenes in a way that adds to the suspense. But the acting is strictly from the silent era, which means nobody gives the sort of performance today's viewer would find natural.

Even Chaney is given to extreme posturing to portray a man frustrated in love and finding irony in the situation he finds himself in. He wears none of the extensive make-up usually associated with his parts, but it's not one of his most distinguished roles.

Fans of the famed actor should find it worth viewing.

WARNING: These comments may reveal portions of the film plot.

"The Ace of Hearts" was a surprisingly interesting film. It had an interesting storyline and good acting. It also presented women in an organization that for 1921 was ahead of its time.

STORY: The story is very interesting. The idea of a group of people who try to kill "evil" businessmen because the businessmen care more about money than the world was not at all what I would expect from a 1921 film.

SETS/SPECIAL EFFECTS: Nothing special here. C'mon, it was 1921! On the other hand, the sets were reflected the setting -- Urban. And the final shot of the arm removed from the body was effectively done, again a surprise for 1921.

MUSIC/SOUNDTRACK: I had the opportunity to see the restored version of the film, with a new soundtrack by Vivek Maddala, who won a competition on TCM to create the track. The music was OUTSTANDING -- I can see how this 20-something won the competition. It set the tone, flowed with the action, and helped to increase the effect of the film.

MAKEUP/COSTUMES: Again, nothing special. One thing that did surprise me was that even though this was a silent, the actors didn't look "pasty" as they often did in early films.

ACTING/DIRECTING: Another surprise. Lon Chaney and all the cast did a good job, without resorting to the overacting so often seen in silents. The solemnity of the story was matched perfectly. The only time it goes over-the-top is when Chaney realizes he can never have the love of his life.

PARENTAL WARNING: None, with the exception of a dis-embodied arm at the end of the film, but there is no gore associated with the scene.

OVERALL: I liked this film. I found it memorable and surprising on many fronts, as already noted. I think the story was far ahead of its time, and would actually be an interesting setup for a remake today.

An anarchist group decides that one man has lived too long. His executioner will be determined by chance. One of the group deals out cards to the rest. The one who gets the ace of hearts becomes the assassin. Two young men (Lon Chaney and John Bowers) desperately want that card. They are both courting the sole female member (Leatrice Joy), who thinks of nothing but The Cause. When Fate deals her own hand, one of the suitors (Chaney) must determine if he really loves the girl—or merely wants to possess her.

The themes of love, honor, unrequited love and self-sacrifice pervade this fine suspense thriller. The script, written by Ruth Wightman from a story by Gouverneur Morris, and directed by Wallace Worsley, is extraordinarily deft at creating and maintaining suspense. All the details—what we see and don't see; what we are told about this anarchist group and what we're left to guess; and the moment when a certain character is at last introduced—are well chosen. The film only loses its footing briefly during the fatuous intertitles near the end ("Love is construction!").

Lon Chaney is a great actor, but that doesn't mean he's perfect. He has a great face and a way of compelling our attention and sympathies. I think his main defect is best demonstrated by the scene where Lilith shows up at the door, and he expresses shock. He was clearly expecting this "shock." Lon Chaney is not always what actors call "living in the moment"—feeling things as the character feels them without anticipating the next line in the script. His ability to concentrate on his performance is said to have been intense; but he doesn't always live with his character moment by moment. The trouble is not his era's acting style. Even though people have knocked silent movie acting since the days of silent movies, the exaggerated expressions and gestures are really very powerful. So they are with Chaney.

This excellent silent film was given an enormous boost in 2000 when Vivek Maddala won a competition and was hired to write the score, a job he performed beautifully. My high rating applies to the 2000 version of this film.

There's a lot of mystery involved with this movie - certainly enough to keep you watching, even if silent movies aren't exactly your favourite. The story revolves around "The Brotherhood" - some sort of secret society whose apparently self-appointed mission is to rid the world of men they consider evil - by murdering them. It's never clearly explained what criteria The Brotherhood uses to establish how evil a person is - or how they select their victims, since the world must surely be full of "evil" people. There's also great mystery - which is really left totally unexplained - about the victim - identified in the movie as "The Man Who Has Lived Too Long." He only appears in one scene - in the restaurant where he's supposed to be killed.

Along with those mysteries is the intertwining love story that really holds the plot together. Lilith is apparently (another mystery here) the only woman who is involved with The Brotherhood, and she's is the object of two men's affections - Forrest's and Farallone's. Farallone is played by Lon Chaney. When Forrest draws the assignment of killing the victim by being dealt the ace of hearts (which is how The Brotherhood decides who will carry out their assignments) Lilith agrees to marry him - increasing the rivalry with Farallone, and giving Forrest reason not to do the killing. In the end, love conquers, as Farallone sacrifices himself and the brotherhood to allow Lilith and Forrest to enjoy their lives together.

I would have liked some of the mysteries to be tied up, but they weren't. The story of love conquering was a bit too sweet, perhaps, but the performances were great - some of the best performances I've seen in the silent movies I've watched - not overly exaggerated but definitely making clear what was happening in the story. Overall, I enjoyed this.

On a windy night, a group of eight men introduced only as a "Certain Brotherhood" meet to decide whether or not to murder the latest subject of their investigation. Among the clandestine group's members are sullen artist Lon Chaney (as Farallone) and his good-looking rival John Bowers (as Forrest). We quickly learn both men are in love with the group's absent ninth member, and only female, lovely Leatrice Joy (as Lilith), who has given the group permission to proceed without her.

While working undercover as a waiter for three month, Mr. Bowers has had the opportunity to observe the group's latest target. When asked his opinion on the man's worth, Bowers states, "Each day this man grows greater in vainglory and cruelty. He has lived too long!" Mr. Chaney, who has been working on the man's portrait, agrees, "He has lived a thousand times too long! Death!" the group votes unanimously to kill their hated enemy Raymond Hatton (as "The Menace").

Their weapon will be a bomb, which can be set to explode in five minutes. The members are aware the job could prove fatal, but consider it an honor to die for "The Cause". To decide who will be responsible for the latest killing, the group employ their regular method. It is explained, "According to our ancient custom, the man who has lived too long will be put to death by that one among us to whom shall be dealt the Ace of Hearts." Expect sacrifice, betrayal, and the unexpected…

"The Ace of Hearts" re-teams star Chaney, director Wallace Worsley and writer Gouverneur Morris; the trio who had just unleashed the marvelously grotesque "The Penalty" (1920) on an unsuspecting public. Wisely deciding not to even attempt performing a similar stunt, they went for a lower key. But, while "The Acre of Heats" has everyone looking more like upstanding citizens, the filmmakers dealt "The Ace of Hearts" from the bottom of the deck. Here, sordidness looks sweeter.

The three lugubrious and emoting star players are all terrorists, and proudly so; whatever you think of the circumstances involving the bombings within the story, we are told that this group routinely carries out these murders. And, however implausible the events on screen seem, they are certainly captivating. Cinematographer Donovan Short gives it a glow-in-the-dark" look. Also note how effectively "extras" Cullen Landis and Raymond Hatton represent good and evil, in the restaurant scene.

********* The Ace of Hearts (9/17/21) Wallace Worsley ~ Lon Chaney, Leatrice Joy, John Bowers, Cullen Landis

Lon Chaney and John Bowers both love Leatrice Joy. They are members of a secret organization modeled on anarchist groups of the day that kills people it thinks the world would be better off without. Leatrice Joy is more interested in the (unspecified) Cause, but when John Bowers is picked to bomb the latest victim, she agrees to marry him. Lon Chaney agrees to help John Bowers and John Bowers flee the organization if Bowers survives the operation, but only if she will marry Chaney if Bowers gets killed. If you really care, you will have to see the movie for the Hollywood ending.

A rare chance to see Lon Chaney's face without much makeup.

Lon Chaney belongs to some middleclass terrorist group that assassinates rich guys. He loves the lone woman in the secret society, but she love another. The plot had to be dumb even in 1921 and Chaney's overacting had to be too much even in those days.

Still, the silent film technique reminds one just how much time is wasted today on mindless dialogue. The film moves quickly and its moody visuals almost makes up for the silly story. When Chaney isn't pounding his chest, his face tells exactly enough.

"The Ace of Hearts" is a fascinating curiosity piece, and it has an excellent and evocative new symphonic score commissioned by Turner Classic Movies. Many thanks to TCM for its preservation and enhancement of our silent film heritage.