Man of a Thousand Faces

Contrary to some, I feel that Lon Chaney would be dancing in the aisles with this movie. A tribute to him and his great works. Who cares if it may or may not closely resemble "real life!" What celluloid project is ever an absolute depiction? Personally, I thought it to be a movie film industry's fond and deep appreciation for an excellent multifaceted actor and I viewed it as such. Cagney may not resemble Chaney Sr. but he definitely captured Chaney's drive and dedication.

It was a great movie with great actors. I loved the first time I saw it and I love it just as much now, many years later. It's a grand piece and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Other reviewers have knocked the film because it is not historically accurate and I can't dispute that. But for me, James Cagney's performance makes this a film that is a must-see. True, the film is short on depicting Lon Chaney's film characters and although we do get to see Cagney in makeup as the Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera, the scenes are extremely brief. Most of the film depicts Chaney's conflict with his first wife, wonderfully played by the stunning Dorothy Malone - whew, what a knockout!- and the stormy relationship with his son.

The film is a soap opera but Cagney is wonderful showing that he can play drama, comedy and even dance and mime.

I just this afternoon watched Man of 1000 Faces starring the magnificent!! James Cagney.... what a talent he was... & this is a fine film bio of another screen great, Lon Chaney, Sr.../ Cagney is wonderful and gives a tour de force performance... why he wasn't Oscar nominated for this I'll never Know???? I do not know how accurate a film bio this is... but its entertaining and moving.. Cagney is the reason for seeing this film,,,he is ably supported by Dorothy Malone, (who sometimes tends to overemote but is effective in this), Jane Greer, looks and acts wonderfully, Jim Backus, and a very young Roger Smith... Good makeup, interesting plot, and Cagney's at top form... (maybe his least appreciated role) My parents introduced me to movies early on... Dad favored Warner Bros. Mom, MGM, but what treats and talents I inherited fom both...Warners gave us Bogey, Bette,and Cagney....MGM, Garbo, Gable & Crawford,), we will never see talents such as these again... rent or buy Man of 1000 Faces 1957 !

An excellent story, well told in the manner of the era the film was made. This means the story telling was paramount - thank heavens no tedious digital effects.

So what the story was loosely based on Chaney's life. In the 2 hours or so the film ran it was not possible to tell the whole story. So they use shortcuts and invention - so what. I bet more than one person started to research Chaney and other stories from the silent era. Interest stimulated...... job done.

Rather like the Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman stories, same applies. How many started to appreciate the music, they knew nothing of the inaccuracies. They saw a good story and heard some interesting music, helped me to start listening to jazz and I am grateful.

You will never satisfy the 'expert'.

Cagney plays Lon Chaney in this film about the great imitator's life. Chaney himself was a very private person, preferring the quiet of hearth and home to the wild Hollywood night life. Hollywood was where he worked, not a way of life. In this way both he and the man who plays him (James Cagney) have much in common.

Cagney and Chaney looked totally different, yet Cagney makes this role work. In Cagney's biography "Cagney on Cagney", he admits that the story takes certain liberties with Chaney's life as most biopics do, but there are many actual events in Chaney's life that are in the movie. Chaney was indeed the child of two deaf mute parents - he got his gift for pantomime in communicating with them. His first marriage was a rocky one, just as the film portrays. Whether the trouble started over his first wife believing that their child would be deaf and being horrified by the possibility as is portrayed in the film I don't know, but given early 20th century attitudes toward disability it is entirely possible.

The film whether accurate or not, was a loving tribute to Chaney that was instrumental in a revival of interest in his films. I consider this to be possibly Cagney's best performance in a mature role with maybe the exception of 1956's "These Wilder Years", which is seldom televised nor on VHS or DVD.