The Man with Two Faces

If this film has a weak spot it's the story's details. Without giving anything away the whole idea of Vance's (Calhern) Svengali-like hypnotic effect on his wife (Astor) is a bit far-fetched, even for 1934. And quite frankly Robinson's disguise left a lot to be desired. And let's not forget the clue that clinched the policeman's case. I can't imagine building a case of such flimsy evidence. There's other areas of concern but I digress. Now for the good part: where the film shines is in the performances. This bevy of fine actors does a most excellent job at presenting complex characters driven by events not of their own choosing. It's a pretty talky film but I didn't mind in the least. The dialog is spirited, lively, expressive. And the performers tended to make me forget the plot's weak points. They were captivating, all of them, Robinson, Astor, Calhern, Cortez (in a rare good guy part), and last but not least, Mae Clarke, in my opinion a most underrated actor.

Great acting from Robinson, and a little over the top, but enjoyably so, from Calhern and Astor. Very stagey, but good setups and moving camera. Beware the plot synopsis in the TV Guide movie database. It seems to describe the ending of the play, but the movie (a censored version?), which played on TCM, has a more ambiguous ending which works better and is more interesting (to me, at least). (Not that I'm for censorship, but sometimes...) Ironically, the play had a happy ending, and that is the one described by TV Guide and Maltin. It's amusing to see when the established references contain reviews that were written by people who had not seen the entire film, and in some cases not at all.

Edward G. Robinson always gives a solid performance, but in The Man with Two Faces, he's given the wonderful opportunity to play a double part and show off the French accent he could have used if he'd been cast in The Story of Louis Pasteur. He's really fantastic, and if you aren't looking for it, you might not even recognize that it's him!

Eddie G plays a theater director who also acts alongside his sister, Mary Astor. Mary used to be married and controlled by her evil husband, but after she died, she was able to enjoy freedom and a renewed career. Unfortunately, her husband isn't as dead as everyone thought, and Louis Calhern makes an entrance right before the Broadway debut. Louis is so incredibly creepy, it's a wonder he had any career after this film. Mary is literally hypnotized by him and turns into an obeying robot whenever in his presence. It's eerie, and you'll probably feel like you need a good scrubbing after watching the movie. I had a double feature handy for later in the evening, even though Eddie G's performance was very entertaining to watch.

Edward G. Robinson turns in a pair of great performances as both an actor theatrical impresario and as a character he plays out in real life as a possible investor in his new show which stars his sister Mary Astor. Thus Robinson becomes The Man With Two Faces.

Things seem to be going well when Louis Calhern shows up. He was actually thought dead and had very few who mourned him. Calhern is a thorough going cad, in a few years his would have been a part that George Sanders would have relished. But he has a strange Svengali like influence over Astor and for her sake he's barely tolerated.

Robinson has had a scheme long in the making about Calhern. The problem is that Calhern is in need of money. That's where Robinson as the investor comes in.

Don't want to give too much away. The film is based on a George S. Kaufman-Alexander Woollcott play The Dark Tower. I thought it a strange product for Kaufman. None of the satirical wit is present or at least in this film version, it might have been drained antiseptic by the newly placed Code.

However Robinson is outstanding and his fans should The Man With Two Faces.

This movie is a nice little gem, mainly for the witty dialog and impressive rank of actors who clearly enjoyed their work. No surprise there -- just look at the writers, source material and cast. Even the supporting players had great lines that they delivered with gusto. None of it is very realistic, but the set-up is great, much of the acting is over-the-top fun, and there is a great deal of humor. The finale is interesting -- it won't please everyone, but it is even-handed -- both pre-code and code aspects. See it and you will know what I mean. Incidentally, as another reviewer here noted, the TV Guide review (you have to go to the TV Guide website to see it) is WRONG about important parts of the plot and especially the ending. It is as though their reviewer did not see the movie!