Man of a Thousand Faces
Directed by Joseph Pevney
Written by R. Wright Campbell, Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts; story by Ralph Wheelwright
1957/USA
Universal International Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Creighton Chaney at 13: Say, Pop! There’s a great new joke going around school. “Don’t step on that spider. It might be Lon Chaney.”[/box]
Man of a Thousand Faces is a solid biopic featuring one of James Cagney’s classic performances. If the story is true, poor Lon Chaney Jr. had one messed up childhood.
Lon Chaney Sr.’s (Cagney) parents were both deaf-mutes. He was born with a chip on his shoulder, a fighting spirit, and sympathy for those who are “diffferent” due to all the teasing he took. When he is grown he goes on stage on the vaudeville circuit, teaming up with Cleva Creighton (Dorothy Malone). They marry and she announces she is pregnant. Only then does he take her home to meet his parents, never having revealed their deafness. He had been rightly afraid of her reaction, which is something akin to discovering they have leprosy. The neurotic Cleva is convinced their baby will be deaf as well and announces she no longer wants the baby.
To everyone’s relief, Creighton (the future Lon Chaney Jr.) can hear. Nevertheless, Cleva never does become a doting mother. Half the time, she leaves the boy backstage with Chaney, where he is doted on by Hazel Bennet (Jane Greer). Over the vehement objection of her husband, Cleva finally gets work as a singer and hits the big time. Eventually, after considerable drama, she disappears, and Chaney sues for divorce. The judge decides the single Chaney cannot provide his son with a “proper home”, makes him a ward of the court, and puts him in a sort of orphanage.
Cheney is desperate to make money for a better life for Creighton and learns that Hollywood may offer that opportunity. His talent for changing his appearance leads to lots of work as an extra which blossoms into leading roles. Nothing changes the court’s mind however until Hazel Bennet puts in an appearance and offers the oblivious Chaney her hand in marriage.
Creighton is reunited with his family and is told his mother is dead. There are some happy years before the boy is faced with the truth – a truth that threatens to permanently sever ties with his father.
Cagney is excellent, particularly where he performs as Chaney in his vaudeville act and movie roles. His leading ladies are also good. (It took me awhile to figure out where I had seen Greer before!). This movie does not give one warm and fuzzy feelings about Chaney as a person though. He seems to have been a bit of an autocrat and a fairly cold fish despite, or perhaps because of, his genius. It was very sad to see that deaf people were treated like freaks at one time.
Man of a Thousand Faces was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.
Make-up Artist Rick Baker – Trailers from Hell
