Movie Review: Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) directed by Joseph Pevney

James Cagney stars in this bio-pic of the famous silent film star Lon Chaney. The story starts with Irving Thalberg (Robert Evans), head of Universal Studios, remembering Chaney after his death. Chaney's parents were deaf and he was always very defensive of them, often getting in fights as a child when other kids would make fun. As an adult, he's still protective and prone to outbursts. His wife Cleva (Dorothy Malone) has her own troubles. The couple has a hard time working the entertainment circuit. Cleva is pregnant and insists on meeting Chaney's parents. He hasn't told her they are deaf, so when they get to the house she's both shocked by them and worried that their child might be born deaf. Chaney is not so concerned so they have fights about it. The child turns out okay but the couple has more struggles as they manage childcare with two different entertainment careers. Chaney wants her to stay at home but she feels smothered and alone. One of the chorus girls (Jane Greer) helps Chaney out when the boy is at his theater, which causes more jealousy and eventually tragic self-harm by Cleva. Chaney moves to Hollywood for a fresh start but loses his son to the welfare system since he doesn't have a steady job or a stable home. He works hard to get both so he can get his son back. He discovers it's easy to get jobs if you can get a fresh, tailor-made face for whatever role is needed, thus generating his PR moniker "The Man of a Thousand Faces."

The movie is much more focused on Chaney's family life than on his career. Sure, they hit the highlights and Cagney gets to do a bit of vaudeville and famous Chaney film scenes (the whipping of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and the unmasking of the Phantom of the Opera being the most famous). But the story is all about the tortured relationship between Chaney and his first wife. Both of them have flaws, ones that do not mix well and cause a lot of heartache. Their son gets caught in the middle though he as a character is mostly undeveloped. It's a fine (though very fictionalized) melodrama but is unsatisfying for fans who want to know more about his creative process and technical skills.

Mildly recommended.