Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Writers:

Ralph Wheelwright (story)
R. Wright Campbell (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

October 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Only Two Women Knew The Secret Behind Lon Chaney, The Fabulous Man Of A Thousand Faces!

Plot:

Loose biography of actor Lon Chaney. Growing up with deaf parents, he learns what it is like to be different...

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Deaf Parent | Reference To Sherlock Holmes | Freelance Writer | Mob Of Reporters

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

James Cagney	...	Lon Chaney
Dorothy Malone	...	Cleva Creighton Chaney
Jane Greer	...	Hazel Bennet Chaney
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Gert
Jim Backus	...	Clarence Locan
Robert Evans	...	Irving Thalberg (as Robert J. Evans)
Celia Lovsky	...	Mrs. Chaney
Jeanne Cagney	...	Carrie Chaney
Jack Albertson	...	Dr. J. Wilson Shiels
Roger Smith	...	Creighton Chaney at 21
Robert Lyden	...	Creighton Chaney at 13
Rickie Sorensen	...	Creighton Chaney at 8
Dennis Rush	...	Creighton Chaney at 4
Nolan Leary	...	Pa Chaney
Simon Scott	...	Carl Hastings
Clarence Kolb	...	Clarence Kolb
Danny Beck	...	Max Dill
Philip Van Zandt	...	George Loane Tucker
Hank Mann	...	Comedy Waiter
'Snub' Pollard	...	Comedy Waiter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Halloran	...	Saloon Proprietor (scenes deleted)
Natalie Masters	...	Nurse (scenes deleted)
Harry Antrim	...	Cleva's Birth Doctor (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Miracle Man Extra (uncredited)
Russ Bender	...	Divorce Judge (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Vera, Housekeeper (uncredited)
June Blair	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Nicky Blair	...	Cameraman of 'Unholy Three' (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	David T. Stone (uncredited)
Harold Bostwick	...	Piano Player (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Mrs. Heinley (uncredited)
Robert Brubaker	...	Jack Conway, Director of 'Unholy Three' (uncredited)
John Bryant	...	William R. Darrow Jr. (uncredited)
Charles Cane	...	Studio Guard (uncredited)
Anna Lee Carroll	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Spencer Chan	...	Chinese Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)
Bill Chatham	...	Shadow Dancer (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Audience Extra (uncredited)
Billy Curtis	...	Harry Earles - Midget Actor in 'The Unholy Three' (uncredited)
Michael Dale	...	Reporter at Chaney's House (uncredited)
Troy Donahue	...	Assistant Director in Bullpen (uncredited)
Helene Drake	...	Script Supervisor, 'Laugh Clown Laugh' (uncredited)
Steve Drexel	...	Messenger Boy (uncredited)
Richard Emory	...	Assistant Director in Bullpen (uncredited)
William Flaherty	...	Assistant Director of 'Hunchback' (uncredited)
Elizabeth Flournoy	...	Thalberg's Secretary (uncredited)
Evelyn Ford	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Clem Fuller	...	Cowboy Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)
John George	...	Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)
Jerry Hartleben	...	Lon Chaney at 8 (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	...	Ivan Linow, Actor playing Hercules in 'Unholy Three' (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	...	Assistant Director in Bullpen (uncredited)
William Hudson	...	David Anderson, Reporter (uncredited)
Dave Kashner	...	Flogger of 'Hunchback' (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy	...	Audience at Eulogy (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Don, a Stagehand (uncredited)
Nancy Kilgas	...	Mary Philbin in 'Phantom' (uncredited)
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Police Lieutenant in Hospital (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Lighting Man of 'Unholy Three' (uncredited)
Louise Lane	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Hugh Lawrence	...	George Chaney (uncredited)
Walter Lawrence	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Emergency Room Doctor (uncredited)
Della Malzahn	...	Chorine (uncredited)
George E. Mather	...	Assistant Director in Bullpen (uncredited)
Joe Merritt	...	Assistant Director in Bullpen (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Director in Bullpen (uncredited)
Carol Morris	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Leo Needham	...	John Chaney (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Studio Guard (uncredited)
Hank Patterson	...	Scotty, Stage Door Man (uncredited)
George Pembroke	...	Mr. Tait (uncredited)
George Peters	...	Director of 'Hunchback' (uncredited)
Foster H. Phinney	...	Director of 'Phantom' (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	...	Reporter at Chaney's House (uncredited)
Mike Portanova	...	Assistant Director of 'Unholy Three' (uncredited)
Paul Power	...	Studio Executive (uncredited)
George Ramsey	...	Assistant Director (uncredited)
James Seay	...	Casting Director (uncredited)
Cap Somers	...	Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)
Lelani Sorenson	...	Carrie Chaney at 6 (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Policeman, 'Unholy Three' Set (uncredited)
Jane Strangis	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Chaney's Divorce Lawyer (uncredited)
Forrest Taylor	...	Miracle Man (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	...	Reporter at Chaney's House (uncredited)
Jack Tesler	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Sammee Tong	...	Chinese Extra (uncredited)
Frances E. Williams	...	Louisa, Cleva's Maid (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)
Annie Yip	...	Chinese Extra in Bullpen (uncredited)

Directed by
Joseph Pevney

Writing credits
Ralph Wheelwright		(story)
R. Wright Campbell		(writer) and
Ivan Goff		(writer) &
Ben Roberts		(writer)

Produced by
Robert Arthur	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Russell Metty

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Eric Orbom

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Julia Heron

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Jack Kevan	....	makeup artist (unconfirmed)
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Bowles	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound recordist
Robert Pritchard	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Clifford Stine	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marilyn Sotto	....	wardrobe: Mr. Cagney

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	orchestrator
Milton Rosen	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Edward Ward	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Marjorie Ramsey	....	technical advisor
Doreen Taylor	....	singing double: "Malone" (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

American Sign Language | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

An October 1957 Los Angeles Times ad shows that Universal Pictures widely distributed this film on a double bill with Interlude (1957), the latter under its alternate title "Forbidden Interlude".

Goofs:

Factual errors: Lon Chaney did not die at home surrounded by loved ones, he died very suddenly in the hospital (around midnight) after suffering a hemorrhage.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Guard: Good morning, Mr. Thalberg.
Irving Thalberg: Good morning.

Movie Connections:

References Tell It to the Marines (1926)

Fine, sentimental favorite

Saw this on the late show when I was 12 or 13: I was moved, even scared, by scenes with Miracle Man, Christmas dinner, Quasimodo, & especially with the legless man in the alley ("Pick me up & knock me down again!") We know now that LC, Sr., was less than pleasant to be around & that LC, Jr., grew up to be miserable. But this was an early introduction to what I'd heard of as "vaudeville," & the transitional sequences with Cagney as a film lot extra (with a real silent flick star Marjorie Rambeau, as Gert) were fast-paced & convincing. It was a fair cultural shock to see Jim Backus (as agent Locan) in a dramatic role, since until then I'd seen him only on sitcoms & as Mister Magoo.

I have it on tape & watch it maybe once a year & have seen Cagney & co-stars in other vehicles since then: especially Jane Greer in her unsavory "Out of the Past" role. Dorothy Malone (whom I knew only from "Peyton Place") was a great, underrated actress.

Yes, the ending is slow & shmaltzy, & it was hard to imagine even back then (I'd already seen scary LC, Jr., in the teleplay, The Ballad of Jubal Pickett) that Jr. was ever as handsome as Roger Smith. But if nothing else you can get a fictional behind-the-scenes account of the making of two great silents & cultural icons: Phantom of the Opera & Hunchback of Notre Dame.