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thehorrorboy |
MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES (1957) |
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Well, perhaps it's not exactly classic horror (although it touches on classic horror), but now that it's again available on DVD, what did you guys
think of it? The picture and sound on the new DVD are fine, but this was a title that just cried out for special features, of which there are none, not even a
trailer!
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GhostofChaneysLiver |
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A commentary by Michael F. Blake would have been most welcome.
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pinkfloyd95209 |
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thehorrorboy wrote: It also is screaming for a feature length documentary on the making of this movie as well as Lon Chaney himself, plus maybe a featurette on BUD WESTMORE who did makeup in this movie. Then of course an audio commentary by not only MICHAEL F. BLAKE (suggested by Cromwell) but one with RON CHANEY too. |
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SAM33 |
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This one's anamorphic, the original Image was not.
SAM33 |
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BixB |
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thehorrorboy wrote: Heck, the LD included a trailer and looked great.
Joe Busam
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Rakshasa |
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I used to have this on VHS from Universal, and I remember thinking it wasn't very good the last time I watched it (kind of slow and very hokey). Not sure if I'll pick up this bare-bones DVD or not. |
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Ardley Remlap |
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I watched it last night. It might not have any extras, but the transfer was impeccable.
What a strange, wonderful cornball movie it is! I remember seeing it as a kid and feeling gypped by how brief the makeup scenes were. Now that I'm older it plays like a classic 50s divorce melodrama with noir lighting and some really weird plot developments. For a biopic, it's a suprisingly complex portrait of Lon Chaney, and isn't afraid to sometimes show him as a cold, controlling s.o.b. Cagney's perf is one of his best and Dorothy Malone is excellent as his showgirl ex-wife with an irrational fear of the deaf. I can't imagine what Jr. thought of it, seeing as he's such a big part of the story. Does anyone know? |
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TomWeaver999 |
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There was a screening of the movie at Universal with only a few people there, including screenwriter R. Wright Campbell. When it was over and Campbell was
leaving, he saw that Lon Jr. had been sitting in the back; Jr.'s line to Campbell was, "You really whitewashed the son of a bitch, didn't
you?"
For what it's worth (not much), according to Philip J. Riley, one of fandom's premier sources of misinformation, it was Lon Jr.'s idea to make the movie and he wrote a script or something and submitted it to Universal, and then other writers took over and Jr. was out. |
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Rakshasa |
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Great info, Tom. I'd never heard that before.
It's funny, but as much as I love Cagney and Lon Chaney's monster movies, this film really left me cold. I found it rather depressing upon my last viewing. |
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captainmarvel1957 |
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Doggone it, you ARE a HERO, dammit!
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Ardley Remlap |
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"You really whitewashed the son of a bitch, didn't you?"Oh well, at least he didn't hit him with a chair. Thanks Tom! |
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Michael Elliott |
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From the interviews and books I've read, it really appears that Jr. was the only one to form a strong hatred for Lon.
Here's something Michael Blake wrote about the film over at Google's silent board: No truth to the story Lon Jr tried to have the film stopped. Here's what i wrote in my second book on Chaney about the film: "This author is often asked how close this picture comes to capturing its subject matter. My reply is a mixture of appreciation and frustration. On the one hand, because it introduced me to Lon Chaney, Man of a Thousand Faces always will have a place in my heart. On the other hand, the more I learn about Lon Chaney, the more frustrated I become with this picture. It glosses over many facts and tends to paint Lon Chaney as a morose and unhappy man, whereas his personality, as I have learned over the years, was just the opposite. But many film biographies, notably The Buster Keaton Story, seem to plagiarize their main character and, despite the facts, create whatever story suits the time. In that respect, Man of a Thousand Faces follows the facts much more closely, although it hardly gives one a true portrait of Chaney. The most glaringly inaccurate scenes include Cleva's (Dorothy Malone) not knowing that Lon's parents were deaf; Lon's being forced by the court to place his son in a foster school; Creighton's (Roger Smith) learning the truth about his mother before Lon died; and Lon's passing on his make-up case to his son. Of course, these scenes provided a considerable amount of drama and, accompanied with the touching musical score by Frank Skinner, they kept many viewers reaching for their Kleenex boxes. Overall, the picture is a success, despite the dramatization of many incidents. Although James Cagney does not resemble Chaney, he does give a credible performance. In recreating several of Chaney's performances, Cagney does not try to imitate the actor gesture for gesture but gives the essence of Chaney's performances. And despite the limitations of the script, Cagney manages to inject a few light moments into the role to show that Chaney was not a brooding and unhappy performer. For instance, when Locan (Jim Backus) brings Chaney's parents to his cabin, he waves a script at Lon. In mock fright, Cagney drops their bags and lets out a yell. "Oh no! This is vacation. Not allowed to read. My wife won't let me." In another scene, as Cagney takes a phone call on the studio stage, he walks past one of the set musicians and playfully kicks him on the backside, eliciting a ba-rump-pump from the musician's cello. The supporting cast delivers strong performances, with the exception of Robert J. Evans as Thalberg, who is dull, stiff, and uncharismatic. Dorothy Malone delivers a powerful performance as Cleva. Her work is so good, that she quickly creates sympathy for Cagney's Chaney. The one scene, in this author's opinion, that captures Chaney's persona and talent with greasepaint, as well as the flavor of the early days of filmmaking, is when he shows up one morning in the extras' bullpen with make-up case in hand. Reading the list of available parts, Chaney spots "Four Lascars, two with scars." He promptly sits on a bench and opens his make-up case. Within moments, he dexterously begins to alter his features into those of an East Indian sailor with a pronounced scar, as a group of extras huddle to watch the transformation. When the assistant directors assemble the extras, Chaney makes his way through the crowd, sporting an eye patch and a scarf on his head. Naturally, the assistant director spots him. "And you. I want that scar!" As Chaney closes up his make-up case, another assistant director comes over to get his name. Recognizing Chaney's name from a previous day's work, he asks, "What are you trying to do? Be a one-man crew on this ship?" To which Chaney replies, "You heard him, Joe, he'll be looking for this scar!" With that, he heads off to work. No other biography of a Hollywood star has influenced a larger group of young viewers. For many, it has provided an introduction to the magic and wonders of greasepaint and helped ignite their desire to follow in the footsteps of one of Hollywood's greatest make-up artists. Because of this movie, one former Ringling Bros.-Barnum and Bailey circus clown was inspired to learn sign language so that he could communicate with those in his audience who couldn't hear the laughter. Despite its inaccuracies and lack of scenes showcasing Chaney's acting talent, Man of a Thousand Faces is a gratifying movie, and it continues to introduce Lon Chaney to a new generation of moviegoers." (copyright 1995) |
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TomWeaver999 |
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A fun tidbit: Michael Blake's actor-father Larry J. Blake had a small, uncredited role in the movie.
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Rakshasa |
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That scene where Cagney/Chaney quickly puts on the pirate make-up/scar was always one of my favorites. Shows (rather obviously) that in this life, it helps if
you have an edge on your competitors. Great lesson.
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BijouBob8mm |
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I seem to recall hearing, somewhere along the line, that Lon Jr. wanted to play his father in this...any truth to that?
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yendor1152 |
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Didn't Lon sell the story idea to Universal?
Rod |
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Michael Blake |
Clearing things up..... | ||
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In all my research (including interviewing the film's director, Jospeh Pevney) I found NOTHING that indicated Lon Jr. wanted to play his dad.
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GhostofChaneysLiver |
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Michael, thanks for clarifying the facts.
Also, welcome back to the boards! I always wondered what became of you after the aol days. Hope you stick around these parts for a while. Cromwell |
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Ardley Remlap |
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Thanks to Mikes Elliot and Blake for that information!
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BijouBob8mm |
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In all my research (including interviewing the film's director, Jospeh Pevney) I found NOTHING that indicated Lon Jr. wanted to play his dad.Thanks, Michael. Appears to have been just another bit of misinformation drifting around, then. thank you to those who suggested my doing the commentary....I would have loved to do one on this film. Sigh.THAT would have been a real treat! |
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DonM435 |
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I saw this one at the local discount "club" for less than $13. But I read the cover. No commentary, no documentaries, no noteworthy extras. Sorry,
but I can't see replacing my TCM copy of the film.
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