Yuku free message boards

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)