Horror Movie Reviews
|
Title: Man of a Thousand Faces (2008) |
|
Review of Man of a Thousand Faces
- Academy Award winner James Cagney gives an unforgettable performance as Lon Chaney in this fascinating true story that follows the life of one of the most iconic and mysterious stars in Hollywood history!Known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" silent film star Lon Chaney captured the imagination of the world through his incredibly expressive and transformative roles such as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Phantom from the original Phantom of the Opera. Behind the scenes however this long-suffering talented genius' life was filled with trials and tribulations that helped shape some of his most groundbreaking roles.The Academy Award -nominated Man of a Thousand Faces captures the dramatic private life of a humble vaudeville clown who rose to become one of the biggest stars the world has ever seen!System Requirements:Running Time: 122 minutes Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/SILENT Rating: NR UPC: 025195032582 Manufacturer No: 61104080
Product Description
- Lon Chaney earned his nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces" with a gallery of grotesque, misshapen characters created through a combination of elaborate makeup, contorted postures, and sensitive performances. After a rich silent-movie career starring in such classics as He Who Gets Slapped, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Phantom of the Opera, he died after completing his first and only sound film, a remake of his silent crime picture The Unholy Three. James Cagney plays Chaney in this glossy Hollywood biography, a reverent, melodramatic tribute that focuses on his turbulent private life and rise from vaudeville clown to hard-working Hollywood extra to movie star. Dorothy Malone costars as his unstable first wife, who flees her husband and their young son after a failed suicide attempt, Jane Greer is the loving showgirl who fills her void, and future real-life superproducer Robert Evans plays legendary MGM producer Irving Thalberg. Cagney is a short, thick pug of an actor where Chaney is tall and lean, but he oddly resembles the star in his craggy face, and his rarely tapped dancing skills are put to good use in the early vaudeville scenes and contorted recreations of twisted Chaney characters. But most importantly, Cagney brings to the role passion and compassion that burn through the indifferent direction and show-biz clichés to create a vivid, energetic portrait of the enigmatic cult star who rarely let audiences see his true face. --Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com
[ Back to Homepage | Back to Horror Movie Reviews Index ]
HellHorror.com not responsible for reviews/comments and they may be removed at any time.
Submit Comment
Login / Join/Register for a free account
Comments for Man of a Thousand Faces
- Posted on 2008-09-08
Awesome every time
Finally, this classic is available again on DVD. I've been waiting several years! This is a great movie starring Jimmy Cagney about one of Hollywood's legends, Lon Changey.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-09-06
Chaney bio
This was always a must see whenever it played on TV when I was a kid, so I'm very pleased to have my own copy that I can watch any time I desire. Jimmy Cagney gives a bravura performance as Lon Chaney, Sr. One of my favorite scenes is when he first gets to Hollywood and is taught what background extras do. He whips open his makeup kit to transform himself into a pirate. Great!
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-08-31
Only ONE reason to watch this DVD
James Cagney was Great in this film, it stands out as one of my favorites of all time. It showcases the career of Lon Chaney and his tumultuous marriage to his wife, played by Dorothy Malone, who has a diffult time accepting Lon's folks because they are Deaf Mutes and an even more diffult time accepting the fact that the child she is carrying could end up the same way.
I have waited for years for this movie to make it to DVD and it is finally here and the transfer is excellent, but granted, I'm not as nit picky as some. I highly reccomend this one folks.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-08-17
Oscar Performance By Cagney
In my opinion this is Cagney at his best. How he did not win an oscar for best actor I'll never know. Here Cagney stir's up many emotions from the audience, laughter,sadness,drama & fear!.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-07-17
Man of a Thousand Faces
This is a fantastic bio. Thank your lucky stars that Universal reissued it. I only wish that the makeup dealing with Lon Chaney was not underplayed. James Cagney was terrific and so were Dorothy Malone and Jane Greer. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT!
Score: 5
