Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)

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:

Extramarital Affair | Showbiz | Childbirth | Affection | Childhood

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

James Cagney	...	Lon Chaney
Dorothy Malone	...	Cleva Creighton Chaney
Jane Greer	...	Hazel Bennett Chaney
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Gert a movie extra
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 Shields
Nolan Leary	...	Pa Chaney
Roger Smith	...	Creighton Chaney at 21
Robert Lyden	...	Creighton Chaney at 13
Rickie Sorensen	...	Creighton Chaney at 8
Dennis Rush	...	Creighton Chaney at 4
Simon Scott	...	Carl Hastings
Clarence Kolb	...	Himself
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 'Unholhy 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' scene (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)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 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:

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

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

This film starring James Cagney as Lon Chaney shows Chaney making a scene in The Miracle Man (1919). That film was based on a novel by Frank L. Packard and its stage adaptation by George M. Cohan, who acted in it himself (not in the same part as Chaney, though). And in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Cagney had played Cohan.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Lon Chaney was very much against Creighton entering into the film business. He most certainly did not present Creighton with his makeup case on his death bed.

Movie Connections:

References The Unknown (1927)

James Cagney's performance is outstanding

Other reviewers have knocked the film because it is not historically accurate and I can't dispute that. But for me, James Cagney's performance makes this a film that is a must-see. True, the film is short on depicting Lon Chaney's film characters and although we do get to see Cagney in makeup as the Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera, the scenes are extremely brief. Most of the film depicts Chaney's conflict with his first wife, wonderfully played by the stunning Dorothy Malone - whew, what a knockout!- and the stormy relationship with his son.

The film is a soap opera but Cagney is wonderful showing that he can play drama, comedy and even dance and mime.