That was an excellent one.

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Good concept, poorly executed.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

When James Cagney was cast as legendary silent film star Lon Chaney in 1957 he was 58 years old. That made him 11 years old than Chaney when he died of cancer in 1930. Which posed a formidable challenge - how to make a very middle-aged Cagney look credible when portraying Chaney as a young man. Director Joseph Pevney's solution was to shoot Cagney almost exclusively in long-shot for three quarters of the movie and also in shadow. Not artistically lit or subtle shadow, mind you. These shadows are big and black and blot out Cagney's face. They're the kind of obscuring shadows that would have the director screaming "cut! cut! CUT!!" on any other film and then chewing out the cameraman in front of the whole crew for lighting the scene so ineptly. There is no reason for these shadows other than to obscure Cagney's features. They do nothing to create or enhance mood, or convey a message. These are shadows that put the worst of film noir to shame. On the couple of occasions when Pevney attempts something resembling a medium close-up he over-lights Cagney's face, clumsily but effectively burning out any detail including his wrinkles. But Pevney's not simply a two or even three trick pony when it comes to concealing the ravages of time. He also has Cagney play several scenes in thick clown face make-up - because that's what we remember Chaney for. You might think that a biopic of Hollywood's first great horror actor might focus the bulk of its attention on recreating those years and films, but MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES spends an inordinate amount of its overlong running time bringing us up to speed on Chaney's vaudeville career. I'm not doubting that it was an important training ground but do we really need to see the dancing clown routine more than once? Actually, if it weren't for Pevney's ham-fisted efforts to obscure Cagney's inappropriateness for the part, this film would have very little to recommend it. If writer Ralph Wheelwright's account is to believed (and from some sources I've read it might not be), Chaney's personal life was a little on the turbulent side, but the way it plays out here is so flat, unimaginative and uninspired that it's a chore to stick with it. Within the limitations previously discussed, Cagney gives a good account of himself, demonstrating his versatility as an actor and a hoofer while suppressing most of the Cagneyisms that characterized many of his performances. But not for one moment did he lose himself in the part, and that meant I never shook the feeling that I was watching him playing a part rather than watching him become the part. Check out more of my reviews at http://thefilmivejustseen.blogspot.com/

Cagney here is fine, but just plain too old to play this part. He was 10 years older than Cheney Sr. was when he died, and to extend this down to the man's early marriage/toddler in tow days-forget it. Ahhh Hollywood.Enjoyable things here are the vaudeville scenes, or Lon Sr's Hollywood best-Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, etc. Cagney jumps right in and pulls those off fine.Dorothy Malone is shown as an icy selfish shrew and then not given much to do afterwords. Roger Smith (think married to Ann-Margret) plays Lon Jr in his teens/early 20's, looking of course Nada like Cagney. You also have Jack Albertson and Jim Backus along for the ride in roles as the doc and his PR guy.Watch it if you like Cagney (I do) or if you're interested in Cheney Sr.-but don't expect it to be all that accurate, because it isn't.**1/2 outta ****

Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Bio pic has James Cagney playing silent screen star Lon Chaney from his early days on stage up to his untimely death in 1930. This is a rather hard film to judge as a lot of stuff has been made up but at the same time there's no doubt that the movie is dramatic and entertaining. It's even weird talking about Cagney because he gives a terrific performance yet it's still rather hard to see him as Chaney since the two have very little in common. Their size, their look and the way they act are completely different so sometimes you have to wonder if you're watching Cagney be Cagney or doing a Chaney impersonation. Even with that said I think this movie hits all the right marks, although people should know that the movie focuses on Chaney's personal life more than his professional. Most of the drama comes from his first marriage to Cleva (Dorothy Malone) and his eventual relationship with another woman (Jane Greer). Most of the drama comes from whether or not the deadbeat first wife should be able to see her son. The Miracle Man, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera have scenes re-enacted here and Cagney perfectly captures them even though, yet again, he doesn't look like Chaney. Both Malone and Greer add strong performances as does Robert Evans as Irving Thalberg. This bio pics are always going to be mixed with truth and fiction and since there are plenty of excellent documentaries out there Chaney fans can look at them for more truth. For entertainment however, this film hits on many levels and for that reason it's highly recommended despite the flaws.

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.