Man of a Thousand Faces

Duration:

122 min

Genres:

Biography | Drama

IMDB rate:

7.2

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Details

Country: USA

Filming Locations: Stage 28, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Bobby Barber

June Blair

Nancy Kilgas

James Cagney

Lon Chaney

Dorothy Malone

Cleva Creighton Chaney

Jane Greer

Hazel Bennet Chaney

Marjorie Rambeau

Gert

Jim Backus

Clarence Locan

Robert Evans

Irving Thalberg

Celia Lovsky

Mrs. Chaney

Jeanne Cagney

Carrie Chaney

Jack Albertson

Dr. J. Wilson Shields

Roger Smith

Creighton Chaney at 21

Robert Lyden

Creighton Chaney at 13

Rickie Sorensen

Creighton Chaney at 8

Dennis Rush

Creighton Chaney at 4

Nolan Leary

Pa Chaney

Simon Scott

Carl Hastings

Clarence Kolb

Danny Beck

Max Dill

Philip Van Zandt

George Loane Tucker

Hank Mann

Comedy Waiter

'Snub' Pollard

Comedy Waiter

John Halloran

Saloon Proprietor (scenes deleted)

Natalie Masters

Nurse (scenes deleted)

Harry Antrim

Cleva's Birth Doctor (uncredited)

Russ Bender

Divorce Judge (uncredited)

Marjorie Bennett

Vera, Housekeeper (uncredited)

Nicky Blair

Cameraman of 'Unholy 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' (uncredited)

Michael Dale

Reporter at Chaney's House (uncredited)

Troy Donahue

Assistant Director in Bullpen

Helene Drake

Script Supervisor, 'Laugh Clown Laugh' (uncredited)

Steve Drexel

Messenger Boy (uncredited)

Richard Emory

Assistant Director in Bullpen

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

Charles Horvath

Ivan Linow, Actor playing Hercules in 'Unholy Three' (uncredited)

Robert F. Hoy

Assistant Director in Bullpen

William Hudson

David Anderson, Reporter (uncredited)

Dave Kashner

Flogger of 'Hunchback' (uncredited)

Tom Kennedy

Audience at Eulogy (uncredited)

Donald Kerr

Don, a Stagehand (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

Joe Merritt

Assistant Director in Bullpen

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)

Did you know?

Trivia

Final film of Clarence Kolb.

Share this

On a trip to Hawaii, James Cagney met Roger Smith stationed there in the Naval Reserve, impressed with his clean-cut good looks and appeal, he encouraged Smith to pursue an acting career. Following the advice and after success in several films, Smith reconnected with Cagney who hired him to play his son, "Lon Jr." in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). Cagney later cast him as his co-star in the musical comedy-drama Never Steal Anything Small (1959).

Share this

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.

Share this

Goofs

This movie's depiction of Chaney's makeup for "Phantom of the Opera" is very misleading. The movie's version shows Chaney's face unrecognizable and nearly immobile behind elaborate full latex appliances. Chaney was actually proud of his ability to distort his appearance using only a minimum of makeup - in this case basically thin wires in his nose and around his eyes, false teeth and dark paint around his eyes and nostrils.

Share this

Lon Chaney Jr was not born in a hospital. He was born in Chaney's cabin in Oklahoma city.

Share this

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.

Share this

Quotes

Title Card: On August 27, 1930, the entire motion picture industry suspended work to pay tribute to the memory of one of its great actors. Title Card: This is his story. Is this interesting? Interesting? Yes No | Share this Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options [first lines] Guard: Good morning, Mr. Thalberg. Irving Thalberg: Good morning.

Share this

Cleva Creighton Chaney: [Believing that Chaney has cost her her singing job] You had me fired! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!

Share this

Lon Chaney: And you can stop bothering me. Get out!

Share this