Man of a Thousand Faces

"The true story of the life and loves of Lon Chaney!"

1957 2h 2m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 45

Drama

Synopsis

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The turbulent life and professional career of vaudeville actor and silent screen horror star Lon Chaney (1883-1930), the man of a thousand faces; bearer of many personal misfortunes that even his great success could not mitigate.

“The true story of the life and loves of Lon Chaney!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joseph Pevney
Writers: Ben Roberts, R. Wright Campbell , Ivan Goff
Languages: English, Mandarin
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joseph Pevney, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Frank Skinner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ted J. Kent shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

James Cagney and Dorothy Malone and Jane Greer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The true story of the life and loves of Lon Chaney!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0050681 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph Pevney directs. Russell Metty behind the camera. Frank Skinner scores. Ted J. Kent cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

169 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Mandarin.
3Directed by Joseph Pevney, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Frank Skinner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ted J. Kent shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6James Cagney and Dorothy Malone and Jane Greer carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The true story of the life and loves of Lon Chaney!".
8IMDB entry: tt0050681 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 45 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 18 themes, including "husband wife relationship", "movie business", "pregnancy", "deaf-mute".