Disappointing biopic of a legendary actor. How could Chaney's life translate into such a generally dull movie? Way too much emphasis on boring aspects of his personal life and not enough time devoted to what it took to create Chaney's landmark, classic movies. More behind-the-scenes looks at the making of and business aspects of silent pictures would also have been appreciated.
Cagney seemed miscast, both by appearance and acting ability. He was also hampered by makeup that fell far short (in some scenes) of the masterworks created by Chaney. The laughable Hunchback imitation reminded my of the makeup in "I was a Teenage Frankenstein." To be fair, the script gave Cagney limited opportunity to delve into the psychology of the "Man of a Thousand Faces." Some scenes were sadly lacking in closeups, significantly reducing the impact of the drama/horror depicted.
Too bad this picture weren't made around 1940 at the height of Lon Jr.'s prowess as an actor. Not only did he look more like his dad, but he had the skill to mimic the tragic nature of many of Sr.'s roles and personal life. He may have had a greater insight into his dad's personality. From what I've read, Chaney Jr. also had a wider range of acting ability than is generally known since many of his (especially later) movies didn't give him the chance to showcase his abilities (that's in addition to Chaney's alcoholism hampering his abilities).
Cagney seemed miscast, both by appearance and acting ability. He was also hampered by makeup that fell far short (in some scenes) of the masterworks created by Chaney. The laughable Hunchback imitation reminded my of the makeup in "I was a Teenage Frankenstein." To be fair, the script gave Cagney limited opportunity to delve into the psychology of the "Man of a Thousand Faces." Some scenes were sadly lacking in closeups, significantly reducing the impact of the drama/horror depicted.
Too bad this picture weren't made around 1940 at the height of Lon Jr.'s prowess as an actor. Not only did he look more like his dad, but he had the skill to mimic the tragic nature of many of Sr.'s roles and personal life. He may have had a greater insight into his dad's personality. From what I've read, Chaney Jr. also had a wider range of acting ability than is generally known since many of his (especially later) movies didn't give him the chance to showcase his abilities (that's in addition to Chaney's alcoholism hampering his abilities).
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