The Man with Two Faces (1934)

Expected more

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Director: ARCHIE MAYO. Screenplay: Tom Reed and Niven Busch. Based on the stage play The Dark Tower by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woollcott. Photography: Tony Gaudio. Film editor: William Holmes. Art director: John Hughes. Music: Bernard Kaun. Music director: Leo F. Forbstein, conducting The Vitaphone Orchestra. Songs: "Stormy Weather" (Clarke) by Harold Arlen (music) and Ted Koehler (lyrics); "Am I Blue?" by Harry Akst (music) and Grant Clarke (lyrics). Producer: Robert Lord.Copyright 14 July 1934 by First National Pictures, Inc. Released through Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Strand: 11 July 1934. U.K. release: 30 March 1935. Australian release: 5 December 1934. 72 minutes. SYNOPSIS: A black-hearted confidence trickster (Louis Calhern) exerts an unbreakable hypnotic influence over his actress wife (Mary Astor).NOTES: The stage play opened on Broadway at the Morosco on 25 November 1933, and, despite excellent reviews, ran a very middling 57 days. "It was a tremendous success," claimed co-author Woollcott, "except for the minor detail that people wouldn't come to see it!" The cast included Basil Sydney (as Damon Wells), Margalo Gilmore, William Harrigan, Margaret Hamilton, Leona Maricle, Margaret Dale, Ernest Milton and Porter Hall. (Sydney also headed the London cast, opposite Edna Best, Martita Hunt, Francis L. Sullivan and Frith Banbury). Sam H. Harris produced, authors Woollcott and Kaufman directed.COMMENT: Here's Edward G. Robinson in his element once more, this time playing a hammy actor who impersonates a French impresario. In the movie, this disguise is supposed to be wholly convincing to the other players, but Ed didn't ring true to me — not for a single second. Mind you, some critics excused Robinson's performance on the grounds that the audience was supposed to be in on the "joke" from the start. But whether the hollowness of the deception was deliberate or not, I still think the movie would have been more entertainingly suspenseful if Robinson and his make-up men had tried a little harder. After all, I have just seen an extremely modest Jack Perrin movie, "Hair-Trigger Casey" (1936), in which a little-known support person named Edward Cassidy manages to bring off an extremely successful transformation, thanks not only to his own histrionic talent but the skills of Poverty Row studio technicians. True, Archie Mayo's direction is more than several notches ahead of all but the most stylish "B" personnel, and the support rendered by actors of the caliber of chillingly realistic Mary Astor and suavely evil Louis Calhern (one of his best performances ever) leaves most second-rated players for dead. Ricardo Cortez, however, is wasted in a nothing role, though it is nice to see him enact the good guy for a change. Mae Clarke spends the movie stooging for Edward G., but does get a chance to warble a few notes from "Stormy Weather". Despite its missed opportunities, "The Man with Two Faces" still provides a reasonable modicum of "A"-grade pleasures. TCM deserves a round of applause just for scheduling this picture.

Another fine Edward G. Robinson movie from the '30s. This one has Eddie playing an actor whose sister (Mary Astor) was married to a jerk (Louis Calhern) that had a strange hold over her. He disappeared years before and was presumed dead. Now the husband is back and Eddie is determined to protect his sister. Starts out like a comedy but it's more of a murder mystery. Robinson's good, as usual. Calhern is a scuzzy heel. Astor's melodramatic but it works for her. Cast also includes Ricardo Cortez, Mae Clarke, David Landau, John Eldredge, and Arthur Byron. Creaks a little due to age and staginess but worth checking out if you're a fan of Robinson.

This one I knew wasn't going to a ground breaking film from the 30's but I saw that Edward G. Robinson was in it so I had to watch it. I didn't live back in the 30's but I can bet that even back then no one would believe the basic plot line in this one. Totally ridiculous.The premise is that an actress is coming back from a lengthy illness/sabbatical. She has a successful turn at her first acting in a play in a while and it's a success. Her brother is almost done with acting but does the play because she's in it. He loves her. The issue is she has a nefarious husband who's life is to make everyone's life around worse by doing one thing....hypnotizing them. The reason his wife was "away" because he has an overpowering effect on her and she needed to get away from him. Luckily, he got jail time so she had time to recuperate.When you first see this guys character come into play and hearing his first lines and his demeanor you can't help but laugh. It's so stupid. Can you imagine? Someone who can hypnotize most around him or that his over bearing personality can make people do whatever he wants. I mean as soon as we see him, his wife goes back into the trance like state. It's just beyond unbelievable. Of course there are a few who don't buy it and one is her brother (Edward G). He prepares a detailed plan to get him out of there life. I won't go into detail with that part because it's actually pretty good.The reason why this film barely works is because Edwar G. Robinson saves it. He's such a good actor he could have made Plan 9 from Outer Space a decent "B" film. He brings such ability to the screen you believe in what he portrays. The ending is quite good and I'm sure you'll agree. I would have given this film a higher rating but the basic plot point is so stupid I just couldn't.Watch this when your bored on a Saturday afternoon and be prepared to watch a plot that's right out of a Soap Opera.

From Warner Brothers Archive Collection, THE MAN WITH TWO FACES has Edward G. Robinson playing Damon Welles, a stage actor known for his character acting. Damon's sister Jessica(Mary Astor)is on the brink of a "come back" after suffering a nervous breakdown. Jessica stars in a play along side her brother. The play is produced by her lover, Ben Weston(Ricardo Cortez); and all is well until her ex-husband Stanley Vance(Louis Calhern)comes around. Vance has always seemed to have a hypnotic hold on Jessica; and makes it known he will take money to leave her alone. When the much hated Vance is found dead; just about anyone could be the murderer. Damon's skill of playing many characters and a Gideon Bible are important in solving the murder case almost given up on. A well written crime drama directed by Archie Mayo. Other players: Mae Clarke, Henry O'Neil, David Landau and Arthur Byron.