For those of you who only know Lon Chaney as The Phantom or Quasimodo and for those who don’t know him at all, this collection is the ideal introduction to one of the most gifted artists to ever step in front of a camera. Start first with the British documentary on Chaney narrated by Kenneth Brannagh to give yourself some background.
The first movie to watch is LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH (reportedly Chaney’s favorite among his films) which ably demonstrates his ability to convey deeply felt emotions by the use of his body language and without heavy make-up although he does wear clown make-up at the end. Also the 15 year old Loretta Young is remarkable in her feature film debut. Follow that with THE ACE OF HEARTS which is the weakest of the three but still a pretty good film that allows Chaney the opportunity to shine in a fascinating storyline that is still of interest today. Save Tod Browning’s THE UNKNOWN for last as it is truly a one of a kind film that will stay with you long after it’s over. Chaney plays an armless knife thrower who isn’t really armless while a young Joan Crawford has a phobia about being touched. Even more bizarre than it sounds with vivid performances and an astonishing visual composition. Each movie is taken from the best available source material and comes with a newly recorded score composed specifically for each film. View the other supplements whenever you choose to get a fully rounded picture of this incredible talent.
All in all a remarkable set at a good price. Like the PHANTOM and METROPOLIS DVD’s released earlier this year, this is how it should be done. Hopefully Turner Classic Movies can now turn their attention to the other classic M-G-M silents in their library (BEN HUR, GREED, THE BIG PARADE, THE WIND) and release them as well. For the next deluxe package how about “The Greta Garbo Collection”. Thanks to efforts like this, the art of the silent film is alive and well and being passed on to a new generation of film lovers.
The Capsule Critic 