Lon Chaney Collection- The Ace of Hearts (1921) - Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928)

The Lon Chaney Collection contains three silent films from the later part of Chaney's long career, a still picture recreation of a lost Chaney classic, and a documentary on the famous actor/makeup artist. The plots of each offering are as follows: The Ace Of Hearts (1921): A strange brotherhood meets every night to discuss their agenda and to instigate their cause. These social anarchists want to destroy men of means and they use clandestine methods, hoping to find a way of eliminating them. With their next victim already selected, the group determines who will murder the so-called man who has lived too long. Mr. Forrest pulls the symbolic Ace of Hearts. He is chosen to do the deed. Immediately, he professes his love to Lilith, the sole female group member and asks her to marry him. This shocks Lilith and infuriates Mr. Farallone, another member of the group. He has secretly loved this idealistic woman but could never find the proper words or timing to profess it. After their honeymoon evening together, Forrest has doubts. Perhaps love is better than hate. Maybe he won't kill the targeted man. But treason to the group is also a death sentence. So as Forrest walks off to an uncertain fate, Lilith asks Farallone for advice, and protection, in case Forrest does not go through with it. What happens next will forever change the threesome. Score: 86 Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928): Tito and Simon are a couple of traveling performers crisscrossing Italy. They have a clown act and are immensely popular with the people. One day, Tito finds a little girl abandoned near a lake. He convinces Simon to let him raise her, and in a gesture of friendship, he names her Simonette. The child grows up to be a beautiful woman who catches the eye of the wealthy Count Lavelli. At first she rejects the young cad, but as years pass and Simon and Tito become wealthy and famous as the duo Flik and Flok, Simonette seems to take a shine to the young man. This destroys Tito, as he loves her too. Unrequited and fighting the urge to tell her, Tito sees Lavelli attempt to win Simonette's hand. Soon the couple is engaged, but after discovering how much Tito cares for her, Simonette leaves Lavelli. Although he loves her, Tito just doesn't have the heart to break up the lovers. A tragic end befalls this funnyman who entertained everyone but could never be truly happy. Score: 94 The Unknown (1927): Alonzo the Armless works as a trick knife thrower in Zanzi's gypsy circus. He is also in love with the boss' daughter, Estrellita. She particularly likes Alonzo because he has no hands, and Estrellita has a psychological fixation about men touching her. That is why she constantly rebuffs the pawing advances of the strong man Malabar. After some bad advice from Alonzo, Estrellita reject Malabar outright. But then Zanzi confronts Alonzo about his own intentions. In a fit of rage, Alonzo kills him. Seems he has arms and hands after all and conceals them purposefully to avoid detection as a wanted criminal. His genetically defective double thumbs would give him away. With Zanzi dead, Alonzo looks after Estrellita and decides to take drastic measures to win her once and for all (as well as to remove any tell-tale evidence from his body). He blackmails a doctor to perform a drastic surgery, leaving him a true amputee. But is that what Estrellita really wanted, or is she too changing herself to accommodate a new love? Score: 90 London After Midnight (1927): A rich manor owner named Roger Balfour is found dead and visiting Professor Burke wants to solve the case. He discovers a suicide note, and after questioning daughter Lucille and Balfour's neighbors Sir James Hamlin and his nephew Arthur Tibbs, he reluctantly concludes that the man took his own life. Five years later, the abandoned Balfour manor suddenly has some strange, creepy new tenants. The servants in Hamlin's adjoining estate think they are vampires. But Burke, back to try and settle the facts one last time, thinks they could have some connection to the crime. As weird events surround the newly haunted home, Burke hypnotizes Tibbs to try and get information. He also argues with Hamlin as to who…or what…is living next door. When Lucille goes missing, everyone converges on the Balfour home. The eerie head vampire hypnotizes Hamlin and soon the events of that fateful evening are played out for everyone to see. Score: 89 Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces (2000): Following Chaney's life from his birth to deaf-mute parents (which many point to as the source of this silent expressiveness) to his untimely death of lung cancer at 47, A Thousand Faces tries to explain some of the mystery behind Chaney as a man, an actor, and most importantly, a makeup artist. Talking to a few of his friends and co-stars and using archival clips to highlight his most important performances, this documentary gives us insights into his character and career. Highlights include his multiple collaborations with the twisted Tod Browning, the myth busting description of the actual makeup techniques used to achieve the Hunchback and Phantom of the Opera creature faces, and scenes from lost Chaney movies. As a chance to see a long forgotten boogieman work outside the genre for which he is best remembered, this is a wonderful retrospective. Score: 92