Post by rmichaelpyle on Mar 24, 2011 4:02:50 GMT -6
I watched the rather recent Warner Archive release of "Mr. Wu" (1927) with Lon Chaney, Sr. Besides Chaney, Renee Adoree and Ralph Forbes, Louise Dresser and Holmes Herbert, Anna May Wong and Gertrude Olmstead round out most of the others in the cast.
This one begins with Chaney as the titled character's father, also Mr. Wu, and has Chaney in some of the best make-up he ever did. Simply spectacular. His characterization, down to the finest detail, is simply so non Lon Chaney - as far as looks, body movement, and character - that it nearly seems it isn't Chaney! We see the young Wu (at this juncture in the film played by Sonny Loy) being taught the ways of the west by Claude King who plays a side role throughout the film, binding the two generations together. Fast forward, so to speak, twenty years or more, and we meet the father much older - and what a job of make-up on the part of Chaney!! - and the young Mr. Wu, the main character, also played by Chaney. The make-up for these characters is about as good as I've ever seen. The print for this release is fabulous, too, nearly pristine, so it allows us to see Chaney in all of his glory.
Fast forward again after a few events. Now comes the story of Mr. Wu's daughter, played by Renee Adoree, as a young woman, falling in love with a westerner, played by Ralph Forbes. I found it curious that Adoree's maid was played by Anna May Wong, and perfectly, but she would have been the perfect daughter herself of Wu. Obviously, because the daughter needed to kiss the westerner in the film, Wong could not play the part because she was Oriental, and in 1927 such was taboo for American film audiences. Renee Adoree was French, so it didn't matter. Adoree is very good in the part, but not perfect - certainly no where near as good as Chaney was in his role. Nevertheless she was quite good. Ralph Forbes as her western lover was fine for the role, quite fitting, actually, and that's a compliment because he's usually quite boring!!
The part that matched Chaney for acting honors has to go to Louise Dresser - of course! The more I watch this lady the more I admire her. She was a great actress. She plays the part of the western mother of the man who falls in love with Mr. Wu's daughter.
The plot (SOME SPOILERS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) revolves around the taboo relationship of Wu's daughter with her western lover; then her pregnancy out of wedlock; her being found out by her father; his abhorence; his need to kill his daughter out of family pride; the occurance of such; the seeking out of the son - the westerner - his capture and torture, though not death; the westerner's mother and sister being kidnapped; the mother being given the choice of seeing her daughter or her son killed; then the mother's asserting of - well, I won't give away the ending. It's very strong. It's very interesting. It's also way over the top, but played believeably.
This is another of Chaney's Oriental parts that plays simply spectacularly if you have a great print, as this one is. I can't recommend it enough. The man of a thousand faces has three in this film, and they're so wonderfully done that I can say nobody - positively nobody - has ever equalled these or the others he does in other films. He's the best. Period.
An interesting addendum is that this is a re-make of a 1919 British film directed by the great British director Maurice Elway. It starred the great character actor Matheson Lang, an actor who played many parts similar to Chaney or Karloff here in America. His daughter was played by Meggie Albanesi, daughter of the famous Italo-British novelist, Maria Albanesi. Meggie died of an infection in 1923 at the young age of only 23! She was only 19 when she essayed the part in "Mr. Wu". Also noteworthy is the fact that a German version was also made in 1919, possibly simultaneously with the British version, and directed by Lupu Pick who also played Mr. Wu.
This one begins with Chaney as the titled character's father, also Mr. Wu, and has Chaney in some of the best make-up he ever did. Simply spectacular. His characterization, down to the finest detail, is simply so non Lon Chaney - as far as looks, body movement, and character - that it nearly seems it isn't Chaney! We see the young Wu (at this juncture in the film played by Sonny Loy) being taught the ways of the west by Claude King who plays a side role throughout the film, binding the two generations together. Fast forward, so to speak, twenty years or more, and we meet the father much older - and what a job of make-up on the part of Chaney!! - and the young Mr. Wu, the main character, also played by Chaney. The make-up for these characters is about as good as I've ever seen. The print for this release is fabulous, too, nearly pristine, so it allows us to see Chaney in all of his glory.
Fast forward again after a few events. Now comes the story of Mr. Wu's daughter, played by Renee Adoree, as a young woman, falling in love with a westerner, played by Ralph Forbes. I found it curious that Adoree's maid was played by Anna May Wong, and perfectly, but she would have been the perfect daughter herself of Wu. Obviously, because the daughter needed to kiss the westerner in the film, Wong could not play the part because she was Oriental, and in 1927 such was taboo for American film audiences. Renee Adoree was French, so it didn't matter. Adoree is very good in the part, but not perfect - certainly no where near as good as Chaney was in his role. Nevertheless she was quite good. Ralph Forbes as her western lover was fine for the role, quite fitting, actually, and that's a compliment because he's usually quite boring!!
The part that matched Chaney for acting honors has to go to Louise Dresser - of course! The more I watch this lady the more I admire her. She was a great actress. She plays the part of the western mother of the man who falls in love with Mr. Wu's daughter.
The plot (SOME SPOILERS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) revolves around the taboo relationship of Wu's daughter with her western lover; then her pregnancy out of wedlock; her being found out by her father; his abhorence; his need to kill his daughter out of family pride; the occurance of such; the seeking out of the son - the westerner - his capture and torture, though not death; the westerner's mother and sister being kidnapped; the mother being given the choice of seeing her daughter or her son killed; then the mother's asserting of - well, I won't give away the ending. It's very strong. It's very interesting. It's also way over the top, but played believeably.
This is another of Chaney's Oriental parts that plays simply spectacularly if you have a great print, as this one is. I can't recommend it enough. The man of a thousand faces has three in this film, and they're so wonderfully done that I can say nobody - positively nobody - has ever equalled these or the others he does in other films. He's the best. Period.
An interesting addendum is that this is a re-make of a 1919 British film directed by the great British director Maurice Elway. It starred the great character actor Matheson Lang, an actor who played many parts similar to Chaney or Karloff here in America. His daughter was played by Meggie Albanesi, daughter of the famous Italo-British novelist, Maria Albanesi. Meggie died of an infection in 1923 at the young age of only 23! She was only 19 when she essayed the part in "Mr. Wu". Also noteworthy is the fact that a German version was also made in 1919, possibly simultaneously with the British version, and directed by Lupu Pick who also played Mr. Wu.
