简介：THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASK,whilegenerallyregardedasahorrorfilm,isnotapureexampleofthegenre,andthatistheverycruxofitsinterest.Rather,itaddressestopicsoutsidetheexpectedparametersofhorror,andinofferinganuncompromisingviewofhumananguish,THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKisatrulyunusualpictureinbothcontentandtreatment.THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKrelateshowahopefulnewimmigrant,JanosSzaby(PeterLorre),arrivinginNewYorkCity,istrappedinahotelfirethatleaveshisfacehideouslyscarred.Ostracizedandrefusedemploymentalthoughstillabletowork,theonlywayhecansurviveisbyturningtotheft.Hence,THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKisalsoasocialconsciousnessfilm,detailingthepositionoftheoutcastandparticularlythehandicappedinsociety,alongwithcrimeanditscauses,andtheAmericanimmigrantmilieu.Allofthesethemesaretreatedwithsympathyandtaste,avoidingthegruesomepotentialofthepremise.TheonlypeoplewhoarekindtoJanosareatubercularsmall-timethief,Dinky(GeorgeE.Stone)andablindwoman,Helen(EvelynKeyes).JanosfallsinlovewithHelenashersoulseesthegoodnesswithinhim,butthegangrefusestoletJanosquittheracketsandkillsher.ThisleadstoamemorabledenouementwhereJanoshassuicidalrevengebyflyingthegangtothedesertandmarooningthemallamidthesandywastes,wherehecanwatchtheirdyingtorment.TheactualscreenwriterofTHEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKgivesaclueastoitsintent:althoughthewritingcreditonscreenwasgiventotwomen,AllenVincentandPaulJarrico(fromastorybyArthurLevinson,basedonaradioplaybyThomasEdwardO'Connell)thescriptsindicatethepicturewasinfactwrittenbyIrmegardVonCube,whoexploredsimilarthemesinJOHNNYBELINDA(1948).Appropriately,thestylealsodeemphasizesthehorrorelements,withanaturalizedversionofdirectorRobertFlorey'sexpressionistictendencies,asinthewaterfrontscenewhenJanosandDinkyfirstmeet.Theabstractactingrequiredbythemask,togetherwithLorre'scostume,themselvesbecomeexpressionisticdevices.MomentsofhightensionareappropriatelypunctuatedbydirectorFlorey'stypicalangledshots,aswhenJanosfirstseeshisfaceafterthebandagesareremoved,orwhenhetriestorescueHelenfromthegang'scarbomb.THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKwasdependentonastrongandcapableperformanceinthelead,andLorreprovedidealinoneofhisbestroles.Henotonlyhadtoportrayamandisintegratingunderaterriblefate,butalsohadtoexerciseincrediblecontroloverhisfacialmuscles,allowinghimtoonlyexpressemotionthroughhiseyesinclose-ups.Lorresimulatedamaskwheretherewasnone,andtheeffectisachievedbywhitepowderandtwopiecesoftapeplacedonhisface,contrastedwithhiscostumeofblackjacketandscarf,andenhancedthroughlighting.ThiswasallthemoreremarkableinthatLorrewasuncomfortablewiththefastscheduleandbeganhisdrinkingwithastraightPernodforbreakfast,sothatbytheafternoonhehadbecameundirectable.Asaresult,Floreyhadtotryandjuggletheschedulesoastogetallofthestar'sprimaryscenesinthemorning.Inthesupportingroles,StoneandKeyeswereequallymemorable,aswerethecharacteractorsintheremainingroles,togetherdemonstratingthepossibilitiesforfineactingdespitethepressuresofatwoweekshootingschedule.ThiswasthefourthtimeFloreyhaddealtwithanunusualtheme,theeffectoffacialmutilationonmen'slives,alsodepictedinhisFACEVALUE(1927),THEFLORENTINEDAGGER(1935),THEPREVIEWMURDERMYSTERY(1935),andlaterinhistelevisionepisodeALFREDHITCHCOCKPRESENTS:WHEREBEAUTYLIES(1961).FloreywasengagedbyColumbiainlate1940onadealforthreeso-called"actionpictures,"moviesmadeonlowbudgetsintwelvedays.Thefirsttwo,THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKandMEETBOSTONBLACKIE(firstintheseries),tooktwomonthstoprepare--FloreywasabletorevisethescriptofTHEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKandwritethecontinuity--andwereshotback-to-back.Suchahastyschedulewasespeciallydifficultforapicturethatrequiredextensivelocationshooting.ThecameramanwasthetalentedFranzPlaner,latelyarrivedfromGermany,andstillunaccustomedtoworkingattheHollywoodpace,requiringthatmanyshotsbesacrificedbecauseofthetimelostinlighting.Today,Floreyisbestrememberedforhisotherworkinthehorrorgenre,includingcoauthoringthescriptoftheoriginalFRANKENSTEIN(1931),writinganddirectingMURDERSINTHERUEMORGUE(1932),anddirectingalaterPeterLorreclassic,THEBEASTWITHFIVEFINGERS(1946).FloreywasakeyfigureinadaptingtheGermanexpressionismandotherEuropeanstylesintoHollywoodfilm-makingbeforethecycleoffilmnoir,andTHEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKreflectsanidealmid-point,bothusingsuchtechniquesbutalsoadjustingthemtotheneedsofagenre-drivenindustry.Despiteitsmodestorigins,THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKiswidelyacknowledgedtobeamongthegreatest"B"filmsevermade,andoneofthefewtoofferprofundityanddepthinthemeandcharacterization,aswellasartistryinitswriting,direction,andacting.Whilecontainingelementsofseveralgenres--horror,socialconsciousness,gangster,andromance--thefilmtranscendsallofthem.THEFACEBEHINDTHEMASKwonfavorfrombothcriticsandaudiences,andasmallfollowinginitstimethathasgrownintheinterveningyears,anexceptionalrecordofsuccessforamoviemadesoinexpensively.Thefilmremainedincontinuousshowingfortwoyearsafteritwasreleasedin1941,andwaslatertheatricallyreissuedonnumerousoccasions,aslateas1955,beforeitbegantobeshownontelevision.…