for the performance of James Cagney, and Dorothy Malone, alone. It is a trite saying, but they really don't make movies like this nowadays...Which is probably why everyone who has any interest in any decent film MUST have cable (or TCM, at least); This film was made in 1957, and has that un-pretentious quality to it, the sadness in Lon Chaney's real life, and his determination to be a Hollywood film actor.<br /><br />While a previous reviewer has aptly pointed out, the make-up is amateurish, the details of Cagney's life are left out(especially with reference to his son, Creighton) this is still a good film which manifests the life of a struggling actor, and there is an amusing cameo with a young Robert Evans as Irving Thalberg, studio genius.<br /><br />When I watch films like this, I wish we could go back in time to these days, the times of our parents and grandparents, it reminded of the premise behind Redford's "Quiz Show"-there is a genuine feeling to it; The Hollywood studios were money-oriented, but the public was not bombarded with PR and tabloid trash; it seemed a romantic era where film stars would never consider doing TV commercials for Geritol or McDonald's.