The Man Without a Face

If you've got a spare hour to waste on a British quota quickie, then THE MAN WITHOUT A FACE might be a movie for you. I only recognized two names in the credits, director George King, whom I know from Tod Slaughter melodramas, and Moore Marriott in West County coot mode.

The principals are bit overwrought. Cyril Chosack (who?) is falsely convicted of murder, but escapes from a train wreck, leaving what he believes is a thoroughly scarred dead man to take his place. He flees with his girl friend, Carol Coombe, and they encounter Mr. Marriott, and set up housekeeping. However, a newspaper story reveals that the man he thought was dead has survived, thoroughly scarred and amnesiac, scheduled to hang in his stead. Can Mr. Chosack allow this to happen?

There's little money spent on on this film, filled, as it is, with cheap sets and day-for-night photography. Mr. Marriott has a good role and makes the most of it, but that's about the limit of its excellence. Still, at 48 minutes (the version I saw was trimmed from almost exactly an hour), you should find this a decent title to add to your collection of viewed movies.

The leads of this film only made a handful of film appearances between them. THough directed by the prolific George King.The production company was one of the dozens who had only one film to their name.The story is hardly original but one is prepared to overlook it's failings as the ending is so ingenious. Moore Mariott has a dramatic role one of many overlooked as a result of his immortal performances as Harbottle with Wil Hay