One year Peggy Shannon was a new face and getting the star build-up, the next she was scrambling around among the independents, the story circulating that she'd become temperamental. Most of her Paramount films were frankly Bs, quickly put together and rushed into release. Her first film away from Paramount may be one of her best - "False Faces", a searing drama about a quack plastic surgeon. Lowell Sherman who specialized in sophisticated cads starred and also directed. Of course on poverty row not a lot of time was spent on characterization - but her role was a bit different: she was Elsie Fryer, a pretty receptionist who is a more than willing helper for Dr. Silas Brenton just starting out in private surgery.
Brenton (Sherman) is as crooked as they come. To his long suffering girlfriend Georgia (lovely Lila Lee) he has convinced her that he has had to leave the hospital as a victim of persecution but in reality when he has been found to be extorting money from the relatives of a charity patient, that is the last straw for the hospital board!!
An off the cuff remark made about the ugliness of some people's faces leads Brenton into the murky world of plastic surgery. Even though it is a field that he is unfamiliar with his huge ego leads him to take chances and risks. He starts with an ageing star and refuses her offers of payment, yet in the papers the next day he has splashed her name all over the front page. In another instance two "sister singers" are involved in a minor car collusion but when Silas gets through with the reporters it sounds as though his surgery has helped them back from the brink. Things aren't all smooth sailing - a society matron, Mrs. Day, comes to him for some corrective eye surgery, his dodgy methods leave her paralysed!! He does find time for his other hobby - romancing pretty girls and he proves the same low life that he is in surgery practices!! Sweet Georgia is out of sight, out of mind, Elsie has served him so far but attractive Florence Day (Geneva Mitchell) he sees as a step up to high society and she is blind to his shoddy practises. But when he decides to perform surgery on a woman with bow legs..... suddenly he finds himself facing a malpractice suit. Nance O'Neil, the noted stage actress was not too proud to accept the role of distraught Mrs. Finn and make the court room scene her own.
Ken Maynard, a popular Western star who was doing a series for World Wide at the time, made a guest appearance in the night club scene. Joyce Compton and Miriam Seegar also had parts.
Very recommended.
Brenton (Sherman) is as crooked as they come. To his long suffering girlfriend Georgia (lovely Lila Lee) he has convinced her that he has had to leave the hospital as a victim of persecution but in reality when he has been found to be extorting money from the relatives of a charity patient, that is the last straw for the hospital board!!
An off the cuff remark made about the ugliness of some people's faces leads Brenton into the murky world of plastic surgery. Even though it is a field that he is unfamiliar with his huge ego leads him to take chances and risks. He starts with an ageing star and refuses her offers of payment, yet in the papers the next day he has splashed her name all over the front page. In another instance two "sister singers" are involved in a minor car collusion but when Silas gets through with the reporters it sounds as though his surgery has helped them back from the brink. Things aren't all smooth sailing - a society matron, Mrs. Day, comes to him for some corrective eye surgery, his dodgy methods leave her paralysed!! He does find time for his other hobby - romancing pretty girls and he proves the same low life that he is in surgery practices!! Sweet Georgia is out of sight, out of mind, Elsie has served him so far but attractive Florence Day (Geneva Mitchell) he sees as a step up to high society and she is blind to his shoddy practises. But when he decides to perform surgery on a woman with bow legs..... suddenly he finds himself facing a malpractice suit. Nance O'Neil, the noted stage actress was not too proud to accept the role of distraught Mrs. Finn and make the court room scene her own.
Ken Maynard, a popular Western star who was doing a series for World Wide at the time, made a guest appearance in the night club scene. Joyce Compton and Miriam Seegar also had parts.
Very recommended.