The Face Behind the Mask (1941)
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61% of users liked it
(139 ratings)
In this low-budget thriller (which developed something of a cult following among film buffs in the '60s and '70s), Peter Lorre plays Janos Szabo, an immigrant from Hungary who is a skilled craftsman. After he's caught in a fire, his face is horribly scarred; his terrifying appearance… More In this low-budget thriller (which developed something of a cult following among film buffs in the '60s and '70s), Peter Lorre plays Janos Szabo, an immigrant from Hungary who is a skilled craftsman. After he's caught in a fire, his face is horribly scarred; his terrifying appearance makes it impossible for him to get a job. With nowhere else to turn, Janos begins working for the criminal underworld, where he eventually raises enough money to purchase an expensive mask whose expressionless features are only a slight improvement over his distorted visage, but at least allow him to go out in public. However, Janos begins having second thoughts about his life of crime, especially after he falls in love with Helen (Evelyn Keyes), a kind-hearted blind woman. Director Robert Florey supposedly shot this film and Meet Boston Blackie in a mere 24 days. Florey and Lorre would team up again for another offbeat film buff favorite, The Beast with Five Fingers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Robert Florey
- Written By
- Paul Jarrico, Arthur Levinson, Thomas Edward O'Connell
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 2003 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The film is a horror story in that it offers a vision of the American Dream turning ugly and wrong.
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Cast
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Peter Lorre
as Janos Szabo
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Evelyn Keyes
as Helen Williams
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George E. Stone
as Dinky
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Don Beddoe
as Jim O'Hara
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John Tyrrell
as Watts
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Stanley Brown
as Harry
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Al Seymour
as Benson
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James Seay
as Jeff
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Warren Ashe
as Johnson
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Charles C. Wilson
as Chief O'Brien
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George McKay
as Terry Finnegan
- Ernie S. Adams
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Sam Ash
as Mike Cary
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Al Bridge
as Horgan
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Mary Currier
as Nurse Kritzer
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John Dilson
as Anderson
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Sarah Edwards
as Mrs. Perkins
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Eddie Foster
as City Slicker
- Almeda Fowler
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Joel Friedkin
as Mr. Perkins
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Jack Gardner
as Man at Fire
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Chuck Hamilton
as Gas Station Attendant
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Al Hill
as Horton
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Wally Merrill
as Joe
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Ralph Peters
as Cook
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Lee Phelps
as Brown
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Lee Prather
as Immigration Officer
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Frank Reicher
as Dr. Cheever
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Claire Rochelle
as Nurse Bailey
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Lee Shumway
as Policeman
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Walter Soderling
as Harris
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Edwin Stanley
as Dr. Beckett
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Harry Strang
as Clerk Stimson
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Ben Taggart
as Dr.Jones
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Bill Lally
as Wilson
- Al Rhein
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Victor Travers
as Man
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Bessie Wade
as Woman
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David Oliver
as Steward
