Leonard here. The following column is written by our colleague Mark Searby highlighting British cinema past and present. Please enjoy A bit of Crumpet.
Beauty is only skin deep, as the saying goes. And as one of the characters in the The Evil Face he says. This 1951 Hammer Films film has a lot to say about looks and how many people will go to great lengths to change their appearance, and some do. Especially here as the face has changed, for better and for worse.
British surgeon Philip Ritter is wooed by a concert pianist after a whirlwind romance. Still clinging to his memory, he restores the crippled thief Lily to Alice’s image. But Ritter soon learns that the bottom hasn’t changed for the better.
If this movie had buckets of blood it would be Hammer Horror. But as Hammer leans into that horror he wasn’t fully there The Evil Face released, it’s a Hammer Thriller but with a mad scientist touch to it all (so, maybe an unofficial Hammer Horror?). Ritter, a mechanical Dr., is obsessed with turning a bad woman into a good one. At first, it’s a small side project, as he works with the inmates of Holloway prison where he changes their faces and this causes them to not commit crimes again. But when he’s faced with the scarred face of a young Lily Conover (geddit? Con Over? Yeah, that’s great) he sees it as an opportunity to play God in the vein of Dr. Frankenstein, by breathing new life into a living man, but living behind bars. While there are no theaters filled with flowing test tubes, there is still the impression that Ritter is so focused that he will stop at nothing to make Lily a new woman by any means necessary. Lily, a young Cockney, is delighted to have a make-over worthy of John Travolta/Nic Cage. Seeing it as a new image in life, real life. The path to the straight and narrow path. When the operation is successful, he falls for Ritter. Their love extends beyond the work table. But the old ways return to Lily (now known as Alice Brent). He soon returns to his thieving ways. But this time it’s from high-end stores. To embarrass her husband who has to keep covering, and pay for things he has half an inch (cockney rhyming slang for pinched).
It is fair to say that at only one hour and fifteen minutes this film flies by. There are no baggy parts (pun intended) and the story is soft and gentle. What begins as a story about lust and desire, on several levels. He soon turns to sex. Then there is fear and deception. The film that sees Dr. Ritter goes from being a good person to a bad person and then to being freed by his beautiful wife. Something he never intended or saw coming. Paul Henreid stars as Dr. Ritter. Strong determination to see his “creature” alive. But then jealousy and hatred reigned. Henreid plays it off with a stern, straight face in the middle when he finally sees Lily’s face after the op. Then he is filled with joy and happiness and great pride in what has been accomplished. However, it is Lizabeth Scott’s performance as Lily/Alice that really steals the film. When we first meet Lily, she is dirty and worried not only about being in prison but also about her face and how no one will ever love her because of it. It’s a play that evokes some sadness, even though Lily is a villain. It seems that underneath it all, there is fear in him. It’s a little cute. However, it is when she transforms into Alice that we see Scott’s most exciting performance as she becomes the woman Lily always dreamed she could be. Outgoing, personable, funny and fun. We see him playing the piano in a bar, as the regulars join in singing the song. Alice is adjusting to a new life and a new social class in which she finds herself. Confidence comes through in Scott’s performance as Alice. He is not afraid of new faces. Even in the quieter moments, Scott’s performance has a touch of class to it. Her beaming smile and her well-done hairstyle give it a beautiful look. Her clothes are designed to highlight every curve in her body. It almost becomes a sex symbol of the 1950s. Scott’s dual performance is something to marvel at, especially when he plays Alice as it becomes a fun Jekyll & Hyde game as she struggles with her new life against her old life. A wonderfully understated Cockney performance from Scott as Lily and an equally stunning performance from Scott as Alice. A character you will fall for on both sides.
Hammer Films entered the Film Noir/B-Movie scene with The Evil Face. However, I feel that this hurts the film, as it comes across as more of a film about obsession and desire. A film about, as it says, a Leopard cannot change its habitats. Lily may have a new face and look and act the part like high society Alice. But his deep criminal tendencies begin to surface. A cautionary tale. Then there is the story of the (mad) scientist Dr. Ritter and his obsession and desire to make a woman in his own image. Another cautionary tale. It’s a thought-provoking film on several levels. Don’t forget the excellent performance from Elizabeth Scott, who anchors the entire film.
The Evil Face is released by Hammer Films in the UK on 16 February.
