MOCKERY
Starring Lon Chaney, Ricardo Cortez, Barbara Bedford and Mack
Swain
MOTION PICTURE CLASSIC
November, 1927
It's still different characterization that Lon Chaney portrays in "Mockery." The end, seemingly, is nowhere in sight. He gets away from this super-morbid roles which projected him as crippled or deformed and plays a stolid, stupid Russian peasant. The performance is about the one thing you'll remember in the film.
The picture is happily free from heavy atmosphere -- and it certainly has not gone "set." The players act with excellent restraint. Chaney has had better ones, but this won't take anything aay from his popularity."
MOCKERY
Starring Lon Chaney, Ricardo Cortez, Barbara Bedford and Mack
Swain
MOTION PICTURE
November, 1927
The critics are quite divided on "Mockery." Some
think it is a fine picture, while others (the latter seem to be
in the majority) regard it as too heavy and dull. Equally divided
are the reviewers over the performance of Lon Chaney as the animal-like
peasant, some regarding it as masterly and others declaring that
it doesn't measure up to some of the actor's portrayals of the
past. The Detroit Times expresses the belief that
Chaney convinces his admirers that he "has scored another"
in "Mockery." "Chaney holds the tale together with
plausible cohesion," continues the Times, which
goes on to refer to him as "an expert at make-up, but . .
. also an actor" who "within the limited means of the
camera can communicate a wide variety of emotions with deep conviction."
The Detroit News opines that Chaney's role in this
picture is not so vivid as many of his others owing, perhaps,
to less extensive use of make-up. "This is not one of Chaney's
best pictures," says Jack Moffitt in the Kansas City
Star, "but it may be one of his best characterizations."
The New York critics are just as divided as those of other cities.
The World thinks "Mockery" is "a
good picture, thoughtfully done." Wilella Waldorf, in the
Post, believes Chaney "does rather better than
usual by his role." Joseph McElliott, in the Mirror,
says "there is something in this picture, which makes it
worthwhile, despite its many labored passages." But Donald
Thompson, the Telegram's critic, the reviewer in
the Herald-Tribnue, and Herbert Cruikshank in the
Morning Telegraph, are among those who opine that
the picture misses the spirit of the original idea somewhere in
transit. "On the whole unconvincing," is the working
in the Herald-Tribune, which publication finds that
many of the big dramatic points have been handled in rather artificial
fashion.
MOCKERY
starring Lon Chaney, Barbara Bedford and Ricardo Cortez
PHOTOPLAY
October, 1927
Lon Chaney is running rapidly through the list of human ailments
and tribulations. In "Mockery" he plays a slow thinking
Russian peasant with a harelip. Sergei is just a plodding, stupid
oaf who gets swept into the Russian Revolution without knowing
what it's all about.
Sergei blunders upon the Countess Titiana fleeing in disguise
from the Reds. He saves her life in his stupid way and thereupon
the Countess becomes the goddess of his floundering mind. Sergei
is persuaded to become a Red in order to possess her, but, in
the end, he saves her again for her lover, a dashing Russian officer.
Chaney makes Sergei into an efffective character. This star
is the only film luminary who can play dumb gents minus sex appeal
and ring the gong at the box office. Sergei is a big blunder and
harelip man from the steppes with nothing to recommend him but
Chaney's fine performance.
"Mockery" is a manufactured melodrama built around Sergei.
Still, it has its excitement and, aside from Chaney's work, there
is Barbara Bedford's sympathetic work as Titiana to recommend
it. Miss Bedford deserves more opportunities than she has been
getting. Ricardo Cortez is satisfactory as the Russian officer,
and a neat, if repellent, bit is turned in by Charles Puffy as
the fat brute, Ivan, who presides below stairs biding his time
for the revolution.
"Mockery" is hardly an authentic picture of the budding revolution but it is good melodrama held up to a keen edge of intensity by Lon Chaney's highly effective character playing.
MOCKERY
starring Lon Chaney and Barbara Bedford
SCREENLAND
November, 1927
Excuse the snickers, but I can't help it. I have to laugh at Lon Chaney. He plays a joke on himself in "Mockery," whether he knows it or not. Without the aid of his well-known make-up kit, he puts over his finest characterization. In full possession of all his legs, arms and eyes, he does keener work than he has hitherto accomplished with the assistance of crutches and whiskers. Here he's been going to a lot of trouble when all he really needed to do was to act. His pathetic Russian peasant in Benjamin Christiensen's interesting picture seems to me the best thing Chaney has contributed. Now he can throw away those crutches while the audience cheers.
This is an old-fashioned picture. It takes place in the Russia of pre-Bolshevik days, when beautiful countesses were still free to carry messages and to kiss handsome captains in the garden. Those were the days. Then, it is melodrama of the frankest type, with picturesque killings every so often. But it's a good picture, all the same. Christiensen's direction has that foreign flavor, and that flavor lasts. Barbara Bedford as the countess who saves Sergei's life after that ignorant peasant has saved hers, is some countess. If all countesses had looked and acted like Barbara, there might not have been so much gloom in Russia. Miss Bedford has poise and distinction without the aid of a tiara. Like Mr. Chaney, she needs no make-up. She always does act a little insolent; I wonder that she's never been cast as a countess before. Ricardo Cortez has his share of snippy charm; and oh, how that boy does grace a uniform! Lon Chaney shares honors with the young folks, and adds on his own account a comedy scene as good as some of our best comedians ever put on. What can't the man do?
For more information, see "Mockery" as our "Feature of the Month"