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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1249

The False Faces

191997 minUnited States

Synopsis

During the First World War, professional thief Michael Lanyard undertakes a mission for Allied intelligence. A transatlantic crossing puts him in the path of German agents and a submarine attack. His attempt to deliver vital information becomes entangled with the rescue of a woman and revenge for his family's murder.

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Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs: 98:33
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Irvin Willat · Public domain

Cast

Henry B. Walthall

Lon Chaney

Mary Anderson

DirectorsIrvin Willat

Inspirations

Louis Joseph Vance's Lone Wolf becomes the hero of an espionage adventure directed by Irvin Willat. Lon Chaney plays the opposing agent, bringing a recognizable villain to a story built around reversals of identity and allegiance.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Henry B. Walthall — Tower Magazines, Inc., photographer unknown · Public domain
Lon Chaney — Unknown author · Public domain

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