Another Face (1935) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set primarily in Hollywood, California, centered around Zenith Studio's lot. The story uses the film industry's backdrop to contrast the glamorous facade of movie fame with the criminal undercurrents driving the plot. Some scenes also take place in Yuma, Arizona.

• hollywood
• zenith studio
• film industry
• movie set

The story unfolds in the early 1930s, during the Great Depression era when talkies and publicity were reshaping how film stars were created and managed. This period's mix of economic hardship and Hollywood glamour directly informs the characters' ambitions and the moral compromises they make.

• 1930s
• great depression
• early talkies
• hollywood era

The film explores how physical transformation can redefine perception, status, and power. The protagonist undergoes facial reconstruction to escape his criminal past and pursue fame as a movie star, using a new appearance to mask his true identity. This creates tension between his conscience and his reinvented persona.

• identity
• transformation
• dual identity
• appearance

Another Face treats publicity as a manufactured commodity, a scheming press agent orchestrates stunts and spin to control public perception and create instant fame. The pursuit of headlines blurs moral boundaries and fuels dangerous decisions, showing how the PR machine can turn anyone into a star regardless of their background.

• fame
• publicity
• press agent
• hollywood machine

The film exposes how Hollywood glamour vests illusion over reality, characters play roles that mask their true intentions. The entertainment world sanitizes and sensationalizes danger, making the line between screen persona and real threat dangerously thin throughout the story.

• illusion
• glamour
• mask
• surface vs reality

The protagonist's criminal past surfaces through murders and an ongoing police pursuit, driving the narrative forward and threatening everyone who knows his hidden identity. As law enforcement closes in and the publicist's schemes threaten to implode, the consequences of his crimes create mounting tension.

• crime
• murder
• police chase
• consequences

Broken Nose Dawson, also known as Spencer Dutro III, is a wanted gangster who undergoes radical facial reconstruction to escape justice. He reinvents himself as a suave movie star, using manipulation and bravado. His criminal nature shadows every aspect of his new life, creating constant tension about his true identity.

• broken nose dawson
• spencer dutro
• gangster
• masked identity

Mary McCall is a nurse who recognizes Dawson under his new face after assisting in the operation. She becomes entangled in the schemes of Hollywood publicity while remaining principled and resourceful. Her loyalty to her fiancé and her knowledge of Dawson's true identity drive the pursuit of truth throughout the story.

• mary mccall
• nurse
• true identity
• loyalty

Joe Haynes is a studio press agent who thrives on sensational publicity, orchestrating stunts to boost the studio's image. He balances showmanship with practicality, willing to risk danger to maximize headlines. His ambitions illuminate the power and ethics, or lack thereof, in public relations within the Hollywood system.

• joe haynes
• press agent
• publicity
• studio

Sheila Barry is a leading actress at Zenith Studio who becomes involved with the transformed Dawson. Initially unimpressed by his egotism, she represents the perspective that grounds Hollywood glamour against the underlying menace of the criminal underworld infiltrating the film industry.

• sheila barry
• actress
• leading role
• hollywood glamour

Another Face portrays Hollywood's studio system as a star-making machine where public image is carefully crafted. The film shows how studios control narratives, manufacture fame through publicity stunts, and blur the lines between reel and real life. Characters navigate this system while pursuing their own agendas.

• studio system
• star making
• hollywood machine
• image control

The film suggests that living a double life carries inherent danger, the protagonist's attempt to escape his criminal past through a new face ultimately leads to more crime and greater consequences. The entertainment industry's ability to sanitize reality is shown as both seductive and destructive.

• dual identity
• moral message
• deception
• consequences