Another Face (1935) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After the successful facial surgery gives him a completely new and attractive appearance, Dawson sees an opportunity to reinvent himself completely. Rather than simply hiding in anonymity, he decides to leverage his new handsome face to achieve fame and wealth in Hollywood. His rough underworld ego is replaced with newfound confidence, making him believe he can succeed as a film star. This decision allows him to vanish into a new identity (Spencer Dutro) while also pursuing a glamorous lifestyle.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, his underling Muggsie Brown notes that his new face makes him look like a movie star, planting the seed for his Hollywood ambition.

• facial reconstruction
• hollywood
• spencer dutro
• new identity
• fame

Dawson orders the deaths to eliminate everyone who knows his true appearance and could identify him to the police. As the surgeon who performed the operation, Dr. Buler knows exactly what Dawson looked like before the transformation. Similarly, nurse Mary McCall was present during the procedure and recognized her patient when the transformation was complete. By killing them, Dawson hopes to erase any evidence of his altered identity and escape the consequences of his crimes.

• murder
• cover-up
• dr. buler
• mary mccall
• witness elimination

Mary McCall was the nurse who assisted Dr. Buler during Dawson's facial reconstruction procedure. She was present throughout the operation and saw his original face before the transformation was complete. When Dawson's new face was revealed, she instantly recognized her patient, despite the dramatic change in his appearance. This recognition makes her the only person alive who knows Spencer Dutro's true identity as the wanted gangster Dawson.

• mary mccall
• recognition
• facial surgery
• witness
• identity

Muggsie Brown carries out Dawson's orders and kills Dr. Buler and a nurse (though not Mary McCall, who had already fled). However, his victory is short-lived, while attempting to escape, Muggsie is gunned down by the police. This double murder leaves Dawson without his loyal underling and puts the police firmly on his trail, forcing him to flee and accelerate his plans to disappear into Hollywood.

• muggsie brown
• killed by police
• double murder
• escape

When Mary McCall reconnects with Dutro at the studio and recognizes him from publicity photos, his secret identity becomes endangered. During the chaotic night shoot, Dutro seizes the opportunity to take Sheila Barry hostage as a desperate attempt to escape. He uses the chaos of the film set to make his move, grabbing Barry and holding her at knifepoint while attempting to flee the studio. This hostage situation represents the climax of his crumbling deception.

Foreshadowing: Mary's arrival at Haynes' office and recognition of Dutro from photos directly triggers the chain of events leading to the hostage situation.

• sheila barry
• hostage
• night shoot
• escape
• studio

During the chaotic chase through the studio building, press agent Joe Haynes pursues Dutro relentlessly. He forces Barry outside and locks the interior door to cut off Dutro's escape route. In a decisive confrontation inside a locked space, Haynes uses quick thinking and physical force to finally knock Dutro unconscious, ending the immediate threat. His actions save Barry and bring the dangerous situation to a close.

• joe haynes
• fight
• knockout
• rescue
• studio chase

After reading newspaper reports about Dr. Buler's murder and the killing of another nurse, Mary McCall becomes terrified for her safety. She knows Dawson's secret and understands that she is also a target for elimination. Fearing that the police or Dawson's associates might expose her or harm her, she flees across the country to stay ahead of the danger and avoid the scrutiny that comes with the high-profile murders.

• mary mccall
• flee
• fear
• survival
• newspaper reports

After fleeing, Dawson adopts the alias Spencer Dutro and moves to Hollywood to reinvent himself as a former gangster turned film star. He undergoes elocution lessons to perfect his new persona and successfully convinces the studio to hire him. Director Bill Branch cast him as a gangster opposite actress Sheila Barry, not knowing his true identity. The Hollywood system accepts his transformed appearance and backstory, allowing him to build a career as a film star while hiding his criminal past.

• spencer dutro
• alias
• hollywood
• acting career
• disguise

Police Captain Spellman specifically warns Joe Haynes about his reckless publicity stunts, and studio manager Charles L. Kellar agrees they must stop. The warning comes because Haynes' chaotic showmanship is creating real danger and legal liability for the studio. This tension foreshadows the chaotic events that unfold when Haynes decides to exploit Dutro's presence for headlines rather than alerting authorities, putting everyone at risk.

Foreshadowing: Haynes' pattern of reckless stunts directly leads him to lock Mary in a closet and keep Dutro on set for publicity purposes.

• joe haynes
• publicity stunts
• police warning
• studio
• danger

When Mary McCall arrives at Haynes' office seeking work and recognizes Spencer Dutro from publicity photos, Haynes realizes she knows the gangster's true identity. To protect her from Dutro's wrath and prevent her from exposing the situation prematurely, Haynes locks her in a closet for her safety. However, he also chooses not to call the police immediately, seeing the situation as an opportunity for a publicity stunt rather than a crime to be reported.

• joe haynes
• mary mccall
• closet
• protection
• publicity