![Lon chaney sr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Lon_chaney_sr.JPG)
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup.
[ Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as '']The Hunchback of Notre Dame
''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...
'' (1923) and ''The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...
'' (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".
Early life
Leonidas Frank Chaney was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Frank H. Chaney (a barber) and Emma Alice Kennedy. His father was of English and French ancestry, and his mother was of Scottish, English, and Irish descent. Chaney's maternal grandfather, Jonathan Ralston Kennedy, founded the "Colorado School for the Education of Mutes" (now Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
The Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) is a K-12 residential school, located on Knob Hill, east of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, near the famous laboratory of Nikola Tesla. The school was founded in 1874 as ''The Colorado Inst ...
) in 1874, and Chaney's parents met there. His great-grandfather was congressman John Chaney.
Both of Chaney's parents were deaf and, as a child of deaf adult
A child of deaf adult, often known by the acronym coda, is a person who was raised by one or more deaf parent or legal guardian. Ninety percent of children born to deaf adults can hear normally, resulting in a significant and widespread communit ...
s, Chaney became skilled in pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
. He entered a stage career in 1902, and began traveling with popular vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
and theater acts. In 1905, Chaney, then 22, met and married 16-year-old singer Cleva Creighton (Frances Cleveland Creighton) and in 1906, their only child, a son, Creighton Tull Chaney (later known as Lon Chaney Jr.
Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...
) was born. The Chaneys continued touring, settling in California in 1910.
Marital troubles developed and on April 30, 1913, Cleva went to the Majestic Theater in downtown Los Angeles, where Lon was managing the " Kolb and Dill" show, and attempted suicide by swallowing mercuric chloride
Mercury(II) chloride (or mercury bichloride, mercury dichloride), historically also known as sulema or corrosive sublimate, is the inorganic chemical compound of mercury and chlorine with the formula HgCl2. It is white crystalline solid and is a ...
. The suicide attempt failed, but it ruined her singing career; the ensuing scandal and divorce forced Chaney out of the theater and into film.
The time spent there is not clearly known, but between the years 1912 and 1917, Chaney worked under contract for Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
doing bit or character parts. His skill with makeup gained him many parts in the highly competitive casting atmosphere. During this time, Chaney befriended the husband-wife director team of Joe De Grasse
Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse.
Biography
Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class graduate of ac ...
and Ida May Park
Ida May Park (December 28, 1879 – June 13, 1954) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era, in the early 20th century. She wrote for more than 50 films between 1914 and 1930, and directed 14 films between 1917 and 192 ...
, who gave him substantial roles in their pictures, and further encouraged him to play macabre characters.
In 1915, Chaney married one of his former colleagues in the Kolb and Dill company, a recently divorced chorus girl named Hazel Hastings. The new couple gained custody of Chaney's 10-year-old son Creighton, who had resided in various homes and boarding schools since Chaney's divorce from Cleva in 1913.
Career
By 1917, Chaney was a prominent actor in the studio, but his salary did not reflect this status. When Chaney asked for a raise, studio executive William Sistrom
William "Billy" Sistrom (19 March 1884 – March 1972) was an English film producer who worked in the United States.
Biography
Sistrom was born in Lincolnshire, England. He began work with Universal Pictures. Later he joined RKO Pictures in 1 ...
replied, "You'll never be worth more than one hundred dollars a week." After leaving the studio, Chaney struggled for the first year as a character actor. It was not until he played a substantial role in William S. Hart
William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and inte ...
's picture ''Riddle Gawne
A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requi ...
'' (1918) that Chaney's talents as a character actor were truly recognized by the industry.
Universal presented Chaney, Dorothy Phillips
Dorothy Phillips (born Dorothy Gwendolyn Strible, October 30, 1889 – March 1, 1980) was an American stage and film actress. She is known for her emotional performances in melodramas, having played a number of "brow beaten" women on screen, bu ...
, and William Stowell
William Stowell (March 13, 1885 – November 24, 1919) was an American silent film actor.
A handsome actor with matinee idol good looks, Stowell was signed into film in 1909 with IMP (forerunner of Universal Studios), and debuted by sta ...
as a team in ''The Piper's Price
''The Piper's Price'' is a 1917 silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips. It was the first in a series of films co-starring William Stowell and Dorothy Phillips together. The sc ...
'' (1917). In succeeding films, the men alternated playing lover, villain, or other man to the beautiful Phillips. They would occasionally be joined by Claire DuBrey
Claire Du Brey (born Clara Violet Dubreyvich, August 31, 1892 – August 1, 1993) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 200 films between 1916 and 1959. Her name is sometimes rendered as Claire Du Bray or as Claire Dubrey.
Ear ...
nearly making the trio a quartet of recurring actors from film to film. So successful were the films starring this group that Universal produced fourteen films from 1917 to 1919 with Chaney, Stowell, and Phillips.[Internet Movie Database, IMDb.com ; film listings on ''Lon Chaney, William Stowell, Dorothy Phillips & Claire Dubrey'']
The films were usually directed by Joe De Grasse or his wife Ida May Park, both friends of Chaney's at Universal. When Chaney was away branching out on films such as ''Riddle Gawne
A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requi ...
'' and ''The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (both 1918), Stowell and Phillips would continue on as a duo until Chaney's return. Stowell and Phillips made ''The Heart of Humanity
''The Heart of Humanity'' is a 1918 American silent war propaganda film produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Allen Holubar. The film stars Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell, and Erich von Stroheim.
Overview
The film "follows the gen ...
'' (also 1918), bringing in Erich von Stroheim for a part as the villain that could easily have been played by Chaney.
'' Paid in Advance'' (1919) was the group's last film together, for the chiseled featured Stowell was sent to Africa by Universal to scout locations for a movie. En route from one city to another, Stowell was in the caboose
A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in railway switch, switching and Shunting (rail), shunting, keeping a l ...
when it was hit by the locomotive from another train; he was killed instantly. The majority of these films are lost but a few, including ''Triumph'' and ''Paid in Advance'' survive in private collections or unrestored in European or Russian archives.
Chaney had a breakthrough performance as "The Frog" in George Loane Tucker
George Loane Tucker (June 12, 1872 – June 20, 1921) was an American actor, silent film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor.
Career
Tucker was born George S. Loane in Chicago to George Loane and stage actress Ethel Tucker. After ...
's '' The Miracle Man'' (1919). The film displayed not only Chaney's acting ability, but also his talent as a master of makeup. Critical praise and a gross of over $2 million put Chaney on the map as America's foremost character actor.
Chaney exhibited great adaptability with makeup in more conventional crime and adventure films, such as '' The Penalty'' (1920), in which he played a gangster with both legs amputated. Chaney appeared in 10 films directed by Tod Browning
Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...
, often portraying disguised and/or mutilated characters, including carnival knife-thrower Alonzo the Armless in '' The Unknown'' (1927) opposite Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was si ...
. Around the same time, Chaney also co-starred with Conrad Nagel
John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...
, Marceline Day, Henry B. Walthall
Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915).
Early life
Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...
and Polly Moran
Pauline Theresa Moran (June 28, 1883 – January 25, 1952) billed as Polly Moran, was an American actress of vaudeville, stage and screen and comedian.
Career
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started in vaudeville, and widely toured North A ...
in the Tod Browning horror film '' London After Midnight'' (1927), one of the most sought after lost film
A lost film is a feature
Feature may refer to:
Computing
* Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch
* Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob
* Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...
s. His final film role was a sound remake of his silent classic ''The Unholy Three The Unholy Three can refer to the following:
* ''The Unholy Three'', a 1917 novel by Tod Robbins
* ''The Unholy Three'' (1925 film), directed by Tod Browning
* ''The Unholy Three'' (1930 film), a remake of the 1925 film directed by Jack Conway
* ...
'' (1930), his only "talkie
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
" and the only film in which Chaney utilized his powerful and versatile voice. Chaney signed a sworn statement declaring that five of the key voices in the film (the ventriloquist, the old woman, a parrot, the dummy and the girl) were his own.
Makeup in the early days of cinema was almost non-existent with the exception of beards and moustaches to denote villains.[Anderson, R. G. (1971). Faces, Forms, Films; the Artistry of Lon Chaney (pp. 1–216). Cranbury, NJ: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc.] Most of what the Hollywood studios knew about film stemmed from their experience with theater makeup, but this did not always transfer well to the big screen, especially as the film quality increased over time. It is also worth noting that makeup departments were not yet in place during Chaney's time. Prior to the mid-20s, actors were expected to do their own makeup.
In the absence of such specialized professions, Chaney's skills gave him a competitive advantage over other actors. He was the complete package. Casting crews knew that they could place him in virtually any part and he would thrive. In some films his skill allowed him to play dual roles. An extreme case of this was the film '' Outside the Law'' (1920), where he played a character that shot and killed another character, whom he also was playing.
As Quasimodo
Quasimodo (from Quasimodo Sunday) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the novel '' The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (1831) by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster, but ...
, the bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...
, and Erik, the "phantom" of the Paris Opera House
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
, Chaney created two of the most grotesquely deformed characters in film history.[Lussier, Tim]
"The Phantom of the Opera (1925)."
''Silents are Golden'', 2000. Retrieved: May 10, 2016.[Dick 1997, pp. 52–55.] "''Phantom'' … became a legend almost immediately," wrote the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' in 1990. "The newspapers of the day reported that women fainted, children bawled and grown men stepped outside for fresh air after the famous unmasking scene." "The unmasking of the titular Phantom is one of the most well-known moments in silent film," wrote Meg Shields in 2020. "Arguably, it’s one of the most horrifying images ever put on screen."
However, Chaney's portrayals sought to elicit a degree of sympathy and pathos among viewers not overwhelmingly terrified or repulsed by the monstrous disfigurements of these victims of fate.
In a 1925 autobiographical article for ''Movie'' magazine, he wrote: "I wanted to remind people that the lowest types of humanity may have within them the capacity for supreme self-sacrifice. The dwarfed, misshapen beggar of the streets may have the noblest ideals. Most of my roles since ''The Hunchback,'' such as ''The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...
'', ''He Who Gets Slapped
''He Who Gets Slapped'' ( rus, Тот, кто получает пощёчины, links=no) is a play in four acts by Russian dramatist Leonid Andreyev; completed in August 1915 and first produced in that same year at the Moscow Art Theatre on ...
'', ''The Unholy Three The Unholy Three can refer to the following:
* ''The Unholy Three'', a 1917 novel by Tod Robbins
* ''The Unholy Three'' (1925 film), directed by Tod Browning
* ''The Unholy Three'' (1930 film), a remake of the 1925 film directed by Jack Conway
* ...
,'' etc., have carried the theme of self-sacrifice or renunciation. These are the stories which I wish to do." Chaney referred to his expertise in both makeup and contorting his body to portray his subjects as "extraordinary characterization". Chaney's talents extended beyond the horror genre and stage makeup. He was also a highly skilled dancer, singer and comedian.
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery fictio ...
once said of Chaney, "He was someone who acted out our psyche
Psyche (''Psyché'' in French) is the Greek term for "soul" (ψυχή).
Psyche may also refer to:
Psychology
* Psyche (psychology), the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious
* ''Psyche'', an 1846 book about the unconscious by Car ...
s. He somehow got into the shadows inside our bodies; he was able to nail down some of our secret fears and put them on-screen. The history of Lon Chaney is the history of unrequited loves. He brings that part of you out into the open, because you fear that you are not loved, you fear that you never will be loved, you fear there is some part of you that's grotesque, that the world will turn away from."
Chaney and his second wife Hazel led a discreet private life distant from the Hollywood social scene. Chaney did minimal promotional work for his films and for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
, purposefully fostering a mysterious image, and he reportedly intentionally avoided the social scene in Hollywood.[Fleming 2009, p. 167.]
In the final five years of his film career (1925–1930), Chaney worked exclusively under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, giving some of his most memorable performances. His portrayal of a tough-as-nails marine drill instructor in '' Tell It to the Marines'' (1926), one of his favorite films, earned him the affection of the Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
, who made him their first honorary member from the motion picture industry.[LaSalle 2000, p. 120.]
He also earned the respect and admiration of numerous aspiring actors, to whom he offered mentoring assistance, and between takes on film sets he was always willing to share his professional observations with the cast and crew. During the filming of '' The Unknown'' (1927), Joan Crawford stated that she learned more about acting from watching Chaney work than from anyone else in her career. "It was then," she said, "I became aware for the first time of the difference between standing in front of a camera, and acting."
Death
During the filming of ''Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
'' in the winter of 1929, Chaney developed pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
. In late 1929, he was diagnosed with bronchial lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
. This was exacerbated when artificial snow lodged in his throat during filming and caused a serious infection.[Schickel and Hurlburt 1962, p. 133,] Despite aggressive treatment, his condition gradually worsened, and he died of a throat hemorrhage on August 26, 1930, in a Los Angeles, California hospital.
His funeral was held on August 28 in Glendale, California. Honorary pallbearers included Paul Bern
Paul Bern (born Paul Levy; December 3, 1889September 5, 1932) was a German-born American film director, screenwriter, and producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he became the assistant to Irving Thalberg. He helped launch the career of Jean Harl ...
, Hunt Stromberg
Hunt Stromberg (July 12, 1894 – August 23, 1968) was a film producer during Hollywood's Golden Age. In a prolific 30-year career beginning in 1921, Stromberg produced, wrote, and directed some of Hollywood's most profitable and enduring films, ...
, Irving Thalberg
Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899 – September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. He was called "The Boy Wonder" for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather productio ...
, Louis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...
, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery
Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' ( ...
, Tod Browning
Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...
, Lew Cody
Lew Cody (born Louis Joseph Côté; February 22, 1884 – May 31, 1934) was an American stage and film actor whose career spanned the silent film and early sound film age. He gained notoriety in the late 1910s for playing "male vamps" in films ...
, and Ramon Novarro
José Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican-American actor. He began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box ...
. The U.S. Marine Corps provided a chaplain and Honor Guard
A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
for his funeral. While his funeral was being conducted, all MGM studios and offices observed two minutes of silence.["Funeral Service For Lon Chaney."](_blank)
''The Telegraph'', August 28, 1930, p. 5. Retrieved: January 26, 2015.
Chaney was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California.
History
The company was founded by a group of ...
in Glendale, next to the crypt of his father. His wife Hazel was interred there upon her death in 1933. In accordance with his will, Chaney's crypt has remained unmarked.
Legacy
In 1957, Chaney was the subject of a biopic titled '' Man of a Thousand Faces'', in which he was portrayed by James Cagney. The film is a largely fictionalized account, as Chaney was notoriously private and hated the Hollywood lifestyle. He never revealed personal details about himself or his family, once stating, "Between pictures, there is no Lon Chaney."
Chaney's son Creighton, who later changed his name to Lon Chaney Jr.
Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...
, became a film actor after his father's death. Chaney Jr. is best remembered for roles in horror films, such as the title character in '' The Wolf Man'' (1941). In October 1997, both Chaneys appeared on commemorative US postage stamps as the Phantom of the Opera and the Wolf Man, with the set completed by Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
as Dracula and Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film '' Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...
as Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster or Frankenstein's creature, often referred to as simply "Frankenstein", is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''. Shelley's title thus compares ...
and the Mummy
A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay fu ...
.
Chaney is also the subject of the 2000 documentary feature, ''Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces''. The film was produced by silent film historian Kevin Brownlow
Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...
and narrated by Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
.
In the song "Werewolves of London
"Werewolves of London" is a rock song performed by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. It was composed by Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel and was included on ''Excitable Boy'' (1978), Zevon's third solo album. The track featured ...
" by Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician.
Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...
, both Chaney and his son Lon Chaney Jr
Creighton Tull Chaney (February10, 1906 – July12, 1973), known by his stage name Lon Chaney Jr., was an American actor known for playing Larry Talbot in the film '' The Wolf Man'' (1941) and its various crossovers, Count Alucard (Dra ...
are name-called in the last verse.
Honors
Chaney has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located on Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...
. In 1994, Al Hirschfeld's caricature of Chaney was featured on a commemorative United States postage stamp.
In 1929, Chaney built a stone cabin in the remote wilderness of the eastern Sierra Nevada near Big Pine, California as a retreat, hiring Paul R. Williams. Located in the Inyo National Forest
Inyo National Forest is a United States National Forest covering parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada of California and the White Mountains of California and Nevada. The forest hosts several superlatives, including Mount Whitney, the highest po ...
, the cabin still stands, though it is not open to the public. Following his death, Chaney's famous makeup case was donated to the Los Angeles County Museum by his widow, Hazel. The case is occasionally displayed for the public. The stage theater at the Colorado Springs Civic Auditorium is also named after the actor.
Filmography
Approximately 102 of the 157 films made by Chaney are currently classified as lost films
A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress.
Conditions
During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...
. A number of others exist only in extremely truncated form or suffer severe decomposition.
Short subjects
Feature films
Gallery: The Man of a Thousand Faces
File:Lon Chaney Treasure Island 1920 Cropped.png, Blind Pew in ''Treasure Island
''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
'' (1920)
File:Lon Chaney Fagin I.jpg, Fagin
Fagin is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a "receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dod ...
in '' Oliver Twist'' (1922)
File:Lon Chaney Phantom of The Opera Cropped.jpg, " Erik, The Phantom" in ''The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...
'' (1925)
File:Lon Chaney London After Midnight Portrait.jpg, "Hypnotist" in '' London After Midnight'' (1927)
Notes
References
Further reading
* Anderson, Robert Gordon. ''Faces, Forms, Films: The Artistry of Lon Chaney''. South Brunswick, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes, 1971. .
* Blackmar, Frank W., ed. ''Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, etc.''. Chicago : Standard Publishing Company, 1912.
* Blake, Michael F. ''The Films of Lon Chaney''. Vestal, New York: Vestal Press, 1998. .
* Blake, Michael F. ''A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures''. Vestal, New York: Vestal Press, 1997. .
* Blake, Michael F. ''Lon Chaney: The Man Behind the Thousand Faces''. Vestal, New York: Vestal Press, 1997.
* Blum, Daniel. ''Pictorial History of the Silent Screen''. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1953. .
* Dick, Bernard F. ''City of Dreams: The Making and Remaking of Universal Pictures''. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1997. .
* Fleming, E.J. ''Paul Bern: The Life and Famous Death of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Director and Husband of Harlow''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009. .
* Guiley, Rosemary. ''The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters''. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2004. .
* Herzogenrath, Bernd, ed. ''The Cinema of Tod Browning: Essays of the Macabre and Grotesque''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2008. .
* LaSalle, Mick. ''Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood''. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, 2000. .
* Locan, Clarence A. "The Lon Chaney I Knew," '' Photoplay'', November 1930, p. 58.
* "Lon Chaney's Make-up," ''Photoplay'', March 1922, p. 43.
* Riley, Philip J. ''MagicImage Filmbooks Presents The Wolf Man''. Chesterfield, New Jersey: MagicImage Filmbooks, 1993. .
* Sangster, Margaret E. "Lon Chaney" (poem), ''Photoplay'', October 1930, p. 40.
* Schikel, Richard and Allen Hurlburt. ''The Stars''. New York: Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishers, 1962. .
* Slide, Anthony. ''Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses''. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2010. .
* Smith, Don G. ''Lon Chaney Jr.: Horror Film Star, 1906–1973''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2004. .
* Vogel, Michelle. ''Olive Borden: The Life and Films of Hollywood's 'Joy Girl'.'' Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2010. .
External links
*
The Lon Chaney Home Page
Lon Chaney Sr. Man of 1,000 Faces – Facebook
*
*
*
''Feast Your Eyes: The Terrifying Genius of Lon Chaney.'' Filmstruck Extras, on YouTube
rare portrait; Spanish collectors card
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaney, Lon
1883 births
1930 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American film directors
American make-up artists
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male silent film actors
American male stage actors
American people of English descent
American people of French descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Scottish descent
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Deaths from lung cancer in California
Male actors from Colorado Springs, Colorado
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
Silent film directors
Vaudeville performers
Screenwriters from Colorado
20th-century American screenwriters
20th-century American male writers