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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.
Sep 14, 2021 · Struggling in bit parts for years, his fortunes changed when Chaney reluctantly adopted his father's name. With the added marquee value of the name "Lon Chaney Jr.," the young actor at last saw a degree of success.
- William J. Wright
- He Acted Out
- He Was A Little Tycoon
- He Married Young
- He Was The Wolf Man’S Dad
- There Was Trouble in Paradise
- He Bowed Out of Theatre
- He Went Hollywood
- He Lied to His Own Child
- He Knew What He Was Worth
- He Got Lucky
Leonidas “Lon” Chaney was born on April 1, 1883, to Frank and Emma Chaney, both of whom were deaf. They met at a school for the deaf founded by Emma’s father. As the child of deaf parents, Lon Chaney developed a talent for communicating his thoughts through pantomime—skills which would certainly come in handy later. Wikipedia
At 20, Chaney began putting his mime skills to use on the vaudeville stage. Chaney started a theater company with his brother; their main offering was a play they wrote and performed together called The Little Tycoon. The Little Tycoon was a small success, drawing the attention of a larger company who bought the brothers out. Wikimedia Commons
Under new management, Chaney’s theatre company toured the Midwest’s vaudeville circuit. During a performance in Oklahoma City, Chaney met a 16-year-old chorus girl named Cleva Creighton. He fell hard—but their union was ultimately doomed to a heartbreaking end.In those early happy days though, they settled down and Chaney married Creighton within a...
A year after their marriage, the Chaney’s welcomed a son, Creighton Tull Chaney. Born into showbusiness, the Chaney baby started appearing on stage before he could even walk. Creighton Tull Chaney stuck with the family business, changing his name to Lon Chaney Jr. and making monster movie history of his own as “the Wolf Man.” Wikipedia
The Chaneys stopped touring to raise their family. Lon managed to find steady work as a stage manager, actor, and choreographer. Cleva was, however, less successful. One day, her torment and depression led to an utterly disturbing incident. Cleva stormed into the Majestic Theatre. In full view of Lon and his colleagues, Cleva drank a vial mercury c...
Cleva survived the poisoning, but she destroyed her singing voice. In the aftermath, the Chaneys endured a very public, very acrimonious divorce. The scandal ruined Chaney’s standing in the theater community. Unable to find any onstage acting gigs, Chaney resorted to accepting a job in the lowly world of motion pictures. Shutterstock
In those days, movies were a way to make a quick, quiet buck. They lacked the prestige and legitimacy of the stage, but Chaney was desperate. He signed a contract with Universal Pictures in 1913 and immediately began appearing as a bit player. His first role was as an extra in the 1913 Wallace Reed short The Ways of Fate. Flickr, Marco Verch
While the Chaneys settled their divorce, their son went to live at a series of boarding schools. Though steadily employed, Lon couldn’t gain custody of his son until he remarried. But once he had done so, he made a twisted decision that would forever change him and his son’s life.Lon told Creighton that Cleva had passed on…but it was a lie. Creight...
At Universal, Chaney struck up a friendship with Joe De Grasse and Ida May Park. The husband-and-wife directing team rewarded Chaney’s friendship with juicy parts in their films. By 1917, Chaney was one of Universal’s biggest stars. Only, he wasn’t getting paid like a star. Chaney thought it was time he asked for a raise. To Chaney’s dismay, the st...
Chaney’s gambit paid off almost immediately. In 1918, Lon Chaney landed a lead role as ruthless cattle rustler Hame Bozzam in the smash hit western Riddle Gawne. Pretty soon, he was getting offers from every studio in Hollywood—including Universal. At the height of his career as a freelancer, Chaney commanded up to $3,750 a week. [/media-credit] Th...
Aug 22, 2024 · Chaney’s legend was such that he retained a large cult following into the 21st century. His son, Creighton, also attained stardom, in the 1930s and ’40s after changing his name to Lon Chaney, Jr., and portraying notable horror roles for Universal Studios, in particular the title character in The Wolf Man (1941).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Chaney was extremely private. Born to Deaf parents in 1883, it is said Chaney had a unique ability for non-verbal communication, which allowed him to fully inhabit his characters – especially in the silent era.
- Chaney wrote the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on “makeup.” In contrast to many of the other silent film stars like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton who perfected their consistent on-screen personas, Chaney’s career was one of continual transformation.
- Chaney was co-stars with Joan Crawford. Actress Joan Crawford spoke highly of her time with Chaney, citing him as an influence for her film career and calling him “the most intense, exciting individual” she’d ever met.
- Chaney believed his characters could find redemption. It is said that Chaney’s upbringing made him sensitive to the experiences of “outsiders.” Early horror movies experimented with non-formative figures, reminiscent of many of the disabled and wounded veterans who had returned from World War I. David J. Skal, a biographer of Tod Browning (one of Chaney’s collaborators), noted that many of these films captured the feeling of powerlessness created by the national trauma of the war and subsequently the Great Depression, likely exacerbated by the growing Eugenics Movement.
Apr 14, 2021 · Eventually, Creighton used the name "Lon Chaney Jr." after his father died in 1930 and got work in Universal monster movies as well as big-budget classic films like High Noon (1952).
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May 14, 2018 · In future years Chaney's son Creighton (who changed his name to Lon Chaney, Jr.) also became an actor, appearing in almost 150 films. He often played monsters in horror films, including the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, and Dracula.
