Famous silent film actor Lon Chaney was born on this day in 1883
Known as the “Man of a Thousand Faces”
Famous silent film actor Lon Chaney was born on this day in 1883
Famous silent film actor Lon Chaney was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on April 1st, 1883. He was one of four children born to deaf parents, and some attribute his later success with pantomime to his early efforts to communicate with his parents through sign language. Chaney was vastly talented, he was a legendary actor, artist, dancer, comedian, and voice actor. In addition, Chaney was a highly skilled makeup and special effects artist. His ground-breaking techniques and ability to contort his face and body earned him the nickname “The Man of a Thousand Faces.” Chaney was a pioneer in the Horror genre, transforming himself into grotesque and terrifying creatures on screen. Some of his most notable works within in the genre include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923) as Quasimodo, “While Paris Sleeps” (1923) as Henri Santados, “The Monster” (1925) as Dr. Ziska, “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) as The Phantom, and “London After Midnight” (1927) as Professor Edward C. Burke. After passing away on August 26, 1930, at the age of 47, his son, Creighton Tull Chaney, changed his name to Lon Chaney, Jr. and became one of the most memorable and iconic actors in horror. Through his son and work, Chaney left a legacy that remains untouched, even a century later.ing or download, but with the vinyl records resurgence in recent years, after decades outside the record stores shelves, the original single format has made a comeback, in special for collectors.
By Ken Warren, 2018
See some of the many faces of Lon Chaney – ‘The Man of a Thousand Faces’
Watch more related videos
Images and photographs can be from different ranges of sources such as Pinterest, Tumblr etc. except when/where noted. If you are the copyright holder and would like them removed or credited, please get in touch.
