August 30, 1930...a legend in silent films dies.
95 years ago today, a legend in silent films died of throat cancer at the age of 47.
He was known as The Man of 1000 Faces
His final 'face' was a death mask, and this would be his final act.
His name is Lon Chaney.
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (Colorado Springs, CO. on April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930 in Los Angeles, CA.) was an American actor and makeup artist. 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 for his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces."
Sadly, almost all of his filmography is lost.
Being born to deaf mute parents,
he became adept at American Sign Language.
His profound use of pantomime was paramount in connecting his characters with the viewing audience.
His skill as a makeup artist added much to the characters he portrayed in the screen.
As Quasimodo, the bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and Erik, the "phantom" of the Paris Opera House, Chaney created two of the most grotesquely deformed characters in film history.
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, He Who Gets Slapped, The Unholy Three, 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.
He was an extremely private man, who once stated, "Between films, there is no Lon Chaney" emphasizing his desire to separate his private life from his career.
His only sound film was The Unholy Three, a remake of his earlier silent film of the same name.
Publicity lines at the time were:
"Look out! Don't step on it! It might be Lon Chaney!"
Even a song: "Lon Chaney's Gonna Get Ya, If You Don't Watch Out!"
He had one son, Creighton Tull Chaney, who would follow in his footsteps as an actor. (Lon Chaney Jr. then later billed as Lon Chaney.)
*Wikipedia
He was known as The Man of 1000 Faces
His final 'face' was a death mask, and this would be his final act.
His name is Lon Chaney.
Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (Colorado Springs, CO. on April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930 in Los Angeles, CA.) was an American actor and makeup artist. 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 for his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces."
Sadly, almost all of his filmography is lost.
Being born to deaf mute parents,
he became adept at American Sign Language.
His profound use of pantomime was paramount in connecting his characters with the viewing audience.
His skill as a makeup artist added much to the characters he portrayed in the screen.
As Quasimodo, the bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and Erik, the "phantom" of the Paris Opera House, Chaney created two of the most grotesquely deformed characters in film history.
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, He Who Gets Slapped, The Unholy Three, 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.
He was an extremely private man, who once stated, "Between films, there is no Lon Chaney" emphasizing his desire to separate his private life from his career.
His only sound film was The Unholy Three, a remake of his earlier silent film of the same name.
Publicity lines at the time were:
"Look out! Don't step on it! It might be Lon Chaney!"
Even a song: "Lon Chaney's Gonna Get Ya, If You Don't Watch Out!"
He had one son, Creighton Tull Chaney, who would follow in his footsteps as an actor. (Lon Chaney Jr. then later billed as Lon Chaney.)
*Wikipedia
