Lon Chaney filmography
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Lon Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor during the age of silent films. He is regarded as one of cinema's most versatile and powerful actors, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, sometimes grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup.[1] Chaney is 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."
Cast in films[edit]
| Title | Role | Release date | Production and/or distribution companies | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor Jake's Demise | Willy (The Dude) Mollycoddle | August 16, 1913[2] | IMP - Universal[2] | Incomplete film |
| The Sea Urchin | Barnacle Bill[2] | August 22, 1913[2] | Powers - Universal[2] | Lost film |
| The Blood Red Tape of Charity | Jewish pawnbroker[2] | September 26, 1913[2] | Powers - Universal[2] | |
| Shon the Piper | Scottish clansman[2] | September 30, 1913[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| The Trap | October 3, 1913[2][note 1] | Powers - Universal[2] | ||
| The Restless Spirit | dual role as a Russian count and a wild man | October 27, 1913[2] | Victor - Universal[2] | |
| An Elephant on His Hands | Eddie[2] | November 21, 1913[2] | Nestor - Universal[2] | |
| Almost an Actress | The Cameraman[2] | November 15, 1913[2] | Joker - Universal[2] | |
| Back to Life | The Rival[2] | November 24, 1913[2] | Victor - Universal[2] | |
| Red Margaret, Moonshiner | Lon[2] | December 9, 1913[2] | Gold Seal - Universal[2] | |
| Bloodhounds of the North | Mountie[2] | December 23, 1913[2] | Gold Seal - Universal[2] | |
| The Lie | Young MacGregor[2] | January 6, 1914[2] | Gold Seal - Universal[2] | |
| The Honor of the Mounted | Jacques Laquox[2] | February 17, 1914[2] | Gold Seal - Universal[2] | |
| Remember Mary Magdalen | The Half-wit[2] | February 23, 1914[2] | Victor - Universal[2] | |
| Discord and Harmony | The Sculptor[2] | March 17, 1914[2] | Gold Seal - Universal[2] | |
| The Menace to Carlotta | Giovanni Bartholi[2] | March 22, 1914[2] | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Embezzler | J. Roger Dixon[2] | March 31, 1914[2] | Gold Seal - Universal[2] | |
| The Lamb, the Woman, the Wolf | The Wolf[2] | April 4, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| The End of the Feud | Wood Dawson[2] | April 12, 1914[2] | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Tragedy of Whispering Creek | The Greaser[2] | May 2, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| The Unlawful Trade | The Half-Breed[2] | May 14, 1914[2] | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Forbidden Room | John Morris[2] | June 20, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| The Old Cobbler | Wild Bill[2] | June 27, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| The Hopes of Blind Alley | Vendor[2] | July 4, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| A Ranch Romance | Raphael Praz[2] | July 8, 1914[2] | Nestor - Universal[2] | |
| Her Grave Mistake | Nunez[2] | July 15, 1914[2] | Nestor - Universal[2] | |
| By the Sun's Rays | Frank Lawler[2] | July 22, 1914[2] | Nestor - Universal[2] | |
| The Oubliette | Chevalier Bertrand De La Payne[2] | August 15, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| A Miner's Romance | John Burns[2] | August 26, 1914[2] | Nestor - Universal[2] | |
| Her Bounty | Fred Howard[2] | September 13, 1914[2] | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Higher Law | Sir Stephen[2] | September 19, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| Richelieu | Baradas[2] | September 26, 1914[2] | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| The Pipes o' Pan | Arthur Farrell[2] | October 4, 1914[2] | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| Virtue Is Its Own Reward | Duncan Bronson[2] | October 11, 1914[2] | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| Her Life's Story | Don Valasquez | October 15, 1914 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| A Small Town Girl | Procurer | November 7, 1914 | 101-Bison - Universal[2] | |
| Lights and Shadows | Bentley | November 29, 1914 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Lion, the Lamb, the Man | Fred | December 6, 1914 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| A Night of Thrills | December 13, 1914 | Rex - Universal[2] | ||
| Her Escape | Pete | December 13, 1914 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Sin of Olga Brandt | Stephen Leslie | January 3, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Star of the Sea | Tomasco | January 10, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Measure of a Man | Mountie Lt. Jim Stuart | January 28, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Threads of Fate | The Count | February 21, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| When the Gods Played a Badger Game | The Property Man | February 28, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| Such Is Life | Tod Wilkes | March 4, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| Where the Forest Ends | Paul Rouchelle | March 7, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| Outside the Gates | Perez | March 14, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| All for Peggy | The Stable Groom | March 18, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Desert Breed | Fred | March 28, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| Maid of the Mist | The Postmaster | April 1, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | |
| The Girl of the Night | April 8, 1915 | Rex - Universal[2] | ||
| The Stool Pigeon | - Directed - | April 9, 1915 | Victor - Universal[2] | |
| The Grind | ||||
| An Idyll of the Hills | ||||
| The Stronger Mind | ||||
| The Oyster Dredger | ||||
| Steady Company | ||||
| The Violin Maker | ||||
| The Trust | ||||
| Bound on the Wheel | ||||
| Mountain Justice | ||||
| Quits | ||||
| The Chimney's Secret | ||||
| The Pine's Revenge | ||||
| The Fascination of the Fleur de Lis | ||||
| Alas and Alack | ||||
| A Mother's Atonement | ||||
| Lon of Lone Mountain | ||||
| The Millionaire Paupers | ||||
| Under a Shadow | ||||
| Stronger Than Death | ||||
| Father and the Boys | ||||
| Dolly's Scoop | ||||
| The Grip of Jealousy | ||||
| Tangled Hearts | ||||
| The Gilded Spider | ||||
| Bobbie of the Ballet | ||||
| The Grasp of Greed | ||||
| The Mark of Cain | ||||
| If My Country Should Call | ||||
| Felix on the Job | ||||
| The Place Beyond the Winds | ||||
| Accusing Evidence | ||||
| The Price of Silence | ||||
| The Piper's Price | ||||
| Hell Morgan's Girl | ||||
| The Mask of Love | ||||
| The Girl in the Checkered Coat | ||||
| The Flashlight | ||||
| A Doll's House | ||||
| Fires of Rebellion | ||||
| The Rescue | ||||
| Triumph | ||||
| Pay Me! | Joe Lawson | September 1, 1917 | ||
| The Empty Gun | ||||
| Anything Once | ||||
| The Scarlet Car | ||||
| Broadway Love | ||||
| The Grand Passion | ||||
| The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin | ||||
| Fast Company | ||||
| A Broadway Scandal | ||||
| Riddle Gawne | ||||
| That Devil, Bateese | ||||
| The Talk of the Town | ||||
| Danger, Go Slow | ||||
| The Wicked Darling | ||||
| Daredevil Jack | ||||
| The False Faces | Karl Eckstrom | February 16, 1919 | Thomas Ince - Paramount | |
| A Man's Country | Winsome Stars Corporation - Robertson Cole | |||
| Paid in Advance | Bateese Le Blanc[2] | November 30, 1919[2] | Universal[2] | |
| The Miracle Man | The Frog | August 29, 1919 | George Loane Tucker - Paramount | |
| When Bearcat Went Dry | ||||
| Victory | Maurice Tourneur - Paramount | |||
| Treasure Island | Maurice Tourneur - Paramount | |||
| The Gift Supreme | ||||
| Nomads of the North | Raoul Challoner | October 11, 1920 | Associated First National | |
| The Penalty | Blizzard | July 20, 1920 | Rex Beach and Sam Goldwyn - Goldwyn Pictures | |
| Outside the Law | Black Mike Sylva/Ah Wing | December 26, 1920 | Tod Browning - Universal | |
| Bits of Life | Marshall Neilan - Associated First National | |||
| The Ace of Hearts | Wallace Worsley - Goldwyn Pictures | |||
| For Those We Love | Betty Compson - Goldwyn Pictures | |||
| The Trap | Gaspard the Good | May 9, 1922 | Universal | |
| Voices of the City | Goldwyn Pictures | |||
| Flesh and Blood | ||||
| The Light in the Dark | Tony Pantelli | September 3, 1922 | Associated First National | |
| Shadows | B. P. Schulberg - Preferred Pictures | |||
| Oliver Twist | Fagin | October 30, 1922 | Sol Lesser - Associated First National | |
| Quincy Adams Sawyer | Metro Pictures | |||
| A Blind Bargain | Goldwyn Pictures | |||
| All the Brothers Were Valiant | Metro Pictures | |||
| While Paris Sleeps | ||||
| The Shock | Wilse Dilling | July 10, 1923 | Universal | |
| The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Quasimodo | September 2, 1923 | Universal | |
| The Next Corner | Famous Players–Lasky, Paramount | |||
| He Who Gets Slapped | Paul Beaumont | November 9, 1924 | MGM | |
| The Monster | Dr. Ziska | March 16, 1925 | MGM | |
| The Unholy Three | Prof. Echo/Mrs. O'Grady | August 16, 1925 | MGM | |
| The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom of the Opera/Erik | November 25, 1925 | Universal | |
| The Tower of Lies | MGM | |||
| The Blackbird | Dan 'The Blackbird'/The Bishop | January 11, 1926 | MGM | |
| The Road to Mandalay | MGM | |||
| Tell It to the Marines | Sergeant O'Hara | December 23, 1926 | MGM | |
| Mr. Wu | MGM | |||
| The Unknown | Alonzo the Armless | June 4, 1927 | MGM | |
| Mockery | MGM | |||
| London After Midnight | Inspector Edward C. Burke | December 3, 1927 | MGM | Lost film |
| The Big City | MGM | |||
| Laugh, Clown, Laugh | Tito | April 14, 1928 | MGM | |
| While the City Sleeps | MGM | |||
| West of Zanzibar | Phroso | November 24, 1928 | MGM | |
| Where East Is East | MGM | |||
| Thunder | MGM | |||
| The Unholy Three | Prof. Echo/Mrs. O'Grady | July 12, 1930 | MGM |
Directed films[edit]
| Title | Release date | Production company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stool Pigeon | April 9, 1915 | Universal | Cast and directed |
| For Cash | May 3, 1915 | Universal | Only directed |
| The Oyster Dredger | June 14, 1915 | Universal | Cast and directed |
| The Violin Maker | July 9, 1915 | Universal | Directed and acted |
| The Trust | July 16, 1915 | Universal | Directed and acted |
| The Chimney's Secret | August 25, 1915 | Universal | Directed, wrote and acted |
| The Phantom of the Opera | November 25, 1925 | Universal | Uncredited |
References[edit]
- ^ "Lon Chaney Dies After Brave Fight. On Road to Recovery, Screen Actor Is Stricken by Hemorrhage of the Throat. Was a Master of Makeup. Son of Deaf and Dumb Parents, He Began Career as Property Boy. Excelled in Vivid Personations. Acted as Pike's Peak Guide. Made Stage Debut at 17. Appeared in Slap-Stick Comedy. Wore Straitjacket as "Hunchback." New Disguise for Each Film". New York Times. August 27, 1930.
Although he was believed to be on the road to recovery, Lon Chaney, screen actor, who had been making a valiant fight against anemia and bronchial congestion, died at 12:55.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr Blake, Michael F. (2001). The Films of Lon Chaney. Madison Books. pp. 1–207. ISBN 1568332378.