Born Leonidas F. Chaney on the 1st April 1883, Chaney was the son of deaf mutes. Chaney learn to communicate with his parents through visual means, learning early on the ability of communicating without words through exaggerated movements and facial expressions, abilities much needed in the silent age of cinema.

He took to acting at an early age, playing bit parts at the Colorado Springs Opera House, before touring the US with his brother as part of a stage company.

After impressing almost all he worked with, he eventually broke into film in 1913, debuting in 'Back to Life' for Universal a company that would eventually give him his most famous roles.

Like his son in later years, Chaney was great in the role of 'the heavy', thanks to his brutish physical appearance. He eventually evolved to role of tragic anti-hero; unloved by the leading ladies he so desired, his obsessive frustrations turning him into a vengeful monster.

What eventually made Chaney such a unique artistic was willingness to suffer for his roles. Chaney experimented with inventive make-up techniques, many of which caused incredible discomfort, but he took this a step further for the role that made him a star. In 1919, Chaney played The Frog in 'The Miracle Man'. This role required Chaney to dislocate his limbs on screen in order to portraying a fraudulant cripple.

'Miracle Man' made Chaney a leading man, and Chaney was offered a host of simalar roles. In 'The Penalty' (1920), he played a legless criminal, while in 'Shadows' he donned oriental make-up to paly a Chinese outcast. He even played Fagin in 'Oliver Twist' (1920).

Although he was a household name, Chaney, at this stage, wasn't seen as a horror star. In 1923 however, he would step into a role that would make him a horror legend. Chaney's previous performances as lovelorn brutes, and his incredible use of make-up techniques, made his a natural for the role of Quasimodo in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'.

Back at Universal Studios after six years of working freelance, Chaney was given the leading role in their most expensive movie yet. Up to this point Universal had only produced low budget melodramas and westerns, so a $1.25 million version of Victor Hugo's famous novel was a bit of a gamble, but thanks to Chaney, the film was a great financial success.

Chaney's performance is unforgettable. Buried under mounds of make-up, Chaney managed to capture the look of the 'Living Gargoyle', who falls in love with pretty gipsy girl Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller). Chaney must have suffered greatly under all that distorting facial make-up and with a twenty-pound hump strapped to his back.

Chaney really lets rip with an incredible animal-like performance, beating his chest, swing from ropes, and throwing chunks of masonary at the villagers milling below the bell tower of Notre Dame. According to Miller, Chaney directed as much of the film as commissioned director Wallace Worsley, which is all too evident in the final product. Although Chaney is magnificent, Worsley's direction was a little slack.

'Hunchback' was a lavish production unlike any other to that time. Many at the time might have been forgiven for thinking this would be Chaney's master performance. Two years later, however, Chaney topped 'Hunchback' with the greatest horror movie of the silent era.

Chaney went on to play a tormented clown in 'He Who Gets Slapped'(1924), and disguised himself as an old woman for 'The Unholy Three' (1925), which marked the first historic teaming of Chaney and director Tod Browning ('Dracula', 'Freaks'). Chaney was once again offered the lead in a major horror movie by Universal in 1925. What resulted is still the best ever version of 'Phantom of the Opera' ever made.

Chaney plays Erik, a horribly scarred musical genius who hides in the bowels of the Paris Opera. He falls for opera singer Christine Daee (Mary Philbin) and attempts to guide her career. Chaney's Phantom is more physically deformed than any other in cinema history.

His big saucer eyes and burnt away nose give him the look of a living skull. The now-famous half mask is replaced by an eerie doll-like one. The Phantom's haunting presence is awesome.As this version is silent, the plot isn't bogged down by endless Opera music as in later versions. This gives us more time to study Erik's character, warped not only by fire, but mentally by years of rejection and self-pity.

No other movie of the silent era is still so effective as 'Phantom'. It's lavish scenary are in direct conflict with Erik's disturbing appearence, whilst his deranged mind offsets a evil vs good scenario with the pure heroine. But Erik is not purely evil, merely a reflection of the world around him.

'Phantom' was another major hit for Chaney, who was now referred to by many as 'The man of a thousand faces'. Chaney looked set for a career in horror movies, and with the introduction of sound in 1927, the possibilites seemed endless.

Chaney's next horror was one of the first 'mad doctor' horror novies, which became so popular in the 1930's and 1940'. 'The Monster' (1925) mixed elements of horror and comedy, too freely for some, which led to mixed reviews. The plot involves a doctor who uses a 'death chair' to transfer souls, with Chaney in the titular lead. If nothing else this film marks a rare comedy performance for Lon.

In 1926, Chaney was given his first heroic lead in 'Tell it to the Marines'. It's a well known fact that many of Chaney's female fans wanted to see him 'get the girl', and all though he never did, his performance here helped cement his repution as a great all-rounder.

His next major monster movie was 'London After Midnight' (1927). 'London' is the tale of a detective attempting to solve a murder in an old house that is apparently frequented by a ghasty looking vampire.

'London' has attained legendary status; not so much for it's confusing plot, but because it is perhaps the most famous of all 'lost' films. Many believe that if it was rediscovered it would prove to be a disappointment. Those that have seen it consider it inferior to the 1935 remake 'The Mark of the Vampire', which featured Bela Lugosi in Chaney's role.

'London After Midnight' did mark the re-teaming of Chaney and Browning, and the remaining still of Chaney's spooky vampire (with dark eyes, rows of pointed teeth, and huge top hat) have created a icon of horror.

Chaney finally made the transition to sound in 1930 with the remake of his own 'Unholy Three'. His first talky performance is superb, but sadly, it also proved to be his last.

It's thought that if he'd lived into the 1930's, Chaney would almost certainly have been cast as both Dracula and Frankstein, and possibly the Mummy. We may never have been graced by the talents of Karloff and Lugosi, and Chaney would have gone on to be the undisputied king of horror. Sadly however, Lon Chaney died at the mere age of 47 of bronchial cancer in 1930.

Chaney's son, Lon Chaney Jnr., followed into his son's footsteps, performing in such horror classics as 'The Wolfman', 'The Son of Dracula', and 'The Ghost of Frankenstein'. In 1957, Chaney recieved the ultimate compliment from Hollywood when James Cagney played him in the bio-pic 'The Man of a Thousand Faces'.

Whilst sadly, much of Chaney's work is currently either lost or unreleased, Chaney's great performances, The Hunchback, The Phantom, and The Monster are indelibly eteched into the history of horror.