In this most complete and detailed filmography of the work of Lon Chaney, Blake provides the cast lists, plot synopsis, critical comments, and the behind-the-scenes information for the actor's 158 known film appearances.

"If you care at all about silent pictures, about Chaney, about bravura acting and about film makeup, the book is invaluable and perhaps definitive." --San Diego Union Tribune

A stunning graphic debut: the life of the legendary silent-film actor Lon Chaney (the original Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame), as imagined by an artist whose work recalls the style and skill of early-era New Yorker cartoonists. From the artist: "'No one will ever love me!' I believe it was this near-universal fear that makes Lon Chaney's characters continue to resonate with us today. On their surface, most of them are distinctly unlikeable: they are monsters, outcasts, criminals. But through his unique magic, Chaney makes them empathetic. He pioneered the craft of makeup artist long before that term ever existed, and he used his expertise to hide himself from public view--what if nobody loved him?" PART OF THE PANTHEON GRAPHIC LIBRARY

This biography offers the vivid story of the artist and man Lon Chaney, Sr. From his beginnings on the stage to the roles that gave him a permanent place in the history of silent films (The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera) to his entry into talkies. Chaney used all of his experience on screen and off, to bring as much humanity and realism as possible to his portrayals. As his own make-up artist, he strove for a perfection that could pass the critical scrutiny of the camera eye. This is the portrait of a creative actor, who used all his skill and craftsmanship to bring memorable people to life on the silver screen.

For the first time, you can put conjecture aside and read definitive proof about the roles Chaney had behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera.

Though he was haunted by the shadow of his legendary father and devastated by alcoholism, Lon Chaney, Jr., carved out a very successful film career as Universal's leading horror star in the 1940s, and later as a leading character actor in Westerns, dramas, and on television. While rightly focused on the career of the underrated actor, this study also explores his life and times.