Lon Chaney, Jr. is an American actor and the son of famous silent film star, Lon Chaney, Sr.. Chaney has appeared in dozens of horror films, most of which involved the "Universal Monsters" franchise of the 1940s. He is best remembered for his role of Larry Talbot in the 1941 George Waggner film, The Wolf Man. Chaney reprised the role four more times in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. In addition, Chaney has also played the role of Dracula in Son of Dracula, as well as the mummy Kharis in Universal's Mummy sequels. He also played the role of the Frankenstein Monster in Ghost of Frankenstein making him the only actor who has played all four of the classic Universal Monsters.
Chaney was known for his outspoken and sometimes prankish behavior; a trait which did not always endear him to his co-workers. On the set of the Wolf Man, Chaney and leading lady Evelyn Ankers did not have the most ideal working relationship, and Ankers swore that she would not work with Chaney again. As it was however, Chaney and Ankers played against one another a year later in 1942's Ghost of Frankenstein. Another Universal luminary whom Chaney did not get along with was makeup director Jack Pierce. Both men were known to be egomaniacs and their bristling personalities often clashed with one another. Chaney and Pierce were known to get into arguments with one another on several Universal films. [1]
His final starring role was in the critically panned 1971 film, Dracula vs. Frankenstein where he played the role of a character named Groton. Aside from some grunts and snarls, Chaney had no speaking lines in this film. This was due to the actor having advanced stages of lung and throat cancer at the time of filming. Shortly following the release of Dracula vs. Frankenstein, Chaney appeared in a televised public service announcement, warning viewers of the dangers of smoking. [2] Chaney passed away on July 12th, 1973.
Body of Work[]
| Film | Character | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Man Made Monster | Dan McCormick | 1941 |
| The Wolf Man | Larry Talbot | 1941 |
| Ghost of Frankenstein | Frankenstein’s Monster | 1942 |
| The Mummy's Tomb | Kharis | 1942 |
| Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man | Larry Talbot | 1943 |
| Son of Dracula | Dracula | 1943 |
| The Mummy's Ghost | Kharis | 1943 |
| House of Frankenstein | Larry Talbot | 1944 |
| The Mummy's Curse | Kharis | 1944 |
| House of Dracula | Larry Talbot | 1945 |
| Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein | Larry Talbot | 1948 |
| Bride of the Gorilla | Commissioner Taro | 1951 |
| The Black Castle | Gargon | 1952 |
| The Alligator People | Manon | 1959 |
| The Haunted Palace | Simon Orne | 1963 |
| Witchcraft | Morgan Whitlock | 1964 |
| House of the Black Death | Belial Dessard | 1965 |
| Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horrors | Doctor Mendell | 1967 |
| Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told | Bruno | 1968 |
| Dracula vs. Frankenstein | Groton | 1971 |
Notes[]
- Often credited only as Lon Chaney.
- Not counting the remake (or stuntmen), Lon Chaney, Jr. is the only actor to ever play the role of Larry Talbot. All of the other classic Universal Monsters have been played by multiple actors throughout the various films.
External Links[]
- Lon Chaney, Jr. at Wikipedia
- Lon Chaney, Jr. at All Movie Guide
- Lon Chaney, Jr. at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB)