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Lon Chaney

Lon Chaney

Actor, also director · Died August 26, 1930, aged 47 · Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) 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". Description above from the Wikipedia article Lon Chaney, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 31, 1883
Died
August 26, 1930 (aged 47)
From
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Works as
Actor, also director
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 122 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 7% in 30 days

What are Lon Chaney's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
31%
Bonds
31%
Society
16%
Self
14%
Ideas
6%
Survival
1%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 5 · Dark 7

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 8 · Intense 5

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 7

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

15 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 15 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 15
Shadow
4 of 15
Shapeshifter
3 of 15
Mentor
2 of 15
Trickster
1 of 15
Threshold guardian
1 of 15
Show the 15 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
10
Dread
4
Romantic
4
Thrilling
3
Other
14

How their films linger

Bittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lon Chaney's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lon Chaney's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

122 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • They Came from the Attic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as The Phantom of the Opera (Archival Footage)

  • Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film(2014)

    as The Phantom / Quasimodo (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • A Messenger from the Shadows (Notes on Film 06 A/Monologue 01) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • Nadie inquietó más (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Various Roles (archive footage)

  • London After Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Professor Edward C. Burke (archive footage)

  • Universal Horror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as (archive footage)

  • Lon Chaney: Son of a Thousand Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Horror of It All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as The Phantom (archive footage)

  • The Horror Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as (archive footage)

  • Yesterday and Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as (archive footage)

  • Hollywood Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as The Phantom (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • The House That Shadows Built (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Unholy Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Makeup Artist · as Professor Echo / Grandma O'Grady

  • The Phantom of the Opera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Erik, The Phantom

  • Thunder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Grumpy Anderson

  • Where East Is East(1929)

    as Tiger Haynes

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • West of Zanzibar(1928)

    as Phroso 'Dead-Legs'

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Laugh, Clown, Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Tito Beppi

  • The Big City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Chuck Collins

  • While the City Sleeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Dan Coghlan

  • London After Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Professor Edward C. Burke/The Man in the Beaver Hat

  • Mockery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Sergei

  • The Unknown(1927)

    as Alonzo

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Wu(1927)

    as Mr. Wu / Wu's Grandfather

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Tell It to the Marines(1926)

    as Sergeant O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Vårt kronprinspar i Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Actor

  • The Road to Mandalay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Singapore Joe

  • The Blackbird(1926)

    as Dan - The Blackbird / The Bishop

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Tower of Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Jan

  • The Unholy Three(1925)

    as Professor Echo / Granny O'Grady

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Phantom of the Opera(1925)

    Director · Makeup Artist · as Erik, The Phantom

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Monster(1925)

    as Dr. Ziska

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • He Who Gets Slapped(1924)

    as Paul Beaumont

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Next Corner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Juan Serafin

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1923)

    Co-Director · Makeup Artist · as Quasimodo

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Shock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Wilse Dilling

  • While Paris Sleeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Henri Santodos

  • All the Brothers Were Valiant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Mark Shore

  • Quincy Adams Sawyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Obadiah Strout

  • A Blind Bargain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Dr. Arthur Lamb / The Ape Man

  • Shadows(1922)

    as Yen Sin

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Oliver Twist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Fagin

  • The Light in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Tony Pantelli

  • Flesh and Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as David Webster

  • The Trap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Story · as Gaspard the Good

  • Voices of the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as O'Rourke

  • Bits of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Chin Chow

  • The Ace of Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Farallone

  • For Those We Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Trix Ulner

  • Outside the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Ah Wing / 'Black Mike' Sylva

  • Nomads of the North(1920)

    as Raoul Challoner

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Penalty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Blizzard

  • The Adventures of Daredevil Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Royce Rivers

  • The Gift Supreme (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Merney Stagg

  • Treasure Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Blind Pew / Merry

  • The Wicked Darling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Stoop Connors

  • Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Ricardo

  • When Bearcat Went Dry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Kindard Powers

  • Paid in Advance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Bateese Le Blanc

  • The Miracle Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as The Frog

  • A Man's Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as 'Three Card' Duncan

  • The False Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Karl Eckstrom

  • Danger, Go Slow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Bud

  • The Talk of the Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Jack Langhorne

  • That Devil, Bateese (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Louis Courteau

  • Riddle Gawne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Hame Bozzam

  • A Broadway Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as 'Kink' Colby

  • Fast Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Dan McCarty

  • The Grand Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Paul Argos

  • Broadway Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Elmer Watkins

  • The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    as Bethmann-Hollweg

  • The Scarlet Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Paul Revere Forbes

  • Bondage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Seducer (uncredited)

  • Anything Once (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Waughnt Moore

  • The Empty Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Frank

  • Triumph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Paul Neihoff

  • Pay Me! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Joe Lawson

  • The Rescue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Thomas Holland

  • Fires of Rebellion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Russell Hanlon

  • A Doll's House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Nils Krogstad

  • The Flashlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Henry Norton / Porter Brixton

  • The Girl in the Checkered Coat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Hector Maitland

  • Hell Morgan's Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Sleter Noble

  • The Piper's Price (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Billy Kilmartin

  • The Price of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Edmond Stafford

  • The Place Beyond the Winds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Jerry Jo

  • If My Country Should Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Dr. George Ardrath

  • The Mark of Cain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Dick Temple

  • The Grasp of Greed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Jimmie

  • Bobbie of the Ballet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Hook Hoover

  • The Gilded Spider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Giovanni

  • Tangled Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as John Hammond

  • The Grip of Jealousy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Silas Lacey

  • Dolly's Scoop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    as Dan Fisher

  • Stronger Than Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Attorney

  • Father and the Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Tuck Bartholomew

  • Graft (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Makeup Artist

  • The Millionaire Paupers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Landlord

  • A Mother's Atonement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Ben

  • Alas and Alack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as The Fisherman and Hunchback Fate

  • The Fascination of the Fleur de Lis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as The Duke of Safoulrug

  • The Oyster Dredger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • The Stool Pigeon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Actor

  • The Measure of a Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Donald MacDermott

  • The Sin of Olga Brandt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Stephen Leslie

  • A Night of Thrills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as The Visitor

  • The Lion, the Lamb and the Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Fred Brown, the Lion

  • Damon and Pythias (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Wild Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

  • Virtue Its Own Reward (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Duncan Bronson

  • Richelieu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Baradas

  • The Higher Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Sir Stephen Fitz Allen

  • The Oubliette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Chevalier Bertrand de la Payne

  • By the Sun's Rays (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Frank Lawler, the Clerk

  • A Ranch Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Raphael Praz

  • The Forbidden Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as John Morris

  • The Tragedy of Whispering Creek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Writer · as The Greaser

  • The End of the Feud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Wood Dawson

  • Discord and Harmony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    as Lon - the Sculptor

  • Back to Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)

    as The Rival

  • The Restless Spirit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)

    as The Russian Count (uncredited)

  • Poor Jake's Demise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)

    as The Dude

  • The Honor of the Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1912)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 122 titles from 1912 to 2022.

Biggest box office

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

$8.9K worldwide

Highest rated

He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Film career

Top draw in 6 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting121 of 122: 114 only acting, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thDirecting3 of 122: 0 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting3 of 122: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleOther crew4 of 122: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

122 titles, 7 with more than one role — acting and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1910s67 · 66 acting · 4 crew1920s42 · 42 acting · 3 crew1930s2 · 2 acting · 1 crew1950s2 · acting1970s1 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s2 · acting2000s2 · acting2010s2 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 100% of 11 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Lon Chaney's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

None of their 14 titles divides audiences: 11 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser11

Most loved · actor

He Who Gets Slapped (1924)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 86, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Lon Chaney work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lon Chaney's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Irving Thalberg shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers