lon chaney - a thousand faces

CHANEY TRIVIA: LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE LEGEND

-- Both of Chaney's parents were deaf. His father was one of Colorado Springs' most popular barbers.

-- Chaney's maternal grandparents, John and Mary Kennedy, founded Colorado's first school for the deaf in 1874. The school still stands in Colorado Springs.

-- His paternal great-grandfather, John Chaney, was a member of the Ohio State Legislature. He was selected to represent the state of Ohio in nominating Andrew Jackson for President, and served in the U.S. Congress with Davy Crockett.

-- Chaney was known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces" because of his expertise with make-up. He helped such celebrities as fighter Jack Dempsey and humorist Will Rogers with their make-up when they appeared in motion pictures.

-- Following his portrayal in Tell It To The Marines (1927), Lon Chaney was the first actor to be made an honorary member of the United States Marine Corps.

-- Before going to Hollywood, Chaney performed for 11 years traveling with various musical comedy troupes, also serving as choreographer and stage manager. He was known to dance on the set of his movies between scenes, and it was said his dancing was as graceful as Fred Astaire's.

-- Theatre owners voted Chaney the most popular male star in 1928 and 1929. The 17 films he made at MGM earned a combined box office gross of $16.2 million at a time when the average ticket price was 25¢ to 75¢.

-- His fan mail averaged 20,000 letters a week in 1928, but he never replied. He was known to call a trash can near his dressing room his "high-priced secretary." Chaney only answered fan mail from prisoners and he even went so far as to help some of them find work after release.

-- Despite the fact that his formal education ended in the fourth grade, Chaney was asked to author The Encyclopedia Britannica chapter on make-up in 1929. Considered the foremost authority on the subject, he authored numerous articles and wrote an essay on the effects of make-up under incandescent lights, which later appeared in The New York Times.

-- Chaney never wanted his son to become an actor; however, in 1932 his son entered pictures using his real name Creighton Chaney. He later changed his name to Lon Chaney, Jr.

-- Since he signed so few autographs in his day, a Lon Chaney autograph is now valued at $4,000.

-- Chaney rarely granted interviews or signed autographs. He once said, "Between pictures there is no Lon Chaney!"