Lon Chaney, Jr.

The late Don G. Smith was an associate professor in history and philosophy of education at Eastern Illinois University. He wrote for numerous publications, including Filmfax, Scarlet Street, Movie Collector’s World and Midnight Marquee. He lived in Riverview Florida.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      1. The Early Years (1906–1931)      2. Learning His Craft (1931–1938)      3. Of Mice and Men (1939–1940)      4. Man-Made Monster and The Wolf Man (1941)      5. The Frankenstein Series      6. The Mummy Series      7. The Inner Sanctum Series      8. Son of Dracula and Other Nonseries Universal Films (1941–1946)      9. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Supporting Roles      10. Character Gems (1952–1955)      11. Horror Films, Westerns, and Television (1956–1962)      12. The A.C. Lyles Years (1963–1965)      13. Exploitation, Decline, and Death (1966–1973)      14. The Summing Up      Notes      Filmography      Selected Bibliography      Index

“welcome...extensive...comprehensive”—Classic Images; “exhaustive...well researched”—Scarlet Street; “excellent...insightful...filmography...is extremely useful and intriguing. Reference books of this quality and affection are rare. This tribute is long overdue and welcome”—Penguin Comics; “a valuable biography of a seldom discussed icon...recommended”—Midnight Marquee; “useful information regarding the actor’s mainstream work and his lesser-known television performances, including an invaluable section devoted to them in the filmography”—Filmfax; “portrays a decent person who was an effective actor, and who was haunted by such despair that the hopelessness of his movie roles seemed the lesser of two evils”—San Francisco Examiner Magazine; “the first entire book on Lon Chaney...a welcome release”—Psychotronic; “a fitting tribute to Chaney’s importance to horror films”—The Other Side of Show Business; “required reading for fans of Golden Age horror”—Film Review; “admirable job”—Little Shop of Horrors; “good”—Videoscope; “refreshing”—Cornerstone Magazine.