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Article: Chaney: No mystery about his film success: Acting skills set him apart.(Saturday)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- January 20, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The only images left of silent screen actor Lon Chaney are scratchy, poorly lit 1920s spectacles such as "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
You can see him hiding in the shadows. His twisted body is hunched down or his face is lit like a skull, nose turned up. Such horrific portrayals still make audiences scream - Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap shows with live orchestras garner capacity crowds.
But the fact remains: Lon Chaney was no horror star.
"This inaccurate and misleading designation has been applied to Chaney for more than 50 years," writes professional makeup artist Michael F. Blake, "primarily because his ...