Lon Chaney

Apr 1, 1883. The “Man of a Thousand Faces” was born Leonidas Chaney at Colorado Springs, CO. One of the biggest box office stars of the silentera, Chaney was a master of disguise and makeup (he kept his transformation tools and methods a closely guarded secret) who specialized in playing tortured, tragic and often menacing characters. He is best known for his gripping portrayals of Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (1925). He died of cancer on Aug 26, 1930, at Hollywood, CA—only one month after his first sound film was released. His impact on films was such that all Hollywood studios observed a moment of silence in his honor to commemorate his death.

See more events for Apr 1, 2011.