One might wonder if there is any relation between horror films and a famous Oklahoman. One Famous Oklahoman, Lon Chaney, Jr., brought the characters from films like “Ghost of Frankenstein”, “The Wolfman”, “Son of Dracula” and “Of Mice and Men” to life and anchored the imagination of what horror films were intended to portray.
Chaney was born Creighton TullChaneyinOklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory on February 10, 1906. Chaney, although having such a unique birth name, was commonly billed as Lon Chaney, Jr. after his also famous father, who ironically was also a horror character icon. The French, Irish and Englishblooded Chaney made his own mark on showbiz and became a monster actor for over 40 years.
Onemightthinkthatsome cosmic factor led Chaney to horror films, and it seems that many factors in his early life could have contributed. Chaney’s personality did not seem to have a sense of horror as many accounts by his coworkers reveal that he was sweet. Chaney’s personal life seemed to parallel the lives of his colleagues from his time.
His early years were dotted with all the common perils including ended marriages and subtle struggles with alcohol. Chaney’s first wife did seem to expose a side of him that might suggest a tendency to be superior in playing a horror character as she referred to him as being sully, mean, bad tempered and sulky.
Chaney spoke of his birth in many different interviews. He even said that he was stillborn and that his father ran out of the house carrying hm and plunged him into a frozen lake to revive him.
ItisrumoredthatChaney’s father led him to believe that hismotherpassedawaywhile he was young. Chaney didn’t discover that his mom was in fact, alive, until after his father’s death.
A story like this is reason enough to believe that Chaney’s background was reason enough to get into the horror film genre. However, the story gets even more seedier. Chaney was passed around to different homes and boarding schools due to his father’s death and his mother’s absence.
As one would expect, the death of Chaney’s father and the secret that his father carried to his grave changed his life. Chaney became his own characterandbegancinching his own leading roles.
Chaney spoke of his name change in an article in the Oklahoma Magazine.
“I am most proud because it was my father’s and he was something to be proud of,” Chaney said. “I am not proud of Lon Chaney Jr. because theyhadtostarvemetomake me take this name”.
Chaney remained to be billed as Lon Chaney Jr. until his own death and beyond.
The Oklahoma- born Chaney achieved a horrific list of film rolls under the horror genre. He played the part of multiple Hollywood monsters. Some of them include Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy.
Chaney also starred and acted in an eclectic range of other genre films including but not limited to; “High Noon”, “The Defiant Ones”, “Indestructible Man”, “Man made Monster”, “The Boy from Oklahoma”, “The Battles of Chief Pontotoc”, “The Life of Riley”, “Dead Man’s Eyes”, “The Mummy’s Curse”, “Jesse James” and a long list of others.
Chaney left a permanent mark on Oklahoma as much information can be found on The Oklahoma Historical Society website as well as trails of newspapers and magazines across the state. When it comes to monsters, Chaney will remain the original and an icon across the world.