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Chaney's Baby: Lon Jr., The Wolf Man, 1948, And the End of a Dream
On April 22, 1948, noted horror film star Lon Chaney, Jr. (THE WOLF MAN) tries to commit suicide. While his life hangs in the balance, his wife, attorney, and agent attempt damage control. But the question why would one of the more successful actors in Hollywood history--aged only 42--try to take his own life? Author and lifelong Chaney fan Bill Fleck believes he has the answer. CHANEY'S BABY tells this heartbreaking story.
- GenresBiography
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 6, 2023
This biography traces Lon Chaney Jr's unhappy life from the time he was born until he made a suicide attempt in 1948. Hollywood was a miserable place even then.
March 1, 2022
“Don’t say anything comparing me with my father. There isn’t any comparison between us. Dad was an artist -- a real actor. I’m just a fellow trying to get along in the movies. I’d rather be compared to anybody else but my dad, because I know I’m not worthy of that comparison.”
Although I wish I had written a review while this book was fresh in my mind, I think in some ways it’s good that I’ve had time to reflect on the content of Chaney’s Baby. It’s telling that, nearly a month after finishing this book, it’s still on my mind quite regularly -- evidently, Fleck’s work has left an impact on me.
Despite Lon Chaney Jr. being something of a household name, he isn’t a performer that most of us know much about -- this includes his failed suicide attempt, which is the focus of Chaney’s Baby. Considering the fame of Chaney, it’s interesting to note that there aren’t really any comprehensive biographies written about him, at least none that I can find. There are works that chronicle his film and television credits, but they tend to be lacking in information regarding Chaney’s life outside of his roles.
This makes Chaney’s Baby something special -- Fleck takes the time to write about the man behind the performer. He takes the time to write about Creighton Tull Chaney, not just his public persona. For fans of Chaney, this is sure to feel significant, because it’s one of the only intimate looks into his life. Although in-depth details regarding Chaney are few and far between for the public, they are still out if one is willing to take the time to find them. Through Chaney’s Baby, Fleck has made some of this a little more accessible.
This isn’t to say the book is perfect, and Fleck goes out of his way to inform readers of such -- in his own words, “this is not meant to be a comprehensive biography, though there are certainly a number of biographical elements.” Because the book is not intended to be a biography, it is a quick read that may lack details that a fan may crave. Many times, I found myself wishing Chaney’s Baby was longer and more in-depth, because the points of Chaney’s life that Fleck explored and summarized were quite intriguing. In that regard, if he were to even be interested in it, I would trust Fleck to write a full-length biography on Lon Chaney Jr. because of the way he approached the information shown in this book.
My feelings on this book have been fluctuating since I completed it. Because of my love for Lon Chaney Jr. and his work, I wanted to give this 4 - 4.5 stars. But considering the focus of this book, I began to think that maybe I needed to think about it more critically, as I don’t necessarily see this being a book for people that aren’t dedicated Chaney fans. Then once again, I came back around to my love for Chaney, and decided that, in writing this short piece, Fleck was also reflecting his love for the actor. And considering that very few biographical works on Lon Chaney Jr. exist, I look at Chaney’s Baby with even more appreciation.
So, all of this is to say that I think all Chaney fans should read this book. Even those that aren’t dedicated fans should at least consider picking it up. And for those that enjoy classic Hollywood or the Universal Monsters, Chaney’s Baby could give someone more insight into an actor that most already know so little about.
Although I wish I had written a review while this book was fresh in my mind, I think in some ways it’s good that I’ve had time to reflect on the content of Chaney’s Baby. It’s telling that, nearly a month after finishing this book, it’s still on my mind quite regularly -- evidently, Fleck’s work has left an impact on me.
Despite Lon Chaney Jr. being something of a household name, he isn’t a performer that most of us know much about -- this includes his failed suicide attempt, which is the focus of Chaney’s Baby. Considering the fame of Chaney, it’s interesting to note that there aren’t really any comprehensive biographies written about him, at least none that I can find. There are works that chronicle his film and television credits, but they tend to be lacking in information regarding Chaney’s life outside of his roles.
This makes Chaney’s Baby something special -- Fleck takes the time to write about the man behind the performer. He takes the time to write about Creighton Tull Chaney, not just his public persona. For fans of Chaney, this is sure to feel significant, because it’s one of the only intimate looks into his life. Although in-depth details regarding Chaney are few and far between for the public, they are still out if one is willing to take the time to find them. Through Chaney’s Baby, Fleck has made some of this a little more accessible.
This isn’t to say the book is perfect, and Fleck goes out of his way to inform readers of such -- in his own words, “this is not meant to be a comprehensive biography, though there are certainly a number of biographical elements.” Because the book is not intended to be a biography, it is a quick read that may lack details that a fan may crave. Many times, I found myself wishing Chaney’s Baby was longer and more in-depth, because the points of Chaney’s life that Fleck explored and summarized were quite intriguing. In that regard, if he were to even be interested in it, I would trust Fleck to write a full-length biography on Lon Chaney Jr. because of the way he approached the information shown in this book.
My feelings on this book have been fluctuating since I completed it. Because of my love for Lon Chaney Jr. and his work, I wanted to give this 4 - 4.5 stars. But considering the focus of this book, I began to think that maybe I needed to think about it more critically, as I don’t necessarily see this being a book for people that aren’t dedicated Chaney fans. Then once again, I came back around to my love for Chaney, and decided that, in writing this short piece, Fleck was also reflecting his love for the actor. And considering that very few biographical works on Lon Chaney Jr. exist, I look at Chaney’s Baby with even more appreciation.
So, all of this is to say that I think all Chaney fans should read this book. Even those that aren’t dedicated fans should at least consider picking it up. And for those that enjoy classic Hollywood or the Universal Monsters, Chaney’s Baby could give someone more insight into an actor that most already know so little about.
January 1, 2025
A very intense warts and all, yet still loving and compassionate biography/non-fiction book covering horror star Lon chaney jr's career up to 1948 including his failed suicide attempt in 1948.
Bill Fleck's "Chaney's baby" is well worth the read for fans of old Hollywood/classic horror films/and the legacy of the Chaneys in film both senior and junior! It also has introduced me to the existence of a early Chaney JR film about Hollywood stuntmen from 1933 called "lucky devils" which sounds really fascinating!
Bill Fleck's "Chaney's baby" is well worth the read for fans of old Hollywood/classic horror films/and the legacy of the Chaneys in film both senior and junior! It also has introduced me to the existence of a early Chaney JR film about Hollywood stuntmen from 1933 called "lucky devils" which sounds really fascinating!
September 6, 2024
As a lifelong classic movie fan (thanks to my Dad), I own thousands of them. I don't even watch new movies. They're just not as good. But every Halloween season, I watch my beloved horror films, and how can you have that without Lon Chaney, Jr.? In Chaney's Baby: Lon, Jr., The Wolf Man, 1948, and the End of a Dream, author Fleck gives us the background story of how Lon became one of Hollywood's finest horror stars, even though he didn't really want to be.
It's the story of Lon Chaney, Jr's signature Wolf Man, his baby if you will, and how he made the part his own. I have seen all the Universal horror films countless times and own them all, and it is only the Wolf Man's story that is sad. What people might not know -- beginning with Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931, and ending with House of Dracula in 1945, there is a story there. I would urge you to watch them all in order. In the beginning, The Wolf Man does not want his fate and only wants to die, making him a sympathetic creature as he tries over and over, but somehow survives; and his constant attempts to find either help or death is nonetheless sad, but I will not tell you the end of the tale. Watch the films. It's worth it.
Having said that, I must also add that this is a very sad book. Born Creighton Tull Chaney, Lon had a rather sad childhood, never having a stable one until he was nine. He never really felt that his father, the famous silent actor Lon Chaney, loved him, and he struggled with this throughout his life. When he became an actor, he tried using his own name, but it wasn't until he changed it to "Lon, Jr." that he received acclaim. It was his role as Lenny in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men that those in Hollywood began to sit up and take notice. Here was a tall, striking, dark-haired man who could act, and it was Universal who decided to put him to good use.
Chaney was happy at first, and enjoyed it. But his personal life wasn't as happy; he had a failed marriage and two sons; however, his second marriage was happy, so he was at least given something in that. But pain and insecurity followed him, and it shows in Mr. Fleck's writing. I was actually depressed for Mr. Chaney throughout a lot of the book, but I knew some of his background so I kept reading.
In the end we have book that tells the story of how Chaney came to be the Wolf Man, and his life in film afterward. The book ends in 1948, but does tell us the rest of Mr. Chaney's life in brief. The author has done a lot of research, and while the book is short, I would still recommend it to others who love reading about the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Recommended.
It's the story of Lon Chaney, Jr's signature Wolf Man, his baby if you will, and how he made the part his own. I have seen all the Universal horror films countless times and own them all, and it is only the Wolf Man's story that is sad. What people might not know -- beginning with Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931, and ending with House of Dracula in 1945, there is a story there. I would urge you to watch them all in order. In the beginning, The Wolf Man does not want his fate and only wants to die, making him a sympathetic creature as he tries over and over, but somehow survives; and his constant attempts to find either help or death is nonetheless sad, but I will not tell you the end of the tale. Watch the films. It's worth it.
Having said that, I must also add that this is a very sad book. Born Creighton Tull Chaney, Lon had a rather sad childhood, never having a stable one until he was nine. He never really felt that his father, the famous silent actor Lon Chaney, loved him, and he struggled with this throughout his life. When he became an actor, he tried using his own name, but it wasn't until he changed it to "Lon, Jr." that he received acclaim. It was his role as Lenny in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men that those in Hollywood began to sit up and take notice. Here was a tall, striking, dark-haired man who could act, and it was Universal who decided to put him to good use.
Chaney was happy at first, and enjoyed it. But his personal life wasn't as happy; he had a failed marriage and two sons; however, his second marriage was happy, so he was at least given something in that. But pain and insecurity followed him, and it shows in Mr. Fleck's writing. I was actually depressed for Mr. Chaney throughout a lot of the book, but I knew some of his background so I kept reading.
In the end we have book that tells the story of how Chaney came to be the Wolf Man, and his life in film afterward. The book ends in 1948, but does tell us the rest of Mr. Chaney's life in brief. The author has done a lot of research, and while the book is short, I would still recommend it to others who love reading about the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Recommended.
October 10, 2021
A tragic story, well told…
October 13, 2023
Not bad but reads like an extended Wikipedia entry with some conjecture thrown in. Nice summary of his life during his heyday but doesn’t go too deep.
June 5, 2024
Entertaining, well-researched, and well written, but it really only covers Chaney's career during the Universal period. I would like to have had more on his later life.
August 14, 2026
Very comprehensive
There's some really good points in this book. It is not terribly gossipy. It delivers a very straightforward life of the son of Lon Chaney.
There's some really good points in this book. It is not terribly gossipy. It delivers a very straightforward life of the son of Lon Chaney.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews