Faces, forms, films;: The artistry of Lon Chaney

by Robert Gordon Anderson

Hardcover with dust jacket has many photos of Lon Chaney in various roles; filmography; index. 216 pages.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

Reviews

[Robert Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book hits all of the points of interest about Lon Chaney’s life as it applies to his career, makeup, and films. It is by no means a deep dive but it is a leisurely read and has plenty of really well reproduced photographs and production stills. The book goes into the archetypal roles that he played in films (portrayals), the methods used in his makeups, and the films on which he worked each given at least a paragraph on an item-by-item basis. It also includes a thorough filmography.

The author does not go deep into many details in Chaney’s personal life, career, or even in the itemized descriptions but gives a great and breezy overview of the man and his work. I found it an interesting and engrossing read; silent films (especially horror), special effects makeup, and Lon Chaney are all youthful interests of mine.

I would suggest this book to those with an interest in Lon Chaney even a passing one and recommend it as an easy and fairly interesting read to others.

[Michael Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not the definitive work on Chaney but it serves as a nice introduction to his work and live.