"the man of a thousand faces"

Born April 1, 1883 in Colorado Springs, CO

Died Aug. 26, 1930 of bronchial cancer in St. Vincent's Medical Center, CA

They called Lon Chaney "the man of a thousand faces," a phrase coined from the wide variety of roles he had assumed on the screen.

It was back in 1912 that Chaney came to Hollywood and began his motion picture career. He starred as an extra in westerns produced at Universal City, and not long afterward was assigned to direct J. Warren Kerrigan.

After directing he went back to acting and starred in "The Miracle Man," which catapulted him to fame. After "Miracle Man" he starred in a number of high-profile films including "Oliver Twist," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

— The Los Angeles Times Aug. 27, 1930