One of the best-remembered and best-loved stars of the classic monster films is Lon Chaney, Jr.   It turns out he is likewise well-remembered and and well-loved by his family, in particular his grandson, Ron, who may fittingly be called...

PART ONE

By CHRIS PUSTORINO

(Note: A version of this interview with the grandson of Lon Chaney, Jr. originally appeared in Filmfax magazine.)

It was a balmy Sunday afternoon in July of 1973. My Dad sat quietly in his favorite chair--reading the paper, while I crouched nearby, checking out the movie listings for the upcoming week. Then, suddenly, the silence was broken. "You may want to take a look at this," he said, handing me a section of the paper. To my complete dismay, there it was: Accompanied by three small photographs was an all too brief announcement stating that one of my all-time favorite actors, Lon Chaney, Jr., had passed away just a few days earlier--at the age of 67.

Aside from being shocked and saddened by the news, I couldn't help but wonder why this man, who had such a fascinating history and background, wasn't given more than just a tiny paragraph. It couldn't have been because he wasn't deserving of any more recognition than that. On the contrary, by the end of his 40-plus years as an actor, he had some truly unforgettable achievements to his credit. Indeed, he was the son of the renowned, "Man of a Thousand Faces", Lon Chaney, Sr., the prolific star of silent pictures, who chilled audiences with his painstaking mastery of make-up in such classic films as 1923's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame and 1925's The Phantom Of The Opera. But, Lon, Jr. would eventually step out from under the ever-prevailing penumbra of his father's fame and virtually establish himself as a consummate actor in his own right; a career for which some critics have been unduly harsh, while others have proclaimed it as being equal to and, in many respects, even surpassing that of his father's.

Billed as "Creighton" (his given name) Chaney, he struggled early in his career, playing bit and minor roles in films before finally giving in to changing his name to "Lon Chaney, Jr." Yet, even with this decision, better opportunities continued to elude him.

Then came 1939. After several years of honing and fine-tuning his ability as an actor, and with a number of films already to his credit, he finally found the success for which he'd been working so hard. Through his brilliant portrayal of the simple-minded character of "Lennie", in the Los Angeles stage production of, Of Mice And Men, he would eventually be given the same role for the upcoming Lewis Milestone film version for United Artists. His touching, bitter-sweet performance in the film won over the critics hands-down--and inevitably marked his first true claim to fame as a film star.

After his great success as Lennie, Lon would later appear in a number of pictures, including One Million B.C. (1940), Northwest Mounted Police (1940) and Man-Made Monster (1941). But, the next real triumph would come by way of his sympathetic interpretation of the tragic lycanthrope, "Lawrence Talbot", in the 1941 Universal classic, The Wolf Man.

As an early product of Universal's new horror cycle of the 1940s, The Wolf Man proved to be extremely popular with the critics and became a huge commercial and financial success. But, even more so, it was the integral catalyst for Lon, boosting him forever into the ranks of other notable names of the genre, including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and, yes--even his own father, Lon Chaney, Sr.

With the success of The Wolf Man, Lon continued to work in many of Universal's horror pictures over the next few years. Among other things, he revived his role as Lawrence Talbot in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House Of Frankenstein (1944), House Of Dracula (1945) and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). But, he also played the Mummy in, The Mummy's Tomb (1942), The Mummy's Ghost (1944) and The Mummy's Curse (1944), as well as, the Frankenstein Monster in Ghost Of Frankenstein (1942) and even Dracula in Son Of Dracula (1943). These roles only cemented his position within the horror genre even more--and virtually kept him busy within it for many years to come.

Although, throughout the balance of Lon's career, Lennie and the Wolf Man, or variations there of, would be the two characterizations for which he'd probably be best remembered--and ones that he would ultimately repeat in some way, shape or form, he did, however, show his remarkable diversity as a straight actor through a multitude of stage, film and TV appearances. Occasionally breaking away from being typecast, he also proved himself to be a marvelous character actor, giving memorable performances in such films as 1952's High Noon, and 1958's The Defiant Ones, not to mention some unique roles in a slew of westerns during the 1960s.

Lon Chaney, Jr. was, in fact, unique in many ways. Despite the many ups and downs he experienced during his life and career, he mostly remained separated from the glitz and glamour of the normal Hollywood scene--in order to spend as much of his time as possible with his family.

I was lucky enough to meet up with "Ron" Chaney, the grandson of Lon Chaney, Jr., at Ron's home near Palm Springs, California. He was putting the finishing touches on the very book that his grandfather had been working on for several years before his death. Comprised of photos, letters, interviews, newspaper clippings in addition to some fascinating commentary,
much of which is in Lon, Jr.'s own words, it mirrors the Chaney legacy, covering the lives and careers of Lon Chaney, Sr., Lon Chaney, Jr. and Cleva Creighton Chaney, Lon, Jr.'s mother. But, what's even more intriguing is the fact that much of the information--and many of the photos--have never before been published! So, with this, plus the fact that the project couldn't possibly be in more appropriate hands, the book, when finally completed, will undoubtedly be one of the most impressive and concise works of its kind.

As I stood in Ron's office as we thumbed through various scrapbooks and other memorabilia, I couldn't deny the somewhat haunting resemblance that obviously exists between him and both his great-grandfather and grandfather. As I pondered over this remarkable phenomenon--suddenly, from one of the
drawers of a cabinet, he removed a set of very familiar looking--teeth! They were, in fact, the very teeth that helped to immortalize his grandfather in his role as the Wolf Man! "Just...just...put them there," I said, my voice trembling as I held out the flat of my palm. "Just for a second."

Over the years, much has been written on the life and career of Lon Chaney, Jr., all of which has slowly made amends in my mind for the brevity of the tiny article I read in the newspaper that day back in 1973. But I wanted to hear more about him from the unique perspective of his own grandson. So, in recognition of the anniversary--and as my personal tribute to Lon, Ron Chaney graciously took time out of his busy schedule to grant me the following interview:

HORROR-WOOD: I imagine you're confronted by countless people with countless questions, being the great-grandson of Lon Chaney, Sr. and the grandson of Lon Chaney, Jr.

RON CHANEY: I do get a lot of requests by way of letters, but I'm not
really out doing a whole lot of conventions or anything; not as much as
people would think.

H-W: I wanted to ask you a few things about your grandfather in particular. How old were you when he died?

RC: I was seventeen years old, a junior in high-school, when he passed away in '73.

H-W: What would you say is your earliest memory of him?

RC: Well, throughout our childhood, my mother always took us to visit "Gramps" (Lon, Jr.). I remember taking jaunts down to the beach, or elsewhere to other places he lived, just to visit. My mom actually lived with him for a while, although I don't remember that as I was way too young. But, I do remember visiting the whole time I was growing up; different memories for different stages of my life.

H-W: When Lon was born, I understand he was given the name of "Creighton," which was actually his mother, Cleva's, maiden name.

RC: Yes, Creighton came from her maiden name, and his middle name, "Tull," came from a man that Lon, Sr. worked for at one time, who had helped them out when he didn't have much money. His last name was Tull. He'd given Lon, Sr. a job.

H-W: I've heard that Lon Chaney, Sr. didn't necessarily want his son, Creighton, to go into acting. Now, I realize all this occurred way before your time, but in later years, did Lon, Jr. ever describe to you the relationship that existed between him and his father?

RC: He didn't speak about his father very much. I remember him telling us various stories about Lon, Sr.; about how he developed his make-up and characterizations at home, so when he went to the set, the character would already be devised. I remember my grandfather speaking about the film, The Penalty, and the pain that his father went through when he practiced walking on those braces around the house, in order to get the balance, so that when he went to work, he was ready to go. As Creighton was growing up into his teens, Lon, Sr. would ask him his opinion. He'd bring him in, let him see the make-up as well as other things. These are things that my grandfather revealed in the book he was working on before he died. As far as their relationship goes, I've done a lot of research on my own and there are a couple of conflicting stories. One was that Lon, Sr. didn't want Creighton to go into acting, due to the hardships that he himself had experienced in his own show business career. I tend to lean more towards this as being the truth. The other possible reason was that Lon, Sr. may have only wanted one actor in the family. He was probably a little possessive of his career. But, I really believe he just didn't want [Lon, Jr.] to go through the same hardships--which he ended up doing, anyway. But, [Lon, Jr.] still had a great love and respect for his father.

H-W: A couple of years after the death of Lon, Sr., Creighton finally decided to pursue a career in acting. What do you think was behind his decision?

RC: (Laughs) Well, I may be wrong, but since he wrote it down, I'm going with it.

H-W: Can I ask you if it was prior to 1930 and the death of Lon, Sr.?

RC: Yes. In one case he did definitely work in an earlier film. The other would be very soon after Lon, Sr. passed away. But, again, this is only if the information I've found is correct. (laughs) It'll be in the book.

H-W: Early in Creighton's career, he refused the studio's urgings to take the name "Lon Chaney, Jr." Why do you think that is?

RC: Well, he wrote that there could only be one Lon Chaney. He didn't want to live on his father's name and reputation. He wanted to make one on his own. So, he resisted it for that very same reason. He did well. I mean, they were billing him to be a bigger actor, to follow in those footsteps.

H-W: Even though he didn't take on his father's name, he was still promoted as Lon Chaney, Sr.'s son, wasn't he?

RC: Yes. The inevitable comparison was always there. All I'll say is what he wrote, which basically says, "You can fight against the current for so long, but eventually you have to go with the flow,"--and that's what he did. He also stated that they starved him into it. He changed his name and he did get better roles and more opportunities. But, again, even when he made the
change, he worked under the name of Lon Chaney, Jr. for several years without getting a big break. So, he worked under the name of "Creighton" for a number of years, then "Lon Chaney, Jr." for a number years, but it was of his own accord that he finally got his own break and made it, without taking advantage of his father's name.

H-W: After having struggled in small roles in minor pictures, "Lon Chaney, Jr." got the part of 'Lennie' in, Of Mice and Men, first on stage--and later in Lewis Milestones’ 1939 film, a role that would virtually make him a star in a performance that remains powerful even by today's standards. Did he ever happen to discuss this experience with you?

RC: Well, I know more about it from what I've read than what I remember of him telling us. When we were kids growing up, we weren't there as fans or as historians or researchers. We never even thought about these types of things. We went there to visit Gramps and to play with him. He told us stories, he taught us how to play games, we'd gamble on the fights on TV. I mean, you know, he was our grandfather. The movies always entered the picture in conversation, but again, as kids, you're not always paying attention to all that. I mean, certain things stick out in your mind, but I don't really remember him talking about Lennie too much. I learned far more in reading what he wrote about [that character] and what it meant to his career, in a lot of different ways. It was certainly one of his best, if not the best, performance that he ever gave during of his career.

H-W: Did he feel that way?

RC: Well, Lennie was a double-edged sword for my grandfather. He played it so convincingly that he was continually typecast throughout the remainder of his entire career. I've done some interviews with a couple of actors and friends who have told me that whenever he would look at scripts, he would feel how the character would play the role--and, of course, putting his own acting ability and interpretation into that character, he would then develop what he thought the character would be. Then, he would go out and start playing it that way. And, after he'd be doing it for a while, inevitably, the director would yell to him, "You think you could put a little more Lennie into it?!" Well, that would just tick him off to no end! They wouldn't allow him to step away from it. So, although Lennie made his career, it also hurt him a lot. But, it was a very special role and always meant an awful lot to him.

H-W: His costar in Of Mice And Men was the late Burgess Meredith. Did you ever get a chance to meet or talk with him about acting in the film with Lon?

RC: I did give him a call--and spoke to him briefly. At that time he was working on a book of his own. He said he would talk to me later if he had the chance, but unfortunately he passed away before I had that opportunity.

H-W: After appearing in Hal Roach's 1940 film, One Million B.C., Lon eventually went on to make a good number of pictures for Universal Studios in between 1940 and 1952, including perhaps one of his most beloved and endearing portrayals as the accursed Lawrence Talbot in 1941's, The Wolf Man, a role he would repeat in several sequel films. Did he ever talk to you about this?

RC: It was a character he was able to create and it was something that was never compared to his father by the critics. It was uniquely him, and the persona he brought to that role is what so many people love about him.

H-W: Boris Karloff always expressed his own admiration and respect for the Frankenstein Monster, the role that ultimately made him a star. Do you know if Lon might've felt the same way about the Wolf Man?

RC: The Wolf Man was his favorite role. It was his baby, as he referred to it, and it was the role that he really enjoyed the most. I think it exemplified him as himself an awful lot, which is probably why it was so dear to him. He was a tragic kind of character. I mean, [Lon's] drinking has been well documented. And, when he felt that pain in his personal life, he brought some of himself before everybody, and I think that's why a lot of people can identify with Lawrence Talbot.

H-W: By the way, I had a couple of telephone conversations in 1978 with Evelyn Ankers, Lon's costar in The Wolf Man, as well as a number of other pictures.

RC: Oh, you did?

H-W: Did you ever have a chance to talk with her?

RC: No, I didn't, although I wish I had. It seems like, from most of the things I've read (laughs), she didn't have too many real pleasant memories of Lon.

H-W: We mostly talked about your grandfather. She spoke about him very favorably, but I have to say that most of those things you read are probably true.

RC: Well, he was definitely a prankster and got a kick out of scaring people.

H-W: Although Lawrence Talbot as the Wolf Man would become a sort of signature role for Lon, he also appeared in some other memorable horror films for Universal in which he portrayed the Mummy, the Frankenstein monster, and even Dracula. Did he ever talk to you about this work?

RC: I remember him talking about playing dual roles in, I believe it was, Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man. They originally wanted him to play both the Frankenstein Monster and the Wolf Man, but then they eventually decided against it. He was really unhappy about this because he wanted to play both roles. As for the Mummy, I don't think he liked doing that much, due mainly
to the fact that he wasn't able to speak any lines. With only one eye exposed, he had to rely more on his pantomime than anything else.

H-W: Have you ever been able to meet or talk with any of Lon's other costars, such as Elena Verdugo or Patricia Morison or Beverly Garland?

RC: I did speak with Beverly Garland, but just briefly. I've written a lot of those people and I'm suppose to interview Elena Verdugo hopefully very soon. I did have a really nice interview with John Hart of the Canadian television series, Last Of The Mohicans, who had some very interesting comments for the book. I hope to continue to do these, just to get different perspectives of the Chaneys.

H-W: How do the people that you interview speak about your grandfather?

RC: It seems that all of the interviews I've done, or watched or read other people do, with various costars, they all refer to him as a marvelous actor who was very underrated. I spoke with A.C. Lyles, who produced the Paramount westerns with him--and he said it was one of the true pleasures in his life to work with my grandfather. He said he remembers that he was an extreme professional and that he was always there and always wanting to help in any capacity that he could. He would stay longer, when he didn't always have to. Countless people that I've spoken to, they all say the same thing.

H-W: Over the course of almost forty years, Lon appeared in a number of films, playing angsters, cowboys, Lennie-types and, maybe most of all, monsters. But, when he was away from the big screen, what sort of a person do you yourself remember him being?

Lon Chaney, Jr. with cast of House Of Dracula and family members.

RC: Well, on a personal level, to me growing up as his grandson, I remember him being very warm--very loving. Whenever we were there, he always had things for us to do, whether it was telling us a story or something. He'd say, "Let's play cards," and then teach us how to play Gin Rummy and Spades and Hearts, all because that's what he liked doing. We'd talk about westerns because he loved and often read Zane Grey novels. He also loved wrestling and boxing. He used to wrestle with us on the grass. He was just always a lot of fun to be around and I think that's probably why I remember so much. We were always excited to go down and see him, to just be around him, because he had that kind of personality.

H-W: Obviously The Wolf Man and Of Mice And Men were two of his favorite films. But, did he ever mention any others that were special to him?

RC: Well, those two were most definitely his favorites. But, he was in so many films, you know. He just enjoyed working. Even when he was sick. That was his occupation and career. He especially enjoyed working with A.C. Lyles in the westerns. You know, Lyles would hire all these really great veteran actors for these films, and my grandfather was always very grateful for that.

H-W: Those were the ones made during the Sixties, weren't they?

RC: Yes. Also in the late Fifites, but primarily during the Sixties, for Paramount. My grandfather has written things--and I also have some recordings that he made--in which he says he made over 400 appearances! In fact, I remember him talking about acting under five different names! He might not even have made it into some of the films, but he did stunt work and was constantly busy in those early days.

H-W: You mean he was actually in over 400 films?

RC: I'd have to say this number probably also includes his television and possibly even stage appearances as well. But, it was easily over 400. We've already listed 170 films that he was actually credited in. And, in some of the films that you see him in, he wasn't credited; never any billing--and there were a lot of those. And, then some [appearances] probably ended up on the cutting-room floor, too. He did three different television series and a lot of pilots. He was very diverse. One thing I don't think people realize is the fact that he liked to write. He wrote quite a bit, developing scripts and writing songs. He even sang on occasion. Early in his career he had a great baritone voice. He was a very diverse person, always busy--even when his health wasn't good. That's where I remember his book, which is the same one I'm working on now. We'd go visit him and he'd have all the pictures laid out and he'd be writing things and trying to assemble this book.

H-W: During his career, Lon worked on stage, in films. and on TV. Out of these three mediums, which do you think he preferred, or did he, in fact, actually have a preference?

"Gramps" relaxes with rod and reel...

RC: Film, I would have to say. But, the stage was also very important to him. I do remember him saying something to the effect that, to be a true actor you had to work on stage. When you perform in front of a live audience, the actor relates to the audience and you can feel it. He said there was nothing quite like being on stage. When he was doing Born Yesterday, they were on tour all over the United States, and the press said what a great job he was doing. He got a nice telegram from Garson Kanin. I talked to the original stage manager recently who told me that, as [my grandfather] came off the premiere showing, Garson Kanin, who wrote Born Yesterday, was there--and said, "Now that's how that role should be played!" My grandfather was so proud of that because he played it the way the writer meant it to be played, while he was still allowed to develop the character himself. But, seeing that he left the stage because of some film opportunities, I would have to say that film was actually more important to him. Yet, most people don't realize that he did go back to the stage many different times throughout his career.

H-W: In his later years, Lon acquired a multitude of fans by way of TV programs such as Shock Theater, the late-night shows that used to run the old horror pictures from the Thirties, Forties and Fifites. Growing up as the grandson of Lon, did you ever watch those programs--and, if so, what went through your mind when you saw your grandfather in one of the films?

RC: Good question! (laughs) The thing is, I saw him in so many movies. I knew that's what he did for a living. I've been asked, "When did you first realize that he was an actor?" And, I guess my response was that it was almost an innate type of thing. Ever since I was a child, I just knew that's what he did. We didn't think it was different. He was still just Gramps to us and acting just happened to be the kind of work he did. But, when one of his films would come on TV, we used to watch and say, "Oh, there's Gramps." Whether he was in a western, or any number of different shows, we'd hear his voice and know immediately it was him! But, the thing I probably remember most is that he would almost always die in about every movie he was ever in!

H-W: Lon's mother, Cleva Creighton, Lon, Sr.'s first wife--and your great-grandmother, passed away in November of 1967. Did Lon, Jr. and the rest of the family stay in touch with her over the years and do you have any memory of her at all?

RC: I remember my great-grandmother, although I was very young. I was only about twelve years old when she passed away. But, I remember Cleva. She was actually with my grandfather a lot, later on in life. They stayed in contact. She was a very interesting woman. Her life itself was somewhat tragic. She went through an awful lot. In the film, Man Of A Thousand Faces, I don't feel they portrayed her very kindly in that movie, and she was very disappointed with it. They took the interviews that she gave--as well as those from other people that knew her, and turned it all around to make it a more dramatic story for the 1950's audience. They needed a villain--and ultimately felt she would make the best one. What people don't realize is that she was only fifteen years old when she got involved with Lon, Sr. She had high hopes of being a star and a singer, but a lot of her dreams were dashed due to immaturity. So, as far as that film goes, she just wasn't portrayed properly--in that regard.

But, as for her and my grandfather, I've got a lot of pictures of the two of them that go back at least to the Thirties--and through the Fourties and Fifites, so they did stay in contact a lot and continued to communicate. As for my own memories, it's not like we were real close to her, but I remember her being very nice and very kind. She had sort of a raspy voice, I remember. She'd gotten remarried, so we called her "Grandma Bush." She used to bring us these little banks that looked like pigs and she'd put dimes in them. She was always very kind and very sweet. We even have some pictures of her with us; my brother and sister and me as children.

* * *

(Be sure to check out the Chaney website and store here.)

Thanks so much Chris and, of course, Ron Chaney.  Lon Chaney, Jr. was a person we'd have liked to meet in person as well as on the screen.  Readers, be sure to check back next month for Part Two of this interview.

Article copyright © Chris Pustorino

Return To Archives From The Crypt