Lon Chaney shall not die!!

In keeping up with my promise to continue to uphold FJA's commitment in Famous Monsters to honour Lon Chaney Sr. what better day to mark a Lon Chaney Sr. post than on the anniversary of his birth. Here's a little Youtube tribute that is really quite well done and well worth the viewing.



And for those of you with a bit more time on your hands join me in celebrating Lon's birthday with a viewing of the cinematic masterpiece and one of my personal favourite films of all time, Phantom of the Opera...




And for those who are looking for something perhaps a little more out of the mainstream of Lon Chaney films check out this piece of silent screen history. Tod Browning's (yes legendary director of great horror films such as Dracula and Freaks) 1914 Universal western silent By the Sun's Rays, Starring Lon Chaney as lead villain Frank Lawler. This one is under 12 minutes so do yourself the favor and watch it damn it, broaden you knowledge of film history, your life will only be all the better for it.




Gary D. Macabre

Forrest J. Ackerman Shall Not Die! FJA: a week of tribute (and more)

In interviews 4E clearly stated that he did not have a favourite Horror actor, and that Lon Chaney Sr., Boris Karloff and Bella Lugosi were his choice as an unholy trio. Perhaps it was that Boris and Bella were still recognizable faces, largely due to late night television Horror programs like the SHOCK! package that helped fuel the market for FM. And that Lon Chaney the face of horror for the silent era was not quite as well known. But it is clear that Forrest was devoted to Lon Chaney and put forth much more effort at promoting the man of 1000 faces than the other members of his terrible trio.

This page from the 1969 Fearbook leaves little doubt of that.



















(click image for a really big version)




In fact Chaney as the Phantom graced the vast majority of FM covers as the magazine's corner tag after that proclamation was made.

In honour of Uncle Forry it is my intent to extend him the same respect and admiration in like fashion. First off you will notice that the image of Dr. Acula now graces the side bar of this blog and there he will remain as long as there is a Blogue Macabre. In addition I will pick up the mantle that Forry left behind (when FM proper ceased to exist). I will dedicate a full page post of Lon Chaney once bi-monthly (as FM was published bi-monthly) and again bi-monthly a full page post of the Ackermonster himself. No, Lon Chaney will not die, and neither will Forrest J. Ackerman.

Gary D. Macabre

King of Fools

Greetings and Condolences once again my friend. Certainly you didn't think I would let April Fools Day go by without a post. While other Horror sites and blogs are undoubtedly posting about a sub par 1980's slasher flick titled as such, or it's 2008 remake, I aspire to present slightly greater moments in movie history.


The Year is 1482 and city of Paris is in celebration. Here in a great square before the Notre Dame Cathedral it is the Festival of Fools. High above it all we are introduced to Lon' Chaney's Quasimodo, "Deaf - half-blind - shut off from his fellow men by his deformities the bells were the only voice of his groping soul. To the towns people he was an inhuman freak, a monstrous joke of Nature and for their jeers he gave them scorn and bitter hate."


His heart was cold and black with spite for all humanity. But there was one whom he would open his heart to. To her he would offer his love, his devotion, his protection and in the end ultimately his very life.

Esmeralda, a gentle and fair beauty. A champion for what is good and pure. To the unjustly condemned Gringoir the poet she would offer justice and release from his fate. To beautiful and charismatic Phoebus de Chateaupers, Captain of the guard she would offer her heart and desire. So what would she offer one such as Quasimodo?

To him she offered pity and nothing more. The same as she would likely offer to a flogged nag, or a beaten mongrel. She would eventually look upon him kindly but that would be all she was willing to give. And when Quasimodo died, she was enjoying a happy ending in the arms of another and only the bells and his one true friend the Cathedral's minister mourned him.

Perhaps he was the King of the Fools after all.

****Celebrating the 125th anniversary of Lon Chaney Sr. birth April 1, 1883****
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