It’s October, a perfect time to discuss movies with a spooky flair. Over the last month, it’s been a bonanza for Lon Chaney fans, myself included, with a half-dozen unseen films now available.
Okay, I’m stretching the truth a little. The dual release of Victory (1919) and The Wicked Darling (1919, with the always delightful Priscilla Dean) by Flicker Alley has been available for a while, but I’m just now adding it to my collection.
However, Grapevine Video has just released Triumph, a 1917 feature with Dorothy Phillips. Only thee reels of this film survive, but three is better than nothing.
Meanwhile, Undercrank Productions has released Lon Chaney: Before the Thousand Faces. This disc contains three rare Universal features from 1915-16, all of which also survive only in a partial state. The three incomplete features are A Mother’s Atonement, If My Country Should Call, and The Place Beyond the Wind.
What is most interesting about these releases are that they fall in that period, pre-twenties, before Chaney made himself a household name. Still ahead were Phantom of the Opera, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Tell it to the Marines, to name a few.
Yet even at this early stage, Chaney’s talent is undeniable, while already demonstrating his ability at playing a chameleon.
Happy Halloween!
Cinema Houston Blog 
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