Lon Chaney, Jr.: Horror Film Star, 1906-1973

Rating:
Summary: This is a fairly good biography of my favorite actor.
Review: As a Lon Chaney,Jr.fan,I feel that this book,though interesting,leaves one strangely disatisfied at it's conclusion. I really expected much more from this somewhat one-sided biography. The portrait that Mr.Smith provides about Lon Chaney,Jr,is often far too negative.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointing biography on Lon Chaney, Jr.
Review: There has never been a definitive biography of Lon Chaney, Jr., and this book does nothing to fill that void. Based primarily on other source books, author Don G. Smith displays little eveidence of hard research in this text. It is overladen with long-winded synopses of Chaney Jr.'s films, while the actor's early life, growing up with his father, his mother's attempted suicide and subsequently being lead to believe she was dead are hardly dealt with. It is quite obvious that the author simply pulled a few previously written books and cut-and-pasted the material into his text. A shoddy piece of writing and film research. The filmogrpahy is very minimal, but the TV appearances are well detailed. In all, Lon Chaney, Jr. does deserve a detailed biography. This one isn't it!