Just as today's moviegoers are thrilled by extravagant special effects, Lon Chaney mesmerized the audiences of his day with incredible makeup and characterization. Known as Hollywood's "man of a thousand faces," Chaney was a leading character who specialized in macabre roles. His miming ability, quick-change artistry, and skill with makeup served him well in such films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). He also appeared in dramatic roles that required no disguise, as in Laugh Clown Laugh (1928).