man of a thousand faces (1957)

fictional biography of the actor of the silent lon chaney. son of deaf-mute parents, lon lives a complicated childhood; falls in love with cleva creighton and the bride. they are happy, but when cleva becomes pregnant, lon finally reveals the truth about her parents and the frightened and angry woman leaves him. a perfectly normal child is born who is entrusted to his father. lon becomes more and more famous and marries another woman. with the passage of time the relationship with the child worsens, who would like to assist the mother reduced to poverty and infirm of mind. at the death of lon, the son decides to follow his father's career with the name of lon chaney jr.