Editing Lon Chaney Jr. (section)

===Final films===
[[File:Dracula vs. Frankenstein Chaney.jpg|thumb|Chaney Jr. in ''Dracula vs. Frankenstein'' (1971)]]
In later years, he suffered from [[throat cancer]] and chronic [[heart disease]] among other ailments after decades of heavy drinking and smoking. In his final horror film, ''[[Dracula vs. Frankenstein]]'', directed by [[Al Adamson]], he played Groton, [[Victor Frankenstein|Dr. Frankenstein]]'s mute henchman. He filmed his part in the spring of 1969, and shortly thereafter performed his final film role, also for Adamson, in ''[[The Female Bunch]]''.<ref>Weldon, Michael (1983). "The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film". Ballantine Books. {{ISBN|0-345-34345-X}}. Page 235</ref> Both films were released in 1971. Though filmed before ''The Female Bunch'', ''Dracula vs. Frankenstein'' was released some weeks later. Chaney had lines in ''[[The Female Bunch]]'' but his hoarse, raspy voice was virtually unrecognizable. Due to illness he retired from acting to concentrate on a book about the Chaney family legacy, ''A Century of Chaneys'', which remains to date unpublished in any form. {{As of|2008}}, his grandson, Ron Chaney Jr., was working on completing this project.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.midnightpalace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=141 |title=Interview with Ron Chaney, including references to Lon's book |access-date=December 23, 2008 |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714091233/http://www.midnightpalace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=141 |url-status=dead }}</ref>