Edited sentence: And Chaney's numerous roles as afflicted characters deeply touched the film audience of his era and beyond, and is often said to have helped generate greater compassion and understanding towards disabled persons.Chaney was one of the few actors of the silent era whose name and onscreen work remained in the public consciousness and never required later rediscovery.His pioneering work in horror films opened a genre that continued into the early sound era with the hugely popular Universal Studios horror films of the 1930's and early 1940's, although it can be said none of these quite matched the tragic power of Chaney's characterizations.Similarly, his film collaborations with Tod Browning on macabre and bizarre storylines had a huge influence on later films and television series, such as the Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.The generation of film actors that immediately followed Chaney (such as Humprhey Bogart and Orson Welles) often cited his powerful performances as a tremendous influence and inspiration