By the Sun's Rays (1914)

This little one reel western is so inconsequential even I would be tempted to overlook it except for one mitigating factor: it is the earliest of Lon Chaney’s films to survive. He may have made up to 30 earlier ones, but this is, for the viewer, ground zero.

He plays Frank Lawler, a clerk in a shipping office who is one of the two guys responsible for getting the local mine’s gold ready to transfer by stagecoach. Early on we see him shiftily sneaking out of the office to inform a group of bandits when the gold will begin its journey. We also see that he casts a lustful eye on the mine owners’ daughter, Dora (Agnes Vernon).

During the second robbery someone is shot. “The bandits got us again,” owner John Davis (Seymour Hastings) wails becoming so frustrated at his losses and inability to find the culprit (with only two guys working in the office, how hard could it be?) he sends for a detective, John Murdock (Murdock MacQuarrie) who, on his arrival, also has an eye on Dora.

Murdock arrives in disguise and soon identifies Lawler as the inside man. He tells Dora to keep the sneak occupied while he, Murdock, goes after the rest of the gang.

Expanding the story to two parallel actions provides the only cinematically interesting moments of the film as director Charles Giblyn crosscuts between the holdup and Lawler attacking Dora in the office. At this point it becomes clear why Lawler is so creepy—his lust has driven him mad. (Or Chaney is overacting. Or both.)

Murdock returns, prisoner in tow, just in time to save the girl. The captured bandit flips on Lawler and all ends well.

Chaney wears no heavy makeup. He displays his villainous nature by glowering. 

The film was distributed by Universal, for which studio the star would later more than make up for his lack of makeup here.