Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning, Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American motion picture actor, director and screenwriter. Browning's career spanned the silent and talkie eras. Best known as the director of "Dracula" (1931), the cult classic "Freaks" (1932), and classic silent movies with Lon Chaney. Browning directed many movies in a wide range of genres.