From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Tod Browning (12 July 1880 – 6 October 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 film collaborations with Lon Chaney, Browning directed many movies in a wide range of genres. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tod Browning, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia