This doesn't seem like an accurate depiction of Lon Chaney at all

He was all of those things, but also somewhat stand-offish and gruff. From all that I've read, this is a very accurate portrayal.

This film has a lot of errors, and some of it is the way Chaney is portrayed. No insult to Cagney, who is good in the part(despite not looking like Chaney). Lon was very much a private person, and rarely signed autographs or answered fan mail. Very seldom did he even grant an interview. Lon loved having his private life. He also relished being a man of mystery to his fans, comparing himself to a magician who didn't want to give away his tricks to the public. But despite his insistence at being left alone when not working, his was far from an unkind person. You can find countless stories of the things he did to help people, which honestly I wish the film would have spent time focusing on rather than the untrue Cleva stuff toward the end.