The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Tuesday May 9, 7:00pm The Historic Everett Theater
Following their great success with The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1923, Universal Pictures and producer Carl Laemmle sought a suitable follow-up for the biggest horror star of the silent era, Lon Chaney. That project was The Phantom of the Opera. Based on the Gaston Leroux novel about a hideous madman living in the Paris catacombs who becomes infatuated with a beautiful singer, the story was promising. The production however was something of a disaster and the film has become a seminal favorite largely due to the captivating performance of its star.
The stately Paris Opera house surges with patrons flooding its doors and grand staircase in the opening scenes of The Phantom of the Opera. A host of delicate white tutus move in graceful unison on the stage. Meanwhile, in the executive offices, new owners take possession and are jokingly told of a supposed Phantom that haunts the building. At the mention of this specter the films mood changes to a more sinister tone. The shadows of frightened dancers glide across the screen like a flock of swans fleeing a wolf, while stagehands recount tales of a dark and unseen figure. The gaping mouth of a stage prop reveals the shadow of a fleeting presence in one particularly effective shot. As the opera begins, Christine Daae (Mary Philbin) sings the role of Marguerite in GounodÄôs Faust when the star Carlotta falls strangely ill after receiving a threatening letter. From their box, ChristineÄôs lover Raoul de Changny (Norman Kerry) listens as his brother speaks of a mysterious benefactor with strange powers over Christine. Raoul dismisses him and hurries to the dressing room with talk of marriage, only to have Christine reply "I can never leave the Opera." He leaves and Christine is visited by the hypnotic voice of her unseen master. Later, a second letter arrives but this time Carlotta ignores the threats and sings with catastrophic results. A shadowy figure proclaims, "Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!" In the subsequent mayhem Christine disappears, taken by the masked Phantom deep beneath the city and across a black lake to his hiding place. He reveals his true name is Erik and pleads with her to stay but she is horrified when she removes his mask to discover his hideous secret. "Feast your eyes, glut your soul, on my accursed ugliness!" She vows to be his eternal slave in exchange for her freedom and returns to the surface. The promise is soon broken and in a chilling two-color Technicolor sequence, Erik appears at the Bal Masque in red robes and skull mask as the Red Death where he overhears the lovers plot their escape. Christine secretly plans to leave with Raoul after one last performance, but vanishes from the stage when the house lights suddenly go dark. With Ledoux (Arther Edmund Carewe) of the secret police assisting, Raoul sets out to rescue Christine. They narrowly avoid being roasted alive and drowning before she saves them but Christine is then spirited away in a carriage by the Phantom as an angry, torch bearing mob follow close behind.
Much was made of the frightening makeup used by Chaney to give his character the appearance of a skull. No images of his likeness were published before the films release in order to heighten the suspense and dramatic effect when the Phantom is finally unmasked in a scene that remains among the most frightening of the horror genre. Universal's choice of Rupert Julian to direct the film was the first of many unfortunate decisions. Julian alienated the crew and fought constantly with the star who, in the end refused to work with him. After disappointing previews the screenplay underwent massive rewrites and was booked for a month long run at San FranciscoÄôs Curran Theater. Several characters, comic elements and the subplot of a rival for ChristineÄôs affections had been added. When the film was released in its final form most of these changes were scrapped and a new ending was added, likely devised by Chaney himself. The film was re-edited again with new scenes, titles and an added Vitaphone soundtrack for a 1929 release. This is the version, which survives today. The enduring success of this film despite a host of problems serves as a testament to the skill of Lon Chaney and his terrifying performance.
Tuesday May 9, 7:00pm The Historic Everett Theater
Following their great success with The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1923, Universal Pictures and producer Carl Laemmle sought a suitable follow-up for the biggest horror star of the silent era, Lon Chaney. That project was The Phantom of the Opera. Based on the Gaston Leroux novel about a hideous madman living in the Paris catacombs who becomes infatuated with a beautiful singer, the story was promising. The production however was something of a disaster and the film has become a seminal favorite largely due to the captivating performance of its star.
The stately Paris Opera house surges with patrons flooding its doors and grand staircase in the opening scenes of The Phantom of the Opera. A host of delicate white tutus move in graceful unison on the stage. Meanwhile, in the executive offices, new owners take possession and are jokingly told of a supposed Phantom that haunts the building. At the mention of this specter the films mood changes to a more sinister tone. The shadows of frightened dancers glide across the screen like a flock of swans fleeing a wolf, while stagehands recount tales of a dark and unseen figure. The gaping mouth of a stage prop reveals the shadow of a fleeting presence in one particularly effective shot. As the opera begins, Christine Daae (Mary Philbin) sings the role of Marguerite in GounodÄôs Faust when the star Carlotta falls strangely ill after receiving a threatening letter. From their box, ChristineÄôs lover Raoul de Changny (Norman Kerry) listens as his brother speaks of a mysterious benefactor with strange powers over Christine. Raoul dismisses him and hurries to the dressing room with talk of marriage, only to have Christine reply "I can never leave the Opera." He leaves and Christine is visited by the hypnotic voice of her unseen master. Later, a second letter arrives but this time Carlotta ignores the threats and sings with catastrophic results. A shadowy figure proclaims, "Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!" In the subsequent mayhem Christine disappears, taken by the masked Phantom deep beneath the city and across a black lake to his hiding place. He reveals his true name is Erik and pleads with her to stay but she is horrified when she removes his mask to discover his hideous secret. "Feast your eyes, glut your soul, on my accursed ugliness!" She vows to be his eternal slave in exchange for her freedom and returns to the surface. The promise is soon broken and in a chilling two-color Technicolor sequence, Erik appears at the Bal Masque in red robes and skull mask as the Red Death where he overhears the lovers plot their escape. Christine secretly plans to leave with Raoul after one last performance, but vanishes from the stage when the house lights suddenly go dark. With Ledoux (Arther Edmund Carewe) of the secret police assisting, Raoul sets out to rescue Christine. They narrowly avoid being roasted alive and drowning before she saves them but Christine is then spirited away in a carriage by the Phantom as an angry, torch bearing mob follow close behind.
Much was made of the frightening makeup used by Chaney to give his character the appearance of a skull. No images of his likeness were published before the films release in order to heighten the suspense and dramatic effect when the Phantom is finally unmasked in a scene that remains among the most frightening of the horror genre. Universal's choice of Rupert Julian to direct the film was the first of many unfortunate decisions. Julian alienated the crew and fought constantly with the star who, in the end refused to work with him. After disappointing previews the screenplay underwent massive rewrites and was booked for a month long run at San FranciscoÄôs Curran Theater. Several characters, comic elements and the subplot of a rival for ChristineÄôs affections had been added. When the film was released in its final form most of these changes were scrapped and a new ending was added, likely devised by Chaney himself. The film was re-edited again with new scenes, titles and an added Vitaphone soundtrack for a 1929 release. This is the version, which survives today. The enduring success of this film despite a host of problems serves as a testament to the skill of Lon Chaney and his terrifying performance.