Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera (1925/29)

The  Phantom of the Opera 

Universal Pictures, USA, 1925/29. 

Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. 

This movie is part of Horror Classics 50 Movie Pack by Mill Creek Entertainment. The Mill Creek Version runs 107 minutes and it is the 1929 silent version without colour tinting.

The Paris Opera House built above old torture chambers and catacombs is sold to new owners. It is rumoured to be haunted by a phantom. The Phantom (Lon Chaney) occupies the opera box number five. The ballerinas get scared by a mysterious figure in the cellar. Joseph Buquet (Bernard Siegel) is the only one who has seen the phantom. The Phantom looks hideous and has no nose. The Phantom sends a letter where he wants singer Carlotta (Mary Fabian) to be replaced by Christine Daaé (Mary Philbin) or else. Carlotta's mother (Virginia Pearson who played Carlotta in 1925 version!) opposes but Carlotta fells suddenly "ill." 

The ballerinas get scared

Raoul

Christine

Raoul (Norman Kerry) wants to marry Christine but she wants to have a career in opera. The Phantom tells Christine that her success is his creation. Obey your Master! Next evening Carlotta defies the warnings and sings. Phantom's curse makes chandelier to fall down crushing some unlucky watchers. Masked Phantom invites Christine to visit the secret passages under the Opera House. The Phantom introduces himself as Erik and says that he loves her. Christine faints. 

The Phantom appears

Unmasking

Erik makes beautiful music and slowly Christine begins to like him. Despite warning Christine removes his mask and reveals his horribly disfigured face. Erik threatens to kill Christine if she sees Raoul again. However she secretly meets Raoul in masquerade and they plan to escape. Interestingly the masquerade scene is presented in colours. Also Erik participates the party dressed as Red Death (does anyone get some Edgar Allan Poe vibes?) and hears about the escape plan. Betrayed Erik goes into murderous mode using his oriental assassin skills. Luckily Secret policeman Ledoux (Arthur Edmund Carewe) knows some of the Phantom's secrets.

Red Death

Raoul and Christine

Ledoux

This is a great American silent movie horror classic. The ending is quite different than in the later adaptations, and compared to later films Erik looks the most horribly disfigured. In 1929 the film was re-edited and partly reshot to the version that is commonly seen. Also the 1929 version should be 96 minute (?) sound version of the film but oddly this Treeline/Mill Creek print is the silent version with re-edited footage. The 1929 version suffers from some overlong dance scenes and overall the direction is quite dragging. Lon Chaney's excellent performance and his effective makeup leaves the rest of the cast in his shadow. While I think that German horror films of the era such as "Nosferatu" and "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" were artistically superior and better paced than "The  Phantom of the Opera", it is still an essential piece of film history. Also the film success and encouraged Universal Pictures to produce other legendary horror movies such as "Dracula", "Frankenstein" and The "Mummy."

Rating: Good

Starring: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis, Snitz Edwards, Mary Fabian (1929 re-edited version only), Virginia Pearson (1929 re-edited version), Olive Ann Alcorn, Joseph Belmont, Alexander Bevani, Earl Gordon Bostwick, Edward Cecil, Ruth Clifford, Chester Conklin, Roy Coulson, Bruce Covington, Ward Crane, George Davis, Madame Fiorenza, Cesare Gravina, William Humphrey, Carla Laemmle, Edward Martindel (1929 re-edited version), Grace Marvin, John Miljan, Templar Saxe, Rolfe Sedan, Bernard Siegel, William Tracy, William Tyroler, Vola Vale, Ellinor Vanderveer, Anton Vaverka, George B. Williams, Ed Wolff, Edith Yorke 

Directors: Rupert Julian, Lon Chaney, Ernst Laemmle, Edward Sedgwick