Arguably tied with Murnau’s Nosferatu as the best silent horror picture, The Phantom of the Opera (1925) is the version most faithful to the Gaston Leroux novel and it dwarfs subsequent film and stage incarnations. Lead star Lon Chaney Sr.’s renowned skill for transforming himself into one unrecognizable persona after another in each of his films, goes for broke, a pinnacle of the ‘self-torture-for-art’ school of acting. It’s an audacious vision of the warped, disfigured and lovelorn Phantom residing in the cellars of the Paris Opera house. The camera traverses subterranean warrens, underground canals and secret chambers – the Phantom’s private territory where he hides novice opera diva, Christine (Mary Philbin) after spiriting her away. Christine’s unmasking of the Phantom while he plays his pipe organ remains one of the peak shock sequences in horror cinema.
“The atmosphere matches Chaney’s performance perfectly. His grotesque appearance is achieved with wires, cotton balls, and eye-dilating chemicals, but his character, as usual, is animated from within.” – Keith Phipps, A.V. Club
Bernard Rose discusses The Phantom of the Opera for Trailers From Hell.
Ariel Schudson explores the history of The Phantom of the Opera on the New Beverly blog.
