Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Duration: 92 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Arthur Lubin
Stars: Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster and Claude Rains
IMDb score:
6,4 (9.497)
Releasedate: 12 August 1943
Phantom of the Opera plot
"The screen's classic of terror!"
The composer Erique Claudin is doused with burning acid during a skirmish and now hangs around the catacombs of the opera in Paris as a ghost. Wanting to get back the music stolen from him, he has a crush on the graceful soprano Christine.
Actors and actresses
Anatole Garron
Christine Dubois
Erique Claudin
Raoul D'Aubert
Signor Ferretti
Biancarolli
Amiot
Lecours
Villeneuve
Vereheres
Reviews & comments
Richard_Voorhees
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- 2311 messages
- 2135 votes
The only one from Universal's Essential (Monster) Collection blu-ray set that was shot in color. This fits well with the colorful costumes that adorn the opera house. I think it's also about the only one in the collection that has such a strong emphasis on romanticism.
Especially the agent and the competing opera singer are pretty dusty, dated characters by today's standards.
The 'ghost' does come across convincingly in its most iconic guise. However, the reveal at the end lacks the shock effect. The make-up is well done, but just not scary enough. They did that a lot better in the silent version when I see the photos in the booklet that comes with the box set.
By today's standards an almost cartoonish display of the classic story, but he still knows how to entertain here and there.
Translated from Dutch · View original
FillumGek
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- 8987 messages
- 3475 votes
I think Universal's worst horror movie, a terrible sit. I left this classic for a long time because of the subject that I don't like, but since it's in the Universal Horror box and it has some historical value I had to check it out. It's also the first film adaptation I've seen of the story, and also the last.
I hate opera. I still can't believe people can listen to this, let alone follow a story. The old-fashioned atmosphere is also something that I find difficult to deal with. Now the film can be admired in full color, so that the mothball smell of old furniture seems to enter the living room. The film is so full of ugly, kitschy sets that it stung my eyes. Atmospheric, but only for the enthusiast.
The Phantom of the Opera contains many things, the least of which is horror. It is mainly about romance, combined with childish humor. The ghost is in love with Christine, as well as Zorro-mustache-covered Anatole and Daubert. The latter two in particular are therefore each other's competitors and do not seem to get along with each other. They also never let each other finish. On the third time I again rolled off the couch with laughter, but was soon pounded upright by the loud operatic voices as if their balls were hanging between a vise.
Because there is a lot of opera, it takes up maybe half the film. The only plus in terms of sound was the voice of Claude 'Invisible Man' Rains. Nice to hear it again, acting reasonably well. However, the ghost is an evil creation with a very poor mask. There is no threat whatsoever. There are a few deaths, but I didn't see a drop of blood. Too bad everything happens offscreen. No, this was actually secretly nothing at all.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Lovelyboy
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- 4214 messages
- 3165 votes
The ghost of the opera who doesn't know him... right? Or is that my upbringing with mainly classical music and many concerts by the local orchestra to blame? Andrew Lloyd Webber with his 1986 version was an inescapable thing during my childhood, and I must say that I have the CD in my collection and tried Leroux's book myself, something seems to have stuck with me. It was last year that the Argento version from '98 came my way, it was certainly not a success. But this version from '43 aroused my curiosity again, even though it doesn't get super numbers either.
Yet this version does have a certain favor factor that mainly stems from the quality that the whole exudes. It all looks nice and neat and this colored version doesn't actually look like a movie from '43 for a moment. The acting is quite nice and the humor around the two that favor Christine's hand is also quite nice. In addition, we should not forget the origins of the ghost, Eric in this case, with his music and the acid. An intro that feels long but is useful, something Argento, for example, spends no time on in his version.
Downsides of the film are the large parts of operas and performances that are shown. Of course it is part of it, but it does take up a lot of time from a film that is not very long. It is only after 26 minutes that something of value really happens, the emergence of the ghost in that sense. From which the following conclusion quickly follows that it is especially interesting when Eric Claudin is in the picture and the interest quickly wanes outside.
It may be clear that this Phantom of the Opera is not a high flyer, yet this film scored quite well in '43 with Oscars for sound, costumes and camera work. And well, the gut feeling gives the whole thing the benefit of the doubt. So a good grade as far as I'm concerned for this oldie.
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