''The Climax'' is a

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

produced by

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, first released in the United States in 1944. The credits state this is based on the 1909 play of the same name by

Edward Locke Edward J. Locke (1869–1945) was an American playwright born in England. He became a theatre and vaudeville actor while still in his teens. He wrote some vaudeville sketches and plays, the most successful of which was ''The Climax'', which ha ...

, although the plot has little connection to Locke's play. Originally intended to be a sequel to Universal's remake of the ''

Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' (1943), it featured new characters and a new plot.

Plot

The physician at the Vienna Royal Theatre, Dr. Hohner (Karloff) murders his fiancée, a prima donna, out of obsession and jealousy. Ten years later, he hears another young singer (Foster) who reminds him of the late diva, and is determined to make her sing only for him, even if it means silencing her forever.

Cast

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

as Dr. Friedrich Hohner * Susanna Foster as Angela Klatt *

Turhan Bey Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 192230 September 2012). was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.. Aft ...

as Franz Munzer *

Gale Sondergaard Gale Sondergaard (born Edith Holm Sondergaard; February 15, 1899 – August 14, 1985) was an American actress. Sondergaard began her acting career in theater and progressed to films in 1936. She was the first recipient of the Academy Awar ...

as Luise *

Thomas Gomez Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor. Life and career Born Sabino Tomás Gómez, Jr., in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cy ...

as Count Seebruck *

June Vincent June Vincent (born Dorothy June Smith, July 17, 1920 – November 20, 2008) was an American actress. Life and career Vincent was born in Harrod, Ohio, the daughter of Sybil Irwin and the Rev. Willis E. Smith. Stage Vincent's acting career bega ...

as Marcellina *

George Dolenz George Dolenz (born Jure Dolenc; akas: Giorgio Dolenz and George Dolentz; January 5, 1908 February 8, 1963) was an American film actor born in Trieste (then part of Austria-Hungary, now Italy), in the city's Slovene community. Biography Un ...

as Amato Roselli *

Ludwig Stössel Ludwig Stössel (12 February 1883 – 29 January 1973) was an actor born in Lockenhaus, now Austria, then Hungary. He was one of many Jewish actors and actresses who were forced to flee Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Biography St ...

as Carl Baumann * Jane Farrar as Jarmila Vadek *

Ernő Verebes Ernő Verebes (born Ernst Weiss, December 6, 1902 – June 13, 1971) was a Hungarian-American actor who began his career in Hungarian silent films in 1915. During his film career he worked and lived in Hungary, Germany and in the United States. ...

as Brunn *

Lotte Stein Lotte Stein (1894–1982) was a German actress of the stage and screen. Of Jewish descent, she fled to the United States via Czechoslovakia and Portugal, and arrived at the Port of New York on board the S/S ''Mouzinho'' in June 1941. Selected fi ...

as Mama Hinzl *

Scotty Beckett Scott Hastings Beckett (October 4, 1929 – May 10, 1968) was an American actor. He began his career as a child actor in the ''Our Gang'' shorts and later costarred on ''Rocky Jones, Space Ranger''. Early life and career Born in Oakland, Califo ...

as The King * William Edmunds as Leon, the theater concierge *

Maxwell Hayes Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage o ...

as Count Romburg, the King's aide *

Dorothy Lawrence Dorothy Lawrence (4 October 1896 – 4 October 1964) was an English journalist who posed as a male soldier to report from the front line during World War I. In 1915, she went to France, where she managed to obtain a military uniform and a false ...

as Miss Metzger * Francis Ford as Backstage Attendant (uncredited)

Production

The film was originally conceived as a sequel to ''

'' (1943).Scott McQueen, audio commentary on ''Phantom of the Opera'' DVD (Universal) ''The Climax'' was made using the sets of the ''Phantom of the Opera'' remake, which in turn used Universal's opera house set for the original ''

'' (1925). Choreography was by

Lester Horton Lester Iradell Horton (23 January 1906 – 2 November 1953) was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Early years and education Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on 23 January 1906. His parents were Iradell and Poll ...

. The film was also nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

for Best Art Direction ( John B. Goodman,

Alexander Golitzen Prince Alexander Golitzen (Golitsyn), (Moscow, February 28, 1908San Diego, July 26, 2005) was a Russian-born American production designer who oversaw art direction on more than 300 movies. Born in Moscow in the princely Golitsyn family, Alexande ...

Russell A. Gausman Russell A. Gausman (July 4, 1892 – May 20, 1963) was an American set decorator. He won two Academy Awards and was nominated for five more in the category Best Art Direction. He worked on nearly 700 films between 1925 and 1960. He was born ...

, Ira S. Webb).

Reception

''The Climax'' was a

box office disappointment A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...

Home video release

This film, along with ''

Night Key ''Night Key'' is a science fiction crime film starring Boris Karloff and released by Universal Pictures in 1937. Plot The inventor of a burglar alarm (Karloff) attempts to get back at the man who stole the profits to his invention (Hinds) befor ...

'', '' ''Tower of London'''', '' The Strange Door'' and ''

The Black Castle ''The Black Castle'' is a 1952 American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday and Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by William Alland. The film was made in the United State ...

'', was released on DVD in 2006 by Universal Studios as part of ''The Boris Karloff Collection''. In 2020, it was released in high definition as part of Scream Factory’s Universal Horror Collection, Vol. 4 blu ray set.

References

External links

* * * 1940s historical horror films 1944 films 1944 horror films American historical horror films American films based on plays Films directed by George Waggner Films about opera Films about physicians Universal Pictures films Films with screenplays by Curt Siodmak Films set in the 1890s Films set in Vienna Films scored by Edward Ward (composer) 1940s American films {{1940s-horror-film-stub