''Phantom of the Opera'' is a 1943 American romantic

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, ''Phantom of the Opera (1943 film), Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the ''Francis the Talking Mule'' series a ...

, loosely based on Gaston Leroux's novel ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'' and its 1925 film adaptation starring Lon Chaney. Produced and distributed by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

, the film stars

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs ...

, Susanna Foster and

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

. It was composed by Edward Ward. The first adaptation of the source material to be filmed entirely in

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

, ''Phantom of the Opera'' was even more freely adapted than Universal's silent picture. The film reused Universal's elaborate replica of the

Opéra Garnier The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at ...

interior, which had originally been created for the 1925 film. Despite mixed critical reviews, the film was a box office success. It is also the only classic Universal horror film to win an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

, for

Art Direction Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to super ...

and

Cinematography Cinematography () is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens (optics), lens to focus reflected light from objects into a real image that is transferred to some image sen ...

Plot

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Violinist Erique Claudin is dismissed from the Paris Opera House after revealing that he is losing the use of the fingers of his left hand. Unbeknownst to the conductor, who assumes Claudin can support himself, the musician has used all his money to help anonymously fund voice lessons for Christine Dubois, a young soprano to whom he is devoted. Meanwhile, Christine is pressured by Inspector Raoul Dubert to quit the Opera and marry him. But famed opera baritone Anatole Garron hopes to win Christine's heart despite this. Christine considers them both good friends but doesn't openly express if she loves them. In a desperate attempt to earn money, Claudin submits a

piano concerto A piano concerto, a type of concerto, is a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for piano accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuosic showpieces which require an advance ...

he has written for publication. After weeks of not hearing any response about his concerto, he becomes worried and returns to the publisher, Maurice Pleyel, to ask about it. Pleyel rudely tells him to leave. Claudin hears his concerto being played in the office and is convinced that Pleyel is trying to steal it; unbeknownst to him, a visiting

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

had been playing and endorsing the concerto. Enraged, Claudin strangles Pleyel. Georgette, the publisher's assistant, throws etching acid in Claudin's face, horribly scarring him forever. Now wanted for murder, Claudin flees into the sewers of the Opera and covers his disfigurement with a prop mask stolen from the Opera house, thus becoming the Phantom. During a performance of the opera ''Amour et gloire'', the Phantom drugs a glass of red wine which prima donna Mme. Biancarolli drinks, knocking her unconscious and asleep. The director puts Christine in her place, and she dazzles the audience with her singing. Biancarolli, who suspects that Garron and Christine are responsible for drugging her, orders Raoul to arrest them, but he says he cannot because there is no evidence. Biancarolli says she will forget the affair only if Christine is replaced as understudy and her performance is not mentioned in the papers. The following night, the Phantom kills Biancarolli and her maid, and the opera is subsequently closed. After some time, the opera's owners receive a note demanding that Christine replace Biancarolli. To catch the Phantom, Raoul comes up with a plan: not let Christine sing during a performance of the (fictional) Russian opera ''Le Prince masqué du Caucase'' ("The Masked Prince of the Caucasus") to lure the Phantom out into the open. Garron plans to have Liszt play Claudin's concerto after the performance, but the Phantom strangles one of Raoul's men and heads to the auditorium's domed ceiling. He then brings down the large chandelier on the audience, causing chaos. As the audience and the crew flee, the Phantom takes Christine down underground. He tells Christine that he loves her and she will now sing all she wants, but only for him. Raoul, Anatole, and the police begin pursuing them underground. Just as the Phantom and Christine arrive in his lair, they hear Liszt and the orchestra playing Claudin's concerto. The Phantom plays along with the melody on his piano orchestra. Christine watches, realizing the concerto was written around the melody of a lullaby she has known since childhood. Raoul and Anatole hear the Phantom playing and follow the sound. Overjoyed, the Phantom urges Christine to sing, which she does. While the Phantom is distracted by the music, Christine sneaks up and pulls off his mask, revealing his disfigured face. At that same moment, Raoul and Anatole break-in. Claudin grabs a sword to fight them with. Raoul fires his gun at Claudin, but Anatole knocks Raoul's arm, and the shot hits the ceiling, causing a cave-in. Anatole and Raoul escape with Christine, while Claudin is seemingly crushed to death by the falling rocks. Later, Anatole and Raoul demand that Christine choose one of them. She surprises them by choosing to marry neither one of them, instead choosing to pursue her singing career, inspired by Claudin's devotion to her future. Anatole and Raoul later go to dinner together.

Cast

as Anatole Garron * Susanna Foster as Christine DuBois *

as Erique Claudin/The Phantom of the Opera *

Edgar Barrier Edgar Barrier (March 4, 1907 – June 20, 1964) was an American actor who appeared on radio, stage, and screen. In the 1930s he was a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and was one of several actors who played Simon Templar on ''The Saint (r ...

as Raoul Dubert * Leo Carrillo as Signor Ferretti * Jane Farrar as Biancarolli * J. Edward Bromberg as Amiot * Fritz Feld as Lecours * Frank Puglia as Villeneuve * Steven Geray as Vercheres * Barbara Everest as Aunt *

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter and playwright. He appeared in many stage productions, television and film roles throughout his career, and garnered numerous accolades, includ ...

as Gerard *

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Along with Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, Leiber is one of the fathers of sword and sorcery. Life ...

as Listz * Nicki Andre as Lorenzi * Gladys Blake as Jeanne * Elvira Curci as Biancarolli's Maid * Hans Herbert as Marcel * Kate Lawson as Landlady *

Miles Mander Miles Mander (born Lionel Henry Mander; 14 May 1888 – 8 February 1946), was an English character actor, writer, director and producer in the post-war period of early British cinema during the 1920s to mid-1930s, as well as a playwright an ...

as Pleyel * Rosina Galli as Christine's Maid * Paul Marion as Desjardines * Walter Stahl as Doctor

Development and production

Universal first announced a remake of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in 1935. Set to be directed by

Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (10 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), commonly known as Anatole Litvak, was a Russian-American filmmaker. Born to Jewish parents in Kiev, he began his theatrical training at age 13 in Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, ...

, this version would have been set in modern-day Paris, and would have portrayed the Phantom as a psychologically wounded

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

veteran who was physically unharmed, but imagined that he was disfigured. However, development lingered as the studio faced financial problems that resulted in the ousting of the original film's producer

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle ; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the ...

and his son, Carl Laemmle Jr. Plans for the remake finally surfaced again in November 1941, when

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...

became attached to direct. Koster discarded the previous screenplay, and envisioned a new version of the story in which the Phantom was Christine's father. Under Koster, the initial casting included

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

as the Phantom, Allan Jones as Raoul, and

Deanna Durbin Edna May Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born American soprano and actress, who moved to the U.S. from Canada with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1 ...

as Christine. Eddy was cast after leaving

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

for a two-picture deal with Universal. This led to Durbin refusing the role, not wanting to be compared to Eddy's frequent film partner

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American soprano and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 film) ...

, who Durbin admired. Universal then tested its other resident soprano star, Gloria Jean, only to reject her because she was thought too young (age 16). Karloff also became unavailable, and Koster also considered

Cesar Romero César Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost 60 years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lover (stereotype), Latin lovers, historical ...

, Feodor Chaliapin,

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...

, and

Broderick Crawford William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Willie Stark in the film ''All the King's Men'' (1949), which earned him an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Of ...

for the Phantom. Producer George Waggner eventually fired Koster from the project."The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked". pecial Feature on DVD release of ''Phantom of the Opera'' Universal Studios, 2000. After Koster's firing, Arthur Lubin was brought on to direct. Under Lubin, Koster's subplot about the Phantom being Christine's father was jettisoned, because it gave the romantic elements of their relationship incestuous overtones; yet the Phantom's obsession with Christine is still not completely stated within the film.Scott McQueen, audio-commentary on ''Phantom of the Opera'' DVD (Universal) Lubin cast Rains in the film almost immediately, saying he was his "only choice" for the role. Foster, who had just left

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

, was cast after meeting Lubin through a mutual friend, and auditioning for Waggner. Filming began on January 21, 1943. ''

Lux Radio Theater ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a old-time radio, classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of A ...

'' presented a radio adaption of the film on September 13, 1943. Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster and Edgar Barrier reprised their roles from the film;

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

replaced Rains as Erique Claudin. This presentation was produced and hosted by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

Score

The score was written by Edward Ward. For the ''Amour et gloire'' opera sequences, Ward adapted music from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 and used themes by Chopin. He also composed an original theme song, ''Lullaby of the Bells'', which was heard in the film as the Phantom's

. The movie begins with a fragment from '' Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond (Martha, or The Market at Richmond)'' written by composer Friedrich von Flotow. Soundtrack credits *''Lullaby of the Bells'' (uncredited), written by Edward Ward; lyrics by George Waggner; sung by Susanna Foster and Nelson Eddy. *''Martha (Act III, opera excerpt)'' (uncredited), written by Friedrich von Flotow; lyrics translated by William von Wymetall; sung by Nelson Eddy, Jane Farrar (dubbed by Sally Sweetland), Susanna Foster, and company. *''Amour et gloire'' (uncredited), (French opera sequence), adapted by Edward Ward from themes by

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

; lyrics by George Waggner, translated by William von Wymetal; sung by Nelson Eddy, Jane Farrar (dubbed by Sally Sweetland), Susanna Foster, and company. *''Le Prince masqué du Caucase'' (uncredited) (Russian opera sequence), adapted by Edward Ward (from Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4); lyrics by George Waggner, translated by William von Wymetal; sung by Nelson Eddy, Nicki Andre and company.

Reception

Contemporary reviews were mixed. ''Independent Film Bulletin'' frankly preferred the silent version, noting that "the new film has too much opera and too little excitement for mass audiences. The lengthy operatic passages (which are splendidly sung and should attract music lovers) will not set so well with the horror fans who will be drawn by anticipation of a real blood-and-thunder thriller. In brief, it seems that the new ''Phantom of the Opera'' will not satisfy music lovers or horror lovers. However, it is a ballyhoo natural and where sold energetically by the showman it should garner good grosses." ''Film Daily'' commended the studio's new approach to the material: "By toning down the gruesome details and playing up what light moments the subject affords, Universal has widened the film's appeal to women and those who are not out-and-out shocker fans. The boxoffice potentialities of the film have been additionally enhanced by refraining from making the phantom, as played by Claude Rains, the hideous and repellent creature that Lon Chaney made him in the original version."

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' panned the film for being "watered down" from the original, calling the opening sequence "the only one in the film in which the potential excitement of the story is realized", while otherwise the "richness of décor and music is precisely what gets in the way of the tale." '' Variety'' called it "a vivid, elaborate, and, within its original story limitations, an effective production geared for substantial grosses". Trade publisher Pete Harrison called it "a good entertainment, the sort that will direct an appeal to all types of audiences". David Lardner's review in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' dismissed the film, calling it "by no means a sample of the march of progress in the film world. The old version had Lon Chaney, who scared you plenty, and the new one has Claude Rains, who somehow doesn't." A review in the ''

Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' stated that "rarely has a story so novelettish had such conscientious technical excellence lavished upon it" specifically noting that "it ranks among the screen's highest achievements in sound." The review continued that "The same careful effort-if not the same dazzling success-is apparent in casting, camera work, costuming and the numerous sets." In modern times, the film has received more positive reviews.

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

gave this version of ''Phantom of the Opera'' an average score of 76%, based on 21 reviews from critics. The site's consensus states: "Though it lives beneath the 1925 version, Claude Rains plays title character well in this landmark color version of the classic tragedy." ''Diabolique'' magazine said "the story was reconfigured as a musical more than a horror saga... Once you accept that, this works well on its own terms and Lubin's touch is assured; it looks splendid." Lon Chaney Jr. was reportedly unhappy that the studio never seriously considered him to play the role made famous by his father, even though he was under contract to them. Chaney reportedly also resented Rains for his portrayal.

Cancelled sequel: ''The Climax''

Following the success of ''Phantom of the Opera'', Universal announced that a sequel would be made, titled '' The Climax''. Nelson Eddy and Susanna Foster were to return, along with Claude Rains as the Phantom, most likely meaning that his character survived the cave-in at the finale of the first film. The sequel, however, was cancelled due to story troubles and problems concerning the availability of Claude Rains. Universal reworked the film completely, so it is not related to ''Phantom of the Opera''; Foster stars in the film, alongside the original choice for the Phantom, Boris Karloff.

Awards

The film was nominated for four

Oscars The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence i ...

, becoming the only film in the studio's horror franchise to be nominated. It ultimately won in two categories at the

16th Academy Awards The 16th Academy Awards were held on March 2, 1944, to honor the films of 1943. This was the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and the first ceremony without a banquet as part of the festivities. Th ...

ceremony: * Art Direction (Color) ( John B. Goodman, Alexander Golitzen, Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb) (Won) * Cinematography (Color) (Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene) (Won) * Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) (Edward Ward) (''Nominated'') *

Sound Recording Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, Mechanical system, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of ...

( Bernard B. Brown) (''Nominated'')

References

External links

* * *
'' Phantom of the Opera''
on

: September 13, 1943 {{DEFAULTSORT:Phantom of the Opera (1943 film) 1943 films 1943 horror films 1943 musical films 1940s English-language films 1940s monster movies 1940s American films American romantic horror films Remakes of American films Horror film remakes Films about composers Films about opera Films based on horror novels 1943 Films directed by Arthur Lubin Films set in a theatre Films scored by Edward Ward (composer) Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award American gothic horror films American monster movies Sound film remakes of silent films Universal Pictures films Films set in the 1880s Films set in Paris Films about violins and violinists American musical films Fiction about burn survivors English-language horror films English-language musical films Saturn Award–winning films