Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Director:

Arthur Lubin

Writers:

Samuel Hoffenstein (writer)
John Jacoby (adaptation)

Release Date:

27 August 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Music | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

In flaming Technicolor!

Plot:

This is the story of a disfigured violinist who haunts the Paris Opera House

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Music Publisher | Acid | Soprano | Murder

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Nelson Eddy	...	Anatole Garron
Susanna Foster	...	Christine Dubois
Claude Rains	...	Erique Claudin
Edgar Barrier	...	Raoul D'Aubert
Leo Carrillo	...	Signor Ferretti
Jane Farrar	...	Biancarolli
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Amiot
Fritz Feld	...	Lecours
Frank Puglia	...	Villeneuve
Steven Geray	...	Vereheres
Barbara Everest	...	The Aunt
Hume Cronyn	...	Gerard
Fritz Leiber	...	Franz Liszt
Nicki Andre	...	Madame Lorenzi
Gladys Blake	...	Jeanne

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:13 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:G (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #9388) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The bronze sculpture of Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster) was actually made by co-star Nelson Eddy, who was an accomplished sculptor.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Anatole is pursuing the Phantom over the catwalk, the ladder wobbles in long shots but is very stable when the actors are in close-up.

Quotes:

[Christine has left Raoul and Anatole in her dressing room while she greets a crowd of admirers]
Raoul D'Aubert: Would you join me for a bit of supper at the Cafe de l'Opera?
Anatole Garron: With pleasure, monsieur.
Raoul D'Aubert: Think we can get through this crowd?
Anatole Garron: Certainly. After all, who'd pay any attention to a baritone and a detective?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Soundtrack:

MARTHA (Act III, opera excerpt)

Horror may be muted...but the music is glorious...

Before writing a film article on Claude Rains for CLASSIC IMAGES (December 2000), I took another look at 'Phantom' to appraise his performance. He's one of those rare actors who can make you feel sympathy when he plays the ill-treated violinist so that you understand why he turns into 'The Phantom'. His performance is just one asset of this handsome technicolor adaptation of the famous story. Why carp about the changes made for this version? It stands on its own as an entertaining melodrama studded with operatic sequences that give it added dimension. Nelson Eddy has never been in better voice and Susanna Foster is certainly up to the demands of her singing role. The comic aspects of the story are a bit overdone and the only weakness of the film is giving Eddy and Edgar Barrier silly routines as they compete for the hand of Foster. Aside from that, this can still be enjoyed as a horror story set against the Paris Opera background. The sets are rich and detailed. Understandably, the film won Academy Awards for color cinematography and color art direction. Edward Ward's haunting score was also nominated and contributes greatly to the overall enjoyment of the film. The horror is muted in this version--but the rich musical highlights are a compensation. Absorbing entertainment.