The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

 Rupert Julian's "The Phantom of the Opera"


Based on the 1910 French novel by Gaston Leroux, "The Phantom of the Opera" was a studio spectacle film that is widely remembered for its lighthearted scares. Production of the film was incredibly lengthy. The reason for this was that the studio could not decide on a proper tone for the film. Varying cuts and edits were made to shift the film from having empathy for the phantom to making him more of a monster, as well as changing the film from a tension-filled drama to more of a romantic comedy (and then back again). Even the director of the film, Rupert Julian, was replaced by various other filmmakers. Overall, creating the film proved to be a tremendous pain for everyone involved. 

The film is most widely remembered for Lon Chaney, who played the titular phantom. Universal Studios was searching for a lead vehicle for their star. After the success of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1923, the studio allowed Chaney the freedom to use his own makeup. "Phantom of the Opera" proved to be perfect. He used illustrations of the novel by Andre Castaigne to base the appearance of the phantom on. He stuffed wadding in his cheeks, used a skullcap to raise his forehead, glued his ears to his head, and painted his eye sockets black. He also added prongs to a set of rotting teeth and coated his lips in grease paint to create a skeletal smile. He transformed his nose by applying putty and inserting two loops of wire in his nostrils. According to people who worked on the film, Chaney was very uncomfortable with his own creations, even bleeding from the wires in his nose. The results, however, were incredible. Audiences are said to have screamed in horror after the phantom's face is revealed.

Responses to the film were mixed. Many saw it for the spectacle that it was. However, it will forever be remembered for its lead actor, Lon Chaney, and his incredible make-up. 


Post note: There are incredible scenes in color that depict the entrance of the phantom at the ball. He poses as "Red Death." The scenes were filmed in technicolor, much like the scenes of Jesus in "Ben-Hur" the same year. 



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