It had been 14 years since audiences had seen Lon Chaney’s PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in its 1929 re-issue. Universal had been wanting to film a remake since 1935 but studio politics, unavailability of certain performers, and the outbreak of World War II intervened. It finally went before the cameras in the Spring of 1943 and was completed at a cost of $1.7 million dollars making it the most expensive Universal horror film ever made. Most of this was due to the fact that the movie was shot in Technicolor (another first for a Universal horror film) and that Stage 28 where the silent PHANTOM had been shot, had to be soundproofed.
The general consensus is that this version contains “too much opera and not enough Phantom”. While that is technically true, Claude Rains makes the most of his opportunities as the Phantom creating a character that is more in tune with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s PHANTOM than Lon Chaney was. It’s also true that the movie was designed as a vehicle for the 19 year old singer Susanna Foster hence the emphasis on the operatic sequences. There is also a strong element of comic relief provided by Nelson Eddy and Leo Carillo which is typical of the movies of the period. Still, thanks to Rains, his Phantom stays with you after the film is over.
Originally Rains was to have been Christine’s father unbeknownst to her but that part of the screenplay was discarded. Too bad as it would have made his self sacrifice for her more understandable. Still the protective nature of his affection arouses great pity and makes his fate truly heartbreaking. Foster is fine as Christine (that’s her real voice) and Nelson Eddy, Leo Carillo, and Edgar Barrier as her rivals acquit themselves nicely. The cinematography and the set design are gorgeous (they won Oscars) and, despite the hefty price tag, the film made money prompting a sequel with Foster which was released the following year as THE CLIMAX co-starring Boris Karloff.
How you like this film will depend on how you prefer your Phantom. If you are looking for the horror element, than no one can top Lon Chaney although Robert Englund in the 1989 version is more in line with today’s blood and gore tendencies. Other tragic and romantic Phantoms are Herbert Lom in the 1962 Hammer version, Maximillian Schell in the 1983 release, and Gerard Butler in the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (2004). All in all there are 12 different PHANTOM films including Brian De Palma’s updated PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE from 1974.
The Capsule Critic 