Starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland
Directed by Rupert Julian
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The Paris Opera House is haunted by the mysterious phantom, who promises dire consequences if his protege is not allowed to star in the opera.
This silent classic features one of Chaney's best performances in my opinion, highlighted by an incredible makeup, the revelation of which is one of the great moments in cinema. The other filmed versions of Gaston Leroux's story featured scarred and increasingly gory makeups but they don't compare to this one, which is still truly frightening almost a century later, a tribute to Chaney's craft as an actor and the tortuous contortions he put his body through to make him the "man of a thousand faces." Unlike the other Phantoms, Chaney also hides his face for most of the film behind a full expressionless mask, making the pantomime of his gestures and other movements paramount in selling the character to the audience. The film's famous color sequence, in which Chaney dons an impressive bleached skull mask or makeup is also effective in displaying his menace. I'd have to say the rest of the cast is not in the same league as Chaney, but the sets are elaborate and fantastic, with the shadowy catacombs beneath the opera house, with their dark corners, hidden trap doors, and lavish dressings making a marvelous background for the Phantom's villainy.
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