Second Hollywood recounting following the most considered 1925 original and silent rendition , being remade by the same studio . Yet another version of the Phantom by Gaston Leroux , being a good gothic melodrama about the musician (Claude Rains, the man behind the mask and mysterious benefactor) who lurks in the depths of the Paris Opera House , at the sewers , and his desires for a lovely young singer (Susanna Foster) who even does not even know he exists . There's also the wimpy fiancé (Nelson Eddy) to come between them . The disfigured phantom is jealous and decides to abduct the gorgeous young singer and jail her in his lair.! It will live in your memory forever! . The Picture That has Everything! Romance !...in the shadow of sinister suspense! Music! that mounts to thrilling rapture! Suspense!...opera with death at every performance! A cast of thousands! The screen's classic of terror!
This terror film illustrates segments of the well- known story about a phantom who haunts the secret Opera corridors by staging sets , sumptuous production design , splendid atmosphere and drama to go along with the Opera soundtrack . It concerns a deformed mature man living in the sewers underneath of the Paris Opera House , while he falls in love for an Opera singer, sacrificing himself for the beautiful girl ; but it suffers by dispersing the creepy and chilling scenes with too many Opera and various songs , as well as weak comedy . It's an elaborated version in flaming Technicolor , but also plodding and with only occasional moments of terror , including clever musical stage involving the classic story . Overabundance of singing hurts this otherwise good remake of Phantom of Opera , it remains partially enjoyable , though dated , no fresh . Production values is high with overwhelming sets and colorful cinematography by Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene . The stunning Technicolor Photography won an Oscar , as did the breathtaking art direction from John Goodman and Alexander Golitzen . The film packs excessive operetta in some reels , but also some bravura moments . As opulent pageant , it works although there is no emotional center , leaving the spectator aloof from its leading characters . Acting is great , strong , though brief presence by Claude Rains who brings stunningly to life the disfigured mature man with scarred countenance . Claude Rains takes his turn as the masked master of music and murder , he delivers a model of restraint . This was one of great actor's most memorable hours , along with ¨The Invisible Man¨ by James Whale . As Claude Rains took the title role and obtained another triumph , including eerie frames when the face beneath the mask was finally revealed to the horror of the heroine . Co-starring Susanna Foster is charming , she parades and sings well enough along with Nelson Eddy . And other notorious supporting actors appearing as Edgar Berrier , J. Edward Bromberg , Leo Carrillo , Frank Puglia , Miles Mander , and Hume Cronyn is briefly seen in this horror vintage .
Despite some critics' cynical reservations about this reboot , this was an enormous moneyspinner for Universal Films , a production company especialized on terror movies . Thanks to to Claude Rains' nice interpretation , and the spectacular settings that are painstakingly and opulently stylish, it achieved hit in box-office , in spite of its nine million dollar budget , a huge outlay for the Studio at the time . The motion picture was deftly rendered by Henry Levin with grateful direction by way of some fine performances and a lot of songs , especially by duo protagonist .
The timeless Gaston Leroux novel has been smashing success in every form in which it has been presented as stage as cinema . The first and still most famous adaptation is the Classic silent rendition by Robert Julian (1925) with Lon Chaney , ¨The Man of a thousand faces¨ , and Mary Philbin . 1962 version from Hammer Films directed by Terence Fisher with Herbert Lom , Edward De Souza , Heather Sears . 1974 Phantom of Paradise by Brian De Palma with Paul Williams , Jessica Harper , William Finlay .1999 by Dwight H. Little with Robert Englund , Jill Schoelen , Alex Hyde-Wyatt , Bill Nighy . 1999 TV series , made for television originally shown in 2 parts by Tony Richardson with Charles Dance , Teri Polo and Burt Lancaster . 1999 by Dario Argento with Asia Argento , Julian Sands , Andrea Di Stefano . And especially the blockbuster musical retelling by Joel Schumacher , a lavish adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical , being exuberant and stylishly staged with Gerard Butler , Emmy Rossum, Minnie Driver , among others .
This terror film illustrates segments of the well- known story about a phantom who haunts the secret Opera corridors by staging sets , sumptuous production design , splendid atmosphere and drama to go along with the Opera soundtrack . It concerns a deformed mature man living in the sewers underneath of the Paris Opera House , while he falls in love for an Opera singer, sacrificing himself for the beautiful girl ; but it suffers by dispersing the creepy and chilling scenes with too many Opera and various songs , as well as weak comedy . It's an elaborated version in flaming Technicolor , but also plodding and with only occasional moments of terror , including clever musical stage involving the classic story . Overabundance of singing hurts this otherwise good remake of Phantom of Opera , it remains partially enjoyable , though dated , no fresh . Production values is high with overwhelming sets and colorful cinematography by Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene . The stunning Technicolor Photography won an Oscar , as did the breathtaking art direction from John Goodman and Alexander Golitzen . The film packs excessive operetta in some reels , but also some bravura moments . As opulent pageant , it works although there is no emotional center , leaving the spectator aloof from its leading characters . Acting is great , strong , though brief presence by Claude Rains who brings stunningly to life the disfigured mature man with scarred countenance . Claude Rains takes his turn as the masked master of music and murder , he delivers a model of restraint . This was one of great actor's most memorable hours , along with ¨The Invisible Man¨ by James Whale . As Claude Rains took the title role and obtained another triumph , including eerie frames when the face beneath the mask was finally revealed to the horror of the heroine . Co-starring Susanna Foster is charming , she parades and sings well enough along with Nelson Eddy . And other notorious supporting actors appearing as Edgar Berrier , J. Edward Bromberg , Leo Carrillo , Frank Puglia , Miles Mander , and Hume Cronyn is briefly seen in this horror vintage .
Despite some critics' cynical reservations about this reboot , this was an enormous moneyspinner for Universal Films , a production company especialized on terror movies . Thanks to to Claude Rains' nice interpretation , and the spectacular settings that are painstakingly and opulently stylish, it achieved hit in box-office , in spite of its nine million dollar budget , a huge outlay for the Studio at the time . The motion picture was deftly rendered by Henry Levin with grateful direction by way of some fine performances and a lot of songs , especially by duo protagonist .
The timeless Gaston Leroux novel has been smashing success in every form in which it has been presented as stage as cinema . The first and still most famous adaptation is the Classic silent rendition by Robert Julian (1925) with Lon Chaney , ¨The Man of a thousand faces¨ , and Mary Philbin . 1962 version from Hammer Films directed by Terence Fisher with Herbert Lom , Edward De Souza , Heather Sears . 1974 Phantom of Paradise by Brian De Palma with Paul Williams , Jessica Harper , William Finlay .1999 by Dwight H. Little with Robert Englund , Jill Schoelen , Alex Hyde-Wyatt , Bill Nighy . 1999 TV series , made for television originally shown in 2 parts by Tony Richardson with Charles Dance , Teri Polo and Burt Lancaster . 1999 by Dario Argento with Asia Argento , Julian Sands , Andrea Di Stefano . And especially the blockbuster musical retelling by Joel Schumacher , a lavish adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical , being exuberant and stylishly staged with Gerard Butler , Emmy Rossum, Minnie Driver , among others .