The 1925 Phantom of the Opera

“HAVE NO FEAR!” Lon Chaney uttered these words to Mary Philbin in the 1925 Universal Horror movie “The Phantom of the Opera.” The Opera Ghost has never been as popular as he is today. Yes, this is in part due to Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I believe he is given too much credit. Yes, the musical is great, and the movie adaption is my favorite movie of all time, but it was the 1925 version that started it all. The book, written by Gaston Leroux in 1909, is in itself a very well written piece of literature. However, the book did poorly at the time, and little to no people bought it. However, 15 years later, Universal bought the right to make a film version of it. At the time, Universal was looking for a film that will not only bring in the money, but would also be a good follow up for their Man of a Thousand Face: Lon Chaney. Chaney had just completed the Universal film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and now Universal wanted to give him another role where he could put his make up skills to work. Lon Chaney was cast, playing the beast to Mary Philbin’s (Christine) beauty. However, Phantom would put even Chaney’s make-up talents to the test. After long days of design and work, he finally came up with the right design (which is displayed below). Phantom of the Opera opened on November 25, 1925. It was greated well by audiences, although many people screamed or fainted when the Phantom’s horrible face was revealed. Today, the movie is still seen through the world. It is considered the first real horror film, and definatly the finest. Many remakes have been made, but none ever as popular as the orginal (unless you count ALW). So, without a doubt, the Opera Ghost will live on. ‘

Pic taken from: http://www.lagunajournal.com