The Phantom of the Opera1925

Few films have left more of an impact than gothic horror classic THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Every element of the film (from Gaston Leroux's tale of obsession to Ben Carré's moody set designs to Lon Chaney's disturbing, self-designed makeup) has entered into the realm of iconic filmmaking. PHANTOM represents both the start of Universal’s classic horror series (which would come to include DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN and THE MUMMY) as well as the crown jewel of Chaney's career. The print presented here was compiled by early film preservationist John Hampton from show-at-home 16mm reduction prints and serves as the closest approximation to the general release cut that so terrified audiences in 1925. Included are a rare final shot of Christine and Raoul, as well as a brief opening scene of a man holding a lantern, possibly made for foreign markets (missing is the two-strip technicolor originally found in the "Masque of the Red Death" sequence). - Tom Fritsche