Plot: What’s it about?
Enrique Claudin (Claude Rains) used to be a musician and composer, but now his life has become much different. After he lost his job and seemingly his mind, Claudin went on a spree of violence and murdered a music publisher. By the time the ordeal is over, Claudin has been splashed with acid and his face disfigured for the rest of his life. Now he hides in the mazes of catacombs beneath the opera house where he once worked, still trying to make his true love the star of the whole show. The woman he loves is Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster) and while his love for her is true, she is also pursued by two other men. The baritone, Anatole (Nelson Eddy) and the detective, Raoul (Edgar Barrier) both have feelings for Christine also and plan to win her affections by ending the crimes that occur within the opera house. What crimes? Well it seems as though Claudin has been exacting revenge on those who refuse to do as he says and since no one can locate him within the dense catacombs, he can easily slip away without being caught. But with Anatole and Raoul hot on his trail and eager to impress Christine, can Claudin manage to escape with his life and still live to see his true love take the stage as the main attraction?
This is of course another terrific installment in Universal’s Classic Monster Collection and while this tale has been told a million times, this is my favorite rendition by far. While this version strays from the book quite a bit, it still retains the basic premise and I prefer this telling of the story to be honest. I think it adds suspense and gives the phantom character more room to grow and develop, which is always a good idea. The choice (of straying from the book) is often criticized, but I think the forces involved made the correct decision in the end. This movie doesn’t have much as far as blood and such, but it does have loads and loads of suspense which can be as effective as a horror device. I suppose one of the more powerful suspense threads is wondering what the phantom looks like under his mask, but the film is very atmospheric throughout and Rains shines as the phantom. Once again Universal has issued a disc full of extras and fine audio/video performance, which means fans of the film simply cannot miss this release. I recommend this title as a rental to those interested, but fans will want to buy this disc right away as it is a terrific one.
This chilling film was directed by Arthur Lubin, whose resume is extensive and loaded with popular films of all genres. If you look at some of Lubin’s other movies it seems strange that he would have directed this one, but in the end he delivers an excellent film that continues the tradition of greatness in the Universal Monster line. Lubin uses his camera in a simple, but effective manner and creates some taut suspense as the result. I think the sequences with the phantom are the best of them all, but the opera scenes were also photographed very well. If you want to see more of Lubin’s movies I recommend Lady Godiva, Buck Privates, Abbott & Costello In The Navy, Francis The Talking Mule, and The Thief Of Baghdad. As the title character Claude Rains (Strange Holiday, The White Tower) is fantastic and gives one of his finest turns. Rains uses his voice to perfection to create his character, but he is also good with mannerisms in this role. The supporting cast includes Edgar Barrier (Rumble On The Docks, Cobra Woman), J. Edward Bromberg (Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm), Hume Cronyn (Cocoon, The Parallax View), Nelson Eddy (Sweethearts, Bitter Moon), and Susanna Foster (The Climax).
Video: How does it look?
Phantom of the Opera is presented in a full frame transfer, which retains the original aspect ratio of the film. This is another solid transfer from Universal and given the age of this film (it was made in 1943), I think this visual presentation looks fantastic and is by far the best this movie has looked on home video. Of course there is some debris on the print from time to time, but that’s to expected from a film this old and it never becomes distracting at any time. The colors stream across the screen in bold hues and I never noticed any smears or bleeds, while flesh tones glow in natural shades. The contrast is solid also, with bold shadow depth and no detail loss I could detect. I found no instances of compression errors either and while this transfer is less than perfect, I’m pleased with the results.
Audio: How does it sound?
A mono track is used to replicate the audio on this release and while it sounds very good, with a track this old it’s never going to sound perfect. So while this is a basic and unmemorable track, it handles the audio fine and does what it is supposed to. The music sounds wonderful here and shows no signs of distortion at all, which surprised me. The sound effects come across well, but of course lack the punch a surround track would offer. The dialogue sounds good also and never becomes overpowered by the other elements.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Like the other Universal Classic Monster Collection releases this one is loaded with extras, including an audio commentary by film historian Scott MacQueen. This track is filled with information and anecdotes to be sure, but I found it to be somewhat slow and dull at times. But if you want to hear the inside scoop this track is a must, so just drink a lot of coffee and you’ll be fine. The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked is an excellent documentary about the film and even offers some history on the story, as well as previous versions of it. This piece runs just over fifty minutes and gives an incredible insight into the movie and how it came about, fans will want to watch this again and again. A five and a half minute slide show of still photographs is also included, where you can view stills from the film as well as advertising materials and such. You’ll also find production notes, talent files, and a theatrical trailer.
