How many versions of this story exist within film and musical? I don't know. One of the things I know is that this version is not the first for the movies. An earlier, silent version, was made in 1916 ('Das Phantom der Oper', directed by Ernst Matray) and in 1925 Rupert Julian made another silent version ('Le fantôme de l'Opéra') with Lon Chaney in the principal role. This one, directed by Arthur Lubin, is the first sound version.
Erique (Erik) Claudin (Claude Rains) has been working as a violinist at the Paris Opera House for twenty years and when he is having problems with the fingers on his left hand, not being able to play as well as before, he is dismissed by the conductor.
The latter assumes he has enough money to support himself but this is not so, as Erique has spent his money on funding music lessons for a young soprano at the Opera, Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster). This he has done anonymously.
In order to survive and being able to pay for her lessons even when he is not working at the Opera, Erique tries to get a concerto he's written published. When he doesn't get any answers, he visits Pleyel & Desjardins to ask if they have listened to it but noone knows what has happened to his work. Pleyel himself is nonchalant and asks him to leave, continuing with the etchings he is working on. All of a sudden Erique hear his music being played (in fact by Liszt) and thinks that Pleyel has stolen it, runs in to his office and tries to strangle him. Pleyel's assistent throws etching acid at Claudin who screeming and wailing runs out of the building, hiding in the sewers of the Opera House.
From now on the nightmare for the Opera starts with accidents among artists - those who Erique doesn't approve of as they are standing in the way of his protegé Christine - keys disappearing, other mysterious things happens.
He finds a mask, behind which he can hide his disfigured face. He becomes more and more obsessed with Christine, thinking he will win her love.
Two other persons are also trying to win her love, the Inspector Raoul D'Aubert (Edgar Barrier) and the opera baritone Anatole Garron (Nelson Eddy, for once without Jeanette MacDonald).
One of the Opera's divas, Mme Biancarolli (Jane Farrar) is being drugged after drinking a glass of whine and this is of course the work of Claudin, leading to that Christine can take her place.
It's getting more and more complicated when Erique kills Biancarolli and her maid, later on also one of Inspector D'Aubert's men.
In the end, Erique lures Christine down in his cave under the Opera House but both Garron and D'Aubert follows them towards Le Grand Final.
Personally we didn't find this version as suspensful as others we've seen although the beginning is very intriguing when Erique is dismissed without any pardon, making us understand and feel the anger and frustration he must have felt. Having worked so long in the orchestra and also being a fine and dedicated musician, he should of course be allowed a much more appropriate sortie but no.
We are also (I think) able to sympathize with him when Pleyel totally ignore him when wanting to know what has happened to his piece of music. It almost makes us understand why Claudin strangles him. I know I would have felt the same, even though I might not have gone through with the killing - but who knows.
Later on we felt that Erique is a bit to - let's say - visible, making the 'mystery' around him disappear.
In other versions one don't see as much of the 'Phantom' before the end, making him into a real 'Fantômas'. That feeling vanishes to some extent in this version.
The acting between the two other 'lovers', Garron and D'Aubert, is supposed to be funny, sometimes wanting to talk alone with Christine but arriving at the same time, talking at the same time, leaving the room at the same time being stuck in the door opening etc etc. This is not funny at all but rather clumsy.
It's however not a bad film but the direction could have been better.
Erique (Erik) Claudin (Claude Rains) has been working as a violinist at the Paris Opera House for twenty years and when he is having problems with the fingers on his left hand, not being able to play as well as before, he is dismissed by the conductor.
The latter assumes he has enough money to support himself but this is not so, as Erique has spent his money on funding music lessons for a young soprano at the Opera, Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster). This he has done anonymously.
In order to survive and being able to pay for her lessons even when he is not working at the Opera, Erique tries to get a concerto he's written published. When he doesn't get any answers, he visits Pleyel & Desjardins to ask if they have listened to it but noone knows what has happened to his work. Pleyel himself is nonchalant and asks him to leave, continuing with the etchings he is working on. All of a sudden Erique hear his music being played (in fact by Liszt) and thinks that Pleyel has stolen it, runs in to his office and tries to strangle him. Pleyel's assistent throws etching acid at Claudin who screeming and wailing runs out of the building, hiding in the sewers of the Opera House.
From now on the nightmare for the Opera starts with accidents among artists - those who Erique doesn't approve of as they are standing in the way of his protegé Christine - keys disappearing, other mysterious things happens.
He finds a mask, behind which he can hide his disfigured face. He becomes more and more obsessed with Christine, thinking he will win her love.
Two other persons are also trying to win her love, the Inspector Raoul D'Aubert (Edgar Barrier) and the opera baritone Anatole Garron (Nelson Eddy, for once without Jeanette MacDonald).
One of the Opera's divas, Mme Biancarolli (Jane Farrar) is being drugged after drinking a glass of whine and this is of course the work of Claudin, leading to that Christine can take her place.
It's getting more and more complicated when Erique kills Biancarolli and her maid, later on also one of Inspector D'Aubert's men.
In the end, Erique lures Christine down in his cave under the Opera House but both Garron and D'Aubert follows them towards Le Grand Final.
Personally we didn't find this version as suspensful as others we've seen although the beginning is very intriguing when Erique is dismissed without any pardon, making us understand and feel the anger and frustration he must have felt. Having worked so long in the orchestra and also being a fine and dedicated musician, he should of course be allowed a much more appropriate sortie but no.
We are also (I think) able to sympathize with him when Pleyel totally ignore him when wanting to know what has happened to his piece of music. It almost makes us understand why Claudin strangles him. I know I would have felt the same, even though I might not have gone through with the killing - but who knows.
Later on we felt that Erique is a bit to - let's say - visible, making the 'mystery' around him disappear.
In other versions one don't see as much of the 'Phantom' before the end, making him into a real 'Fantômas'. That feeling vanishes to some extent in this version.
The acting between the two other 'lovers', Garron and D'Aubert, is supposed to be funny, sometimes wanting to talk alone with Christine but arriving at the same time, talking at the same time, leaving the room at the same time being stuck in the door opening etc etc. This is not funny at all but rather clumsy.
It's however not a bad film but the direction could have been better.
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