arglebargle-47893
I usually dislike movies from this period. Normally the content is maudlin, the acting stiff or hokey, the sets a bit dorky, the plot weak, the camera angles and shots pedestrian.However...I really liked this film. A little of the dialog was typical of the era, but I didn't feel awkward listening to anything. There's some light comedy between two suitors that got a little over-the-top, but I got a laugh. I hated the bit at the beginning with the fake violin playing. It's one thing to shoot such scenes at a distance, but a closeup of a violinist mostly holding still while music plays loudly is as ridiculous as as putting a cowboy on saw horse and keeping that in the scene. Other than that, most of the film plays quite well. What I think I liked best was a combination of the play of shadow throughout and some very good camera angles. The opera work was very good, but I haven't seen a lot of that in movies outside "Amadeus" so I'm hard pressed to say much more about it other than I'd like Opera if there weren't sopranos. (I won't blame this film for those bits for seeming like fingernails on a blackboard.) Anyways, I think the studio could have coughed up a few bucks for basic violin lessons for Rains so that scene would't have to be so awkward. Unfortunately, we put up with fake music crap for 30 years following that and decades preceding.Enough rambling. It's a good film for an oldie. No regrets of losing 90 minutes of my life or anything. Now I want to see the Lon Chaney version and others. This gets a solid 7 as a great classic.
Rainey Dawn
'Phantom of the Opera (1943)' is a remake of Universal's classic 'Phantom of the Opera (1925)' starring Lon Chaney, Sr. Obviously this 1943 version is a more favorable "talkie" instead of a silent movie and is filmed in Technicolor instead of Black and White.Claude Rains is Erique Claudin, The Phantom that stalks the opera house and falls in-love with Christine DuBois (Foster). Erique was a normal but handsome looking violinist who lost his musical touch, murdered a music publisher and had acid thrown in his face. He now lives under the opera house and will do anything to help Christine DuBois' career as an opera soprano - anything!! While this film is not quite as terrifying as the 1925 film, it is scary and has a bit more realistic approach concerning The Phantom. I like Rains' performance as Erique.8/10
Python Hyena
The Phantom of the Opera (1943): Dir: Arthur Lubin / Cast: Claude Rains, Susanna Foster, Nelson Eddy, Edgar Barrier, Jane Farrar: Originally made as a silent film in 1925, and here it makes its debut with sound. Title suggests disruption of peace. Claude Rains stars as a struggling composer whose music is stolen and he suffers a fatal facial injury while attempting to retrieve it. He terrorizes the opera and favours a young female singer be given a better deal. Effective plot with detailed writing that indicates that doing wrong to express right will ultimately fail. Skillful directing by Arthur Lubin with great production design. Rains is excellent as a musician released from his job only to discover deceit. He is menacing as the phantom while pushing the talent of a woman who can do what he cannot anymore. Despite his madness it will only lead to damnation. Susanna Foster plays the woman who he is smitten with. There are those hoping to separate her from her talent but the phantom will have none of it. Her final scene is a great push for independence. There are two suitors out for her hand. Nelson Eddy has her best interest in mind while Edgar Barrier is out for control. Jane Farrar plays a diva out to remain the focal point of attention because she is obviously insecure. In the end she will win leaving one applauding and the other disappointed. It regards anger and how it can destroy when not controlled. Score: 9 / 10
Uriah43
"Erique Claudine" (Claude Rains) is a violinist for the Paris opera who has fallen in love with a young soprano understudy named "Christine Dubois" (Susanna Foster). Unfortunately, he finds himself unable to tell her of his love so he uses all of his money to finance singing lessons for her. This continues for 3 years during which time he begins to have problems playing the violin and loses his job after 20 years with the opera. His one remedy is to publish a concerto he had been working on for 2 years. However, following a misunderstanding at the publishing house he kills the publisher and has acid thrown on his face in the process. Now hunted by the police, he secretly escapes into the opera house which has thousands of rooms and hidden passages all over the place. But even after all of this he still harbors an insane love for Christine and is determined to have her assume the leading role by any means at his disposal. As luck would have it though there are two other people who also love Christine. The first is the leading baritone, "Anatole Garron" (Nelson Eddy) and the other is a police detective named "Raoul D'Aubert" (Edgar Barrier). Although both are rivals for her affection they share a desire to apprehend this mysterious phantom and protect Christine at all cost. Anyway, without divulging any more of the story I will just say that this movie wasn't exactly what I expected in that the horror was superseded by the musical numbers and the extravagant sets and costumes. That being the case it was almost like watching an opera within a movie. Now, I certainly didn't mind watching this film because it was plain to see that a lot of time and effort went into this production and it was quite enjoyable. But I would have preferred to see a bit more "Phantom" and a little less "opera" just the same. In any case, I found this movie to be above average and I recommend it to those who might enjoy something of this nature.
AD
