“The Phantom of the Opera” (1925)

The Phantom of the Opera

Grade: A-

Long before Andrew Lloyd Weber, before Broadway and “the gayest supervillain ever,” the Phantom of the Opera was known as a silent horror classic with a terrifying lead performance from Lon Chaney. Adapted from Gaston Leroux’s gothic novel, the 1925 Universal Pictures production is the jumping-off point for American monster movies, beginning a grand tradition. Chaney’s magnetic portrayal — complete with grotesque death’s-head makeup and costume — completely captures our imagination, easily our favorite character in the film. A star is born.

Like Tod Browning’s Dracula (1931) or RKO Pictures’ King Kong (1933), the Rupert Julian-directed Phantom of the Opera isn’t afraid to have fun with its morbid subject matter. Chaney’s Phantom is more devilish than romantic, and even during the story’s trite comic-melodrama, his lecherousness shines through. There are several great set-pieces worthy of horror movie history — the Paris Opera House recreation, including haunted catacombs and underground River Styx, is impressive Old Hollywood ingenuity — and there’s a beautiful artfulness accomplished in the tinted and re-colored sequences. Lo and behold, thanks to Chaney’s full commitment and Julian’s atmospherics, The Phantom of the Opera still delivers real scares over 100 years later.