Phantom of the Opera (1925) – The classic silent movie version, starring Lon Chaney as the disfigured genius behind the mirror at the Paris Opera who becomes obsessed with a young singer.
It’s easy to assume that movie making back in the early days of the art was much simpler, with a less compex visual approach to story telling. Sitting and watching a great movie of that age will show you just how foolish that opinion is. Chaney offers a masters class all by himself, from his trademark makeup to the carefully crafted performance of a man driven beyond the realm of sanity. Watching him descend the grand staircase in the masque bal scene disguised as the Masque of the Red Death (one of the earliest full color segments for the mass audience) is stunning. The final scene where the Phantom holds the mob at bay through the sheer power of his personality will hold the movie goer in the exact same way.
The acting is a little uneven. Even taking into account the vast difference in acting style between then and now, there are moments that don’t seem to jibe very well. This is probably due to the fact that several directors worked on the movie over the span of two years and pieces of all of their work was editted together. In the end we are still left with movie that tells its story well with an interesting visual approach. Wrap all of that around the iconic vision of the Phantom brought together by Chaney and you have a true classic.
The opportunity to see a silent movie in a theater of that generation with one of the classic movie theater Wurlitzer organs was not to be resisted. Seeing one of these movies in this kind of venue was on my movie lover Bucket List. The Byrd Theater in Richmond opened in 1928 to much acclaim. It has maintained a special place in the heart of Richmond ever since. It is also the home of one of the “Mighty Wurlitzer” organs. Rising from its lair in the orchestra pit, the console controls pipes, harp, grand piano and a variety of sound effects. I had to remind myself several times that the soundtrack was the work of a single musician on a single instrument. The experience was everything I had hoped for and then some. The Byrd is in the process of revitalizing the building and all its parts including the organ. I am glad to support that effort.
Rating – (See it at home) **** Recommended
(In a classic theater with organ) ***** Highest Recommendation
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