The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 American silent horror film directed by Rupert Julian and starring Lon Chaney as Erik, the deformed musical genius who haunts the Paris Opéra and falls obsessively in love with soprano Christine Daaé. Based on the 1910 novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.

Lon Chaney, known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces," designed his own grotesque makeup for the Phantom: a skull-like face achieved through prosthetics including a wire device that pulled his nostrils upward and celluloid caps that widened his eyes. The unmasking scene, shot to maximize shock, was so effective that audience members reportedly fainted. The film was a massive commercial success and remains the most celebrated film adaptation of the novel. It is in the public domain.

Watch

Video source: Internet Archive — ThePhantomOfTheOpera_364 · Public domain

Chapters

Click any timestamp to jump to that point in the film.

1. 00:00 The Paris Opéra — rumours of the Phantom below
2. 08:00 Christine Daaé hears her mysterious music teacher — the "Angel of Music"
3. 20:00 The chandelier crashes; Christine is lured to the cellars
4. 30:00 Christine unmasks the Phantom — the horrifying face revealed
5. 40:00 The Phantom abducts Christine; Raoul and the Persian descend below
6. 60:00 The Phantom's ultimatum; the mob pursues him through the streets of Paris

References

1. Blake, Michael F. Lon Chaney: The Man Behind the Thousand Faces. Vestal Press, 1990.
2. Leroux, Gaston. Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. Pierre Lafitte, 1910.