Phantom Take 2

 

 (the movie database)

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA-1943-Technicolor remake of the Lon Chaney silent classic from Universal studios (who also made the first one).

Claudin (Claude Rains), violinist with the Paris Opera, is fired by his conductor because he can't play like he used to. His boss and his bitchy landlady, think he has a lot of money but in reality, he's spent all his dough secretly providing lessons for opera singer Christine Dubois (Suzanna Foster) from Signor Ferrati (Leo Carrillo). When he hears Franz Liszt (Fritz Leiber) playing his concerto he thinks a guy named Pleyel (Miles Mander) has stolen his music. He kills Pleyel but his floozy student throws acid in the composer's face. He escapes into the sewers. 

Meanwhile, Christine is pursued by singer Anotole Garron (Nelson Eddy) and Inspector Raoul Daubert (Edgar Barrier). Claudin sneaks around the opera house in a mask and cloak and listens to Christine sing after he drugs lead diva Biancarolli (Jane Farrar) so Christine can take her place. When she recovers, Claudin kills her. However, to set a trap for the phantom, the inspector has another singer replace Christine and plans to have Liszt play one of Claudin's compositions. The phantom doesn't like it and has the huge chandelier fall on the crowd. In the panic, Claudin snatches Christine. The poor misunderstood phantom dies when the sewer walls collapse but not before Christine unmasks him. Also with J. Edward Bromberg, Fritz Feld, Steven Geray and Hume Cronyn.

There is too much music and not enough phantom in this pretty lavish production directed by Arthur Lubin who directed the first five Abbott & Costello movies before this. It got mixed reviews but was a box office hit. A sequel was planned but it was never made due to the unavailability of Rains. The script was later re-worked to become THE CLIMAX starring Foster and Boris Karloff (who was actually the first choice to play The Phantom).  

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One Scene Boris

 

TONIGHT OR EVER-1931-Opera singer Nella Vago (Gloria Swanson), though successful, is criticized by everyone because they say she sings without passion. She becomes infatuated with Jim Fletcher (Melvin Douglas) who's a gigolo to Bianca San Giovanni (Alison Skipworth). 

This was Melvyn Douglas’ film debut after starring in the successful Broadway production. Boris Karloff is in one scene as a butler. Director Mervyn LeRoy made LITTLE CAESAR the same year.

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Byron Foulger

THE PANTHER’S CLAW-1942-Police commissioner Thatcher Colt (Sidney Blackmer) investigates mysterious threatening letters sent to various individuals by “The Black Panther”. All the victims have a connection to an opera house. A recently fired baritone named Lombardi (Thorton Joaquin Edwards) comes under suspicion but seems like a clown. He’s also in love with the female star Nina Politza (Gerta Roza). All the clues seem to point at Mr. Everett Digberry (the great Byron Foulger), a wig maker and also would be victim. Colt and his assistant Abbott (Rick Vallin) discover that a murdered tenant is actually Politza in disguise. 

This low budget PRC production directed by the super fast William Beaudine is ok but it's great to see character actor extraordinaire Byron Foulger with such big and pivotal role! 

Earlier Adolphe Menjou had played the Colt character in two movies. This entry was suppose to be the first of a series but no more were made.

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Oland vs. Karloff

CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA-1936-As it says above the title “It's Warner Oland vs. Boris Karloff”! An amnesiac opera singing piano playing maniac (Boris Karloff) escapes from an insane asylum and threatens the life of opera diva Lilli Rochelle (Margret Irving). The police inspector calls in Charlie Chan who happens to be on the mainland. Rochelle is accompanied by a pompous demanding baritone Barelli (Gregory Gaye) The stage manager (Maurice Cass) says “This opera is going on tonight even if Frankenstein walks in”! The maniac turns out to be named Gravelle and he was once the lead baritone with the company but was deliberately locked in a room while a building was on fire. He’s also the father of Lilli’s secret daughter Kitty (Charlotte Henry) who came to the opera with her fiance Phil (Thomas Beck) to get mom's blessing on their marriage. . Although it seems Gravelle kills Berelli and takes his place as Mephisto in the opera and kills Lilli on stage while performing, this is a Charlie Chan mystery and things aren't as clear cut as they seem. 

Racist Sgt. Kelly (William Demarest) disagrees with everything CC does or says and refers to him as “Egg Fu” and “chop suey” and says “No Chinese cop’s gonna show me up”. Unfortunately for him he's wrong but he gives props to the famed detective when the mystery is solve.  Meanwhile No. 1 son Lee (keye Luke) digs up several clues while in disguise. 

This is a classy if far-fetched murder mystery with Karloff as a sympathetic nut the highlight. The music for the fake opera is by Oscar Levant. The lip syncing is very good. 

 2 years before this film co-star Charlotte Henry played Bo-Peep in THE MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS with Laurel & Hardy. Director H. Bruce Humberstone directed this in between CHARLIE CHAN AT THE RACETRACK and CHARLIE AT THE OLYMPICS.]

The same year as this Karloff was the piano playing John Ellman brought back to life in THE WALKING DEAD. He and Lugosi made THE INVISIBLE RAY tooFollowed by CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OLYMPICS.

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