The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera – 1929 reissue of the Lon Chaney horror classic, about the disfigured Phantom and his obsession with the lovely singer Christine …

Joseph Buquet: His eyes are ghastly beads in which there is no light – like holes in a grinning skull! His face is like leprous parchment, yellow skin strung tight over protruding bones! His nose – there is no nose!

The Phantom of the Opera (1929 reissue) starring Lon Chaney Sr.

In short, The Phantom of the Opera is one of the classics of horror, for good reason. It’s the story of Erik, the tortured soul — who’s thoroughly evil. He thinks nothing of cold-blooded murder, of anyone who gets in his way. Yet, he has the soul of a musician, and truly helps the heroine Christine become a great opera singer. Although, at a high price. Which he doesn’t tell her — at first.

Product Description

Lon Chaney is Erik, the horribly disfigured Phantom who leads a menacing existence in the catacombs and dungeons beneath the Paris Opera House. When Erik falls in love with a beautiful prima donna, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage in his lair. This horror classic, presented in its 1929 re-edited reissue version, features a rare early 2-color Technicolor sequence.

Cast of characters

• Lon Chaney (West of Zanzibar) … The Phantom
• Mary Philbin (The Man Who Laughs 1928) … Christine Daae
• Norman Kerry … Vicomte Raoul de Chagny
• Arthur Edmund Carewe (Mystery of the Wax Museum) … Ledoux
• Gibson Gowland … Simon Buquet
• John St. Polis … Comte Philip de Chagny
• Snitz Edwards (Battling Butler) … Florine Papillon
• Mary Fabian (Dear Brigitte) … Carlotta
• Virginia Pearson … Carlotta / Carlotta’s Mother

Additional Cast

• Olive Ann Alcorn … La Sorelli (uncredited)
• Joseph Belmont … Stage Manager (uncredited)
• Alexander Bevani … Mephistopheles (uncredited)
• Ethel Broadhurst … Frightened Ballerina (uncredited)
• Edward Cecil … Faust (uncredited)
• Chester Conklin (The Great Dictator) … Orderly (uncredited)
• D’Arcy Corrigan … Lantern Man (uncredited)
• Roy Coulson … The Jester (uncredited)
• Bruce Covington … M. Moncharmin (uncredited)
• Ward Crane (Sherlock Jr.) … Count Ruboff (uncredited)
• George Davis (The Circus) … Guard at Christine’s Door (uncredited)
• Madame Fiorenza … Mme. Giry – Keeper of the Box (uncredited)
• Cesare Gravina … Manager (uncredited)
• William Humphrey … M. Debienne (uncredited)
• Carla Laemmle (Dracula (1931)) … Prima Ballerina (uncredited)
• Edward Martindel … Comte Philip de Chagny (1929 re-edited version) (uncredited)
• Grace Marvin … Martha (uncredited)
• John Miljan … Valentin (uncredited)
• Bernard Siegel … Joseph Buquet (uncredited)
• Harry Tenbrook … Stagehand (uncredited)
• William Tyroler … Director of Opera Orchestra (uncredited)
• Vola Vale … Ballerina / Christines Maid (uncredited)
• Ellinor Vanderveer … Operagoer (uncredited)
• Anton Vaverka … Prompter (uncredited)
• George B. Williams … M. Ricard (uncredited)
• Ed Wolff … Mob Leader at Finale (uncredited)
• Edith Yorke … Mama Valerius (uncredited)

Trivia

• Lon Chaney’s horrific, self-applied makeup was kept secret right up until the film’s premiere. Not a single photograph of Chaney as The Phantom was published in a newspaper or magazine or seen anywhere before the film opened in theaters. Universal Pictures wanted The Phantom’s face to be a complete surprise when his mask was ripped off.
• The makeup was so painful to wear, Lon Chaney could only bear it for 15 minutes att a time.