More Phantom of the Opera
I have to say that silent movies can be a drag. I’ve seen quite a few, and being the noisy person I am, give me a talky any day.
I cannot say that for two great silent classics: The Phantom of the Opera and Nosferatu. The two classics of horror cinema should always be considered the granddaddies of the creature features.
The original Phantom of the Opera uses one of the most talented character actors to ever grace Hollywood, Lon Chaney, Sr. Even though he made few talking pictures, he was very versatile. I would interesting to see in today’s culture how he would do. With the make-up effects of his day, which were primitive at best, he was able to make himself into one of the most icon images of horror. Even to today, when the Opera Ghost is mention Lon Chaney’s image comes to mind.
The beauty of that picture was the scope of the images. In silent movies, so much relied on the setting and costumes. Sure, they were over acted, but they had to be. Without the body language of involved in vocal cues, the actors had to over dramatize their movements. In many ways this made this film version even scarier. It was over acted with the grace of William Shatner, but what an effect.
If you’ve never seen this version of the movie (or Claude Raine’s version which is a good one too. Claude Raines is a superior actor. Also reference: Casablanca, Spellbound, The Wolfman [original] ). You can’t beat this movie version. Try it out if you can find it.
