Phantom of the Opera 1943

Monsieur, you are skeptical, but I don't like ghosts. I'm a busy man.

-Vereheres from Phantom of the Opera 1943.

Happy New Year Everyone!!  For Christmas this year my wonderful Hubby bought me the Universal Classic Monsters Blu-Ray collection.  It is as awesome as you have heard.  The only film I had not seen in the collection was Phantom of the Opera from 1943 starring on of my favorites: Claude Rains.

I love this guy.  Isn't he perfect?  Directed by Arthur Lubin, Phantom was filmed on the same Paris Opera House set built for Chaney's 1925 version.  A set that still stands today!  Check out more info here.

Rains stars as Erique Claudin, a Violinist whose career is cut short due to Arthritis.  A bit of an "Odd Duck," Claudin has been "sponsoring" a young singer by the name of Christine (Susanna Foster).  Christine has no idea that Claudin is her benefactor.  She is a rising star in the Paris Opera world and she has two men fighting over her: Nelson Eddy as Baritone Anatole Garron, and Edgar Barrier as Raoul, a Detective.  Anatole and Raoul act as a sort of comic relief in this otherwise tragic tale.

After losing his job, Claudin attempts to sell his music to continue Christine's education.  A horrific accident involving a vat of acid sends Claudin on a killing spree and then into hiding under the Paris Opera House.

Rain's Phantom is a sympathetic character yet his is very brutal.  Quite a few people lose their lives due to his obsession.  Young Christine, once kidnapped by the Phantom, reacts with sympathy rather than horror.  Perhaps because she once knew him as the kind, odd Claudin rather than the monster he has become.

The Big Reveal.  They obviously toned down the make-up here.  Part of the reason is because Rain's didn't want to wear the make-up (revealed in the documentary.)  Part of the reason is, I am sure, that you can't beat this:

Also revealed in the documentary is that Claudin and Christine were related: they were father and daughter.  The studio wisely dropped this story line due to the incestuous implications.  

This version of the Phantom is in glorious technicolor and the Opera House set has never looked more beautiful.  If you are a fan of Opera, you will enjoy this film: there is a whole lot of singing.  I mean A LOT.  But that was OK with me.  I am now a huge Nelson Eddy fan.  Who knew?  As for Rains, he is wonderful and sympathetic and very, very mad.  The version lacks the terror of the 1925 version, but it has it's own charms.

The Invisible Man 1933

The Invisible Man is a no brainer.  It's classic Universal Horror, directed by James Whale, stars Claude Rains (one of my favorites) and has amazing special effects by John P. Fulton, John J. Mescall, and Frank D. Williams.  I had not seen it in years.  Unlike the other Universal heavyweights (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolfman) it is not on my yearly rotation.  Thanks to TCM (again) I finally watched it again last night. 

What struck me about The Invisible Man was how scary it is.  I mean, how scary is the thought of a homicidal maniac that is invisible?  I don't care what anyone says, it's not the "monocane".  Dr. Jack Griffin must have been somewhat crazy to begin with.  You don't just turn invisible and decide to become a mass murderer for shits and giggles. 

Dr. Griffin's great idea is to terrorize a fellow colleague, poor Dr. Kemp, into becoming his mass murdering Igor.  When Dr. Kemp decides enough is enough and calls the police, Griffin vows to kill him at 10pm the next day.  This is where the terror lies in this film.  Knowing an invisible monster has a vendetta against you, and has vowed to kill you, no matter what.  What on earth can protect you?  Well, the cops come up with some pretty good ideas for "unmasking" the invisible man, but Griffin is a genius, a mad genius.  Dr. Kemp's days are numbered when he goes off by himself. 

James Whale had a "thing" for the sympathetic monster.  Certainly Frankenstein's monster fit this mold.  Whale and the screenwriters made a few changes to H.G. Wells' story to make Griffin more sympathetic.  In my mind Griffin is the least sympathetic of Whale's monsters.  Perhaps it's Claude Rains.  His voice is sooo evil.  Perhaps its the joy he takes in killing.  Even when he "calms down" in the presence of Flora (Gloria Stuart) I don't completely trust him.  And what the hell is with Flora?  Is Claude Rains that good in the sack that she is willing to overlook the fact that he is an invisible killer?  And why is her Father, Dr. Cranley, so protective of this murdering lunatic?  Is that whole family just totally crazy?

While watching The Invisible Man I kept thinking of one of my favorite guilty pleasures, The Hollow Man.  Kevin Bacon is crazy in that film!  But for my money, I'll take Claude Rains for my nightmares.