I saw this onstage at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood a few years ago, and now must add it to my collection of Classic films. Hal
@Hal Pollner The version I saw as a kid with my Dad I think starred Lon Chaney, Sr. as the Phantom. I read in adulthood he used paper clips to stretch his nostrils out of shape to look as though they do if the nose is gone. Master of Make-up. I will never forget the scene where he is up in the rafters above the sitting audience of the opera, hack-sawing through the chain supporting a gigantic chandelier above them.
I don't recall if enough audience seats were removed to accommodate the crashing of the Chandelier during the live performance at the Pantages... I don't remember if the Chandelier fell on stage or in the theater. Hal
@Hal Pollner I tried to find a clip of Chaney sawing on the chandelier chain, but found only a later make-up operation in which they detailed how they built, raised, and dropped the chandelier in a later re-make of the film. Lon Chaney originally did it in 1925, silent, and it was re-made with sound in 1930. That must have been the one I saw as a kid, surely with sound! Frank
In my new copy of "Phantom", although it was a long, heavy musical drama, there was no scene where the Phantom was disfigured. Does anyone know how his face was disfigured? A bad case of acne possibly? Beginning with the 1925 silent release starring Lon Chaney, there have been 5 succeeding releases of "Phantom of the Opera", including my Musical version by Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber. Hal
In Gaston Leroux's original novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, as well as the 1929 classic film adaptation, starring Lon Chaney, Sr., and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical, the titular character was born disfigured. However, in the 1943 film version, starring Claude Rains, the Phantom's facial disfigurement is caused by him having acid thrown in his face. This accidental disfigurement became part of the Phantom legend, and was copied in many later film versions. In the 1989 film version, starring Robert Englund, the Phantom was a handsome young man who sold his soul to the Devil in return for being loved for his music; his disfigurement is the Devil's way of making sure he is loved for no other reason. https://www.quora.com/How-did-Phantom-of-the-Operas-face-become-disfigured
I'm only aware of the 2004 movie. If you like musical stage plays @Hal Pollner , the new CATS will be coming out soon.
1 Answer David Mullich, Game Production Instructor at The Los Angeles Film School. Answered Aug 26, 2015 In Gaston Leroux's original novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, as well as the 1929 classic film adaptation, starring Lon Chaney, Sr., and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical, the titular character was born disfigured. However, in the 1943 film version, starring Claude Rains, the Phantom's facial disfigurement is caused by him having acid thrown in his face. This accidental disfigurement became part of the Phantom legend, and was copied in many later film versions. In the 1989 film version, starring Robert Englund, the Phantom was a handsome young man who sold his soul to the Devil in return for being loved for his music; his disfigurement is the Devil's way of making sure he is loved for no other reason.