Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Phantom of the Opera is an American horror film version of Gaston Leroux's Le Fantôme de l'Opéra released in 1943 by Universal Pictures and directed by Arthur Lubin.

Plot
Violinist Erique Claudin is dismissed from the Paris Opera House after revealing that he is losing the use of the fingers of his left hand. Unbeknownst to the conductor, who assumes Claudin is able to support himself, the musician has used all his money to help anonymously fund voice lessons for Christine Dubois, a young soprano with whom he has fallen in love. In a desperate attempt to earn money, Claudin submits a piano concerto he has written for publication.

After weeks of not hearing a response about his concerto, he becomes worried and returns to the publisher, Maurice Pleyel, to ask about it. Pleyel rudely tells him to leave. Claudin hears his concerto being played in the office and is convinced that Pleyel is trying to steal it; unbeknownst to him, a visiting Franz Liszt had been playing and endorsing the concerto. Enraged, Claudin strangles Pleyel. Georgette, the publisher's assistant, throws etching acid in Claudin’s face, horribly scarring him. Now wanted for murder, Claudin flees into the sewers of the Opera, and covers his disfigurement with a prop mask.

Meanwhile, Inspector Raoul Dubert wants Christine to quit the Opera and marry him. But famed opera baritone Anatole Garron hopes to win Christine's heart. Christine considers them both good friends but doesn't openly express if she loves them.

During a performance of the opera Amore et Gloire, Claudin drugs a glass of wine which prima donna Mme. Biancarolli drinks, knocking her unconscious. The director puts Christine in her place and she dazzles the audience with her singing. Biancarolli, who suspects that Garron and Christine are responsible for drugging her, orders Raoul to arrest them, but he says he cannot because there is no evidence. Biancarolli says she will forget the whole affair only if Christine's performance is not mentioned in the papers. The following night, Claudin kills Biancarolli and her maid, and the opera is subsequently closed.

After some time, the opera's owners receive a note demanding that Christine replace Biancarolli. To catch Claudin, Raoul comes up with a plan: not let Christine sing during a performance of the (fictional) Russian opera Le prince masqué du Caucase (“The Masked Prince of the Caucasus”) so as to lure Claudin out into the open. Garron plans to have Liszt play Claudin’s concerto after the performance, but Claudin strangles one of Raoul's men and heads to the domed ceiling of the auditorium. He then brings down the large chandelier on the audience, causing chaos. As the audience and the crew flee, Claudin takes Christine down underground. He tells Christine that he loves her and that she will now sing all she wants, but only for him.

Raoul, Anatole and the police begin pursuing them underground. Just as Claudin and Christine arrive in his lair they hear Liszt and the orchestra playing Claudin's concerto. Claudin plays along with it on his piano. Christine watches, realizing the concerto was written around the melody of a lullaby she has known since childhood. Raoul and Anatole hear Claudin playing and follow the sound. Overjoyed, Claudin urges Christine to sing, which she does. While Claudin is distracted by the music, Christine sneaks up and pulls off his mask, revealing his disfigured face. At that same moment, Raoul and Anatole break in. Claudin grabs a sword to fight them with. Raoul fires his gun at Claudin, but Anatole knocks Raoul's arm and the shot hits the ceiling, causing a cave in. Anatole and Raoul escape with Christine, but Claudin is crushed to death by the falling rocks.

Later, Anatole and Raoul demand that Christine choose one of them. She surprises them by choosing to marry neither one of them, instead pursuing her singing career, inspired by Claudin’s devotion to her future. The film ends with Anatole and Raoul going to dinner together.

Cast

 * Claude Rains - Erique Claudin
 * Susanna Foster - Christine DuBois
 * Nelson Eddy - Anatole Garron
 * Edgar Barrier - Raoul Dubert
 * Jane Farrar - Biancarolli
 * Fritz Leiber - Franz Liszt
 * J. Edward Bromberg - Amiot
 * Fritz Field - Lecours
 * Miles Mander - Maurice Pleyel