Silent Revue’s season dedicated to horror concludes with our screening featuring the original Universal Monster, Erik “the Phantom,” as portrayed by Lon Chaney in the incomparable cinematic retelling of Gaston Leroux’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
Ballerinas will twirl in fear and chandeliers will come crashing down, as a masked fiend stalks the Paris Opera from the catacombs below. Starring the “Man with a Thousand Faces,” the silent version of the infamous tale is a true testament to Chaney’s special effects genius. Legend holds that 1925 audiences succumbed to complete dismay, with some vacating the theatre in terror when the face beneath the Phantom’s mask was revealed. Universal had suppressed all images of Chaney ’s makeup prior to the film’s premiere, maximizing shock value. Even today, Chaney’s embodiment of the grotesque, tormented ghoul still sends shivers down the spine. And as a bonus: This restored version features the full glory of the original’s 2-strip early Technicolor process, as well as the handmade, ultra-rare Handschiegl process, combining for a gruesome, yet visually stunning masterpiece!
Live accompaniment by Tania Gill
Silent Revue is curated by Alicia Fletcher
Silent Revue is sponsored by Hollywood Suite