Joshua Sussman does an excellent job of haunting the Ritz. He introduces himself via a voiceover monologue at the beginning of the film. You are lead to understand that after his brother crashes in a drag race the Phantom tried to save him, only to be horribly burned. At the hospital he escapes, but only after becoming addicted to steroids that fight the intense pain he is under. He eventually ends up living under the Ritz, and kills several men out of sheer aggressiveness. Consequently, the theater never runs for long under any manager.
The Phantom switches to a silent stalker once the new owner and his girlfriend show up, making only occasional appearances through point of view camera shots of the girlfriend. He takes a definite interest in her as she is pretty and sings well. Her taste in interior design is terrible, but that doesn’t seem to matter to the Phantom. He kidnaps her on opening night, dragging her down to his lair. The Phantom becomes angered when she refuses to let him touch so much as her face, and becomes aggressive despite his best efforts not too. The cavalry arrives just in time and the Phantom is thwarted in his search for love.
The very fact that this Phantom is so huge and bulky from steroid use lends him an interesting air. He has awesome strength and a build to resemble Leroux’s coupled with Erik’s darker temperament. But this Phantom seems pleased and at peace with his physical appearance when he kidnaps the manager’s girlfriend. He reminds her that his appearance isn’t catchy in an acidic sardonic tone that suits him.
Deboraah Van Valkenburgh plays well in her role as the Phantom’s interest. She becomes progressively agitated and mean-spirited through the film as her manager boyfriend drifts away from her. By the time the Phantom kidnaps her, she is in no mood to take any nonsense from any man. She has spunk enough to stand up to Sussman’s Phantom, and realizes that she is still with her boyfriend in the end because she chose to stay.
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