CLAUDE RAINS AS THE PHANTOM

Claude Rains as the Phantom is a member of the orchestra who although smitten with Christine, still can’t find the courage to approach her due to the difference in their ages as well as his charming shyness. In the early scene where he does dare to speak to her and receives a rather sharp look for his bold use of her first name, the viewer almost expects the stricken violinist to confess his love to her. But he only stares at her with pleading eyes. Christine of course has no idea of his feelings towards her and only smiles prettily at him.

This Phantom seems to admit before his transformation that he can never hope to win Christine’s love. She already has much younger and bolder suitors to ply her with presents. Eric must surely have tried to ignore his feelings towards her and failed. His life in his humble apartment seems almost to be one of misery, for he is slave to a woman who barely acknowledges his existence. Not through her fault, but the simple fact that he can’t bear to approach her and hear the dreaded refusal of his love. Poor, unhappy Eric!

But this Eric is not all loving glances and wistful daydreams. When he erroneously believes his concerto to have been stolen, the violinist snaps, having already lost his position in the opera and spent all his money on Miss Daae’s lessons. After attacking and throttling the publisher he believes to be guilty, Rains is splashed in the face with acid and flees the scene. He reappears at the opera, only now wearing a handsome cloak and mint green mask, which heightens his overall teddy bearish look. But there is fire in those eyes, and craftiness in his mind.

Oh he will have Christine now, for he has come into his fullness. Calculating and cunning he slowly stalks her, killing when necessary to take her to his lair. With voice and posture he makes it clear to her it will be a very dreadful thing for her to refuse his love. He has become the lover he always wanted to be for her and she will not deny him. Rains’ is very convincing in his madness, but with enough warmth that the viewer will only pity Eric. He only wants Christine’s love, he would never really harm her. Eric only seeks to frighten her so she will cling to him.

Susanna Foster turns out to be a splendid Christine, with a very sweet air. She seems rather saddened by poor Eric’s misery, and one wonders, for just a moment, if perhaps she will not stay in his underground lair. Then comes the obligatory unmasking and that idea is quite finished. The direction here was good, with enough emphasis on the music to remind the viewer that this story revolves around the opera house. As for Rains character being a different Phantom, it only goes to show how versatile the story is.