Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Phantom of the Opera (1943), directed by Arthur Lubin.

A struggling violinist is disfigured with acid, then falls into the sewer just to make a bad day complete. Maddened, he haunts the opera house, advancing the career of the young woman he loves, using whatever violent means are necessary.

Opulent but low-intensity thriller, not really a horror film. Claude Rains and the Technicolor production make it worth watching; not much of interest apart from that. The light love triangle is not very involving.

There is a hint that the young woman is the Phantom's secret daughter but the studio decided not to pursue that because in the original story he is romantically attached to her.

The Technicolor registration looks a bit off, although I've seen much worse. You can see color fringes in some scenes. They also push the yellow towards red, most noticeable in the candle flames. I don't know if that was in the original film source.

Available on Blu-ray.