Description

Enrique Claudin (Claude Rains) is a mild-mannered violinist in the Paris Opera House orchestra. He uses his income to pay for beautiful singer Christine DuBois’ (Susanna Foster) lessons – without her knowledge, as he worships her from afar. However, tragedy strikes when Enrique believes that a publisher has stolen a concerto he has written, which represents his life’s work. Enraged, Enrique strangles the publisher, but has acid thrown in his face in the process. Horribly burnt, he hides in the sewers beneath the Opera House, and, now half insane, devotes himself to furthering Christine’s singing career. This 1943 version of the horror story is more Technicolor musical than scare piece. Claude Rains plays the unfortunate, masked anti-hero, but he doesn’t get the room to showcase a promising and sympathetic performance. Susanna Foster and Nelson Eddy, on the other hand, get plenty of screen time to warble. Well worth a visit just for the look of the film, which won an Oscar for cinematography. — Tom Keogh