If the horror genre had a definitive love story, it'd have to be Phantom of the Opera. Sure, vampires are arguably the most romantic of movie monsters, but it's the tale of an innocent girl and the mysterious figure keeping watch over her that has endured countless adaptations. Turned into everything from straight-up horror flicks to lavish musicals, it's Universal's 1943 version, starring Claude Rains, Nelson Eddy and Susanna Foster, that attempts to throw a bit of everything into the mix. It comes across more as a banal romance than one of the studio's famous chillers, but most will be entertained by the film's fine acting, if not the impressive production design.

Claude Rains

After serving up Lon Chaney as the scariest Phantom of all time, Universal dialed down Gaston Leroux's most famous creation for this outing. Rather than a ghastly sewer dweller, the title character is Erique Claudin (Rains, Casablanca), a kindly old sort and 20-year veteran of the Paris Opera. Unfortunately, a weakened hand has put an end to his term of service and left him in dire financial straits. No longer can he continue providing for Christine Dubois (Foster), a young singer whose talent he's spent years guiding from the shadows.

Edgar Barrier & Susanna Foster

Now it's in the shadows where Claudin is forced to remain after an incident results in his face horribly disfigured by a tray of acid. His fragile psyche now warped beyond repair, Claudin assumes the position of resident ghost at the Paris Opera house, taking drastic measures to ensure Christine's rise to stardom. But when Claudin eventually resorts to murder, the ingenue's two suitors (Eddy and Edgar Barrier) spring into action in order to spare both Christine and the opera itself from the newfound Phantom's wrath.

Classic horror buffs will find Phantom of the Opera to be the odd man out in Universal's golden age of creature features. The story isn't as simple as sending the monster of the day after the latest group of poor, unfortunate souls. The Phantom is a much more tragic figure than the Creature from the Black Lagoon, especially here, in which he's an essentially good man unwillingly transformed into an obsessed fiend.

Claudin's complex nature gives him a thematic edge over the competition, but strangely enough, Phantom shies away from seizing it. Simply put, the movie can't make up its mind over what to do with Claudin; early scenes are sympathetic towards the guy, but once he dons the Phantom's cape and mask, he's an instant villain. It's the result of an unwillingness on behalf of whoever was in charge to see beyond black and white that also renders some sections of the film downright confusing. The film removes an earlier script draft's revelation of Claudin as Christine's father, the former's obsessiveness making him look more like a well-mannered lech.

As a horror film, Phantom doesn't amount to anything spectacular. Claudin scurries around making mischief in due order, culminating in the famous chandelier scene, one that's become the standard for most Phantom adaptations. It's not much, but director Arthur Lubin (The Incredible Mr. Limpet) does gives us some great, often chilling atmosphere to partake in the meantime. In any case, these scenes work out much better than the romantic ones, each of which grind the film to a screeching halt.

The love triangle between Christine and her two admirers couldn't be anymore dull, especially since it overshadows the main story; Claudin is causing all sorts of death and destruction, yet these two guys can't stop bickering over Christine for two seconds. That being said, the performances aren't uniformly awful. Foster is rather likable as the film's heroine, taking every chance to display her fantastic vocal talents. Eddy has a pretty good set of pipes too, but the show really belongs to Rains (The Undying Monster), who fights to convey Claudin's tortured soul even as the script undermines it.

Phantom of the Opera won two Oscars -- Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color (Alexander Golitzen, John B. Goodman, Russell A. Gausman, Ira Webb) and Best Cinematography, Color (Hal Mohr, W. Howard Greene) and was nominated for two more - Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture (Edward Ward) Best Sound, Recording (Bernard B. Brown (Universal SSD. So I hate to pan the film too much, since it's not often that viewers get to see such a work of elegance emerge from the world of horror.

While most of the movie leaves much to be desired, what works does so like a charm - from the amazing set design to Rains' multifaceted role. It may not be the work of genius that the Chaney version was, but this picture offers certain charms that not even other Phantom remakes possess.

Director: Arthur Lubin

Writers: screenplay - Eric Taylor, Samuel Hoffenstein, Hans Jacoby (uncredited); adaptation - John Jacoby; Gaston Leroux novel

Cast: Claude Rains, Susanna Foster, Nelson Eddy, Edgar Barrier, Leo Carrillo, Jane Farrar

Rating: No MPAA Rating (mild violence)

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Run Time: 92 minutes

Studio: Universal Pictures

Format: Color, fullscreen

Photo credits: Universal Pictures