"PHANTOM OF THE OPERA."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19289, 30 March 1926, Page 15

"PHANTOM OF THE OPERA."

SCREENING ON THURSDAY. "The Phantom of the Opera," the Universal production which is hailed as the successor to "The Hunchback of No.tre Dame," will commence its Auckland season at the Tivoli, Princess and Everybody's Theatres on Thursday and at the Rialto Theatre on Friday. The film is a spectacular mystery story of Paris, in which a complete operatic performance, staged in a huge replica of the Paris Opera House, largest in the world, is placed side by side with weird and grotesque adventures in the great cellars and catacombs. Lou Chaney plays "The Phantom," a strange creature of the shadows, in a makeup that eclipses his weird disguise as "Quasimodo" in the Hugo classic. Mary Philbin plays the opera singer whom he kidnaps into his underground stronghold, and Norman Kerry plays her lover and rescuer. A remarkable cast is seen in the principal roles, and fully 4000 pcoplo take part in the mob scenes, the brilliant spectacles on the Grand staircase of the opera, and the gala performance of "Faust" staged in the Opera House proper. Much of this action is taken in colour photography, which gives a vivid aspect to the kaleidoscopic scenes. Rupert Julian, director of "Merry-Go-Round," directed the now feature. In the cast are Virginia Pearson, Gibson Gowland, Snitz Edwards, Cesare Gravina, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Alexander Bevani, Anton Vaverka, George B. Williams, Edward Cecil and many other noted screen players. Tho dropping of the huge chandelier of the Opera House on the heads of the audience, the remarkable chases through the dark underground cellars and the strange adventure on the underground lake are among the big scenes of the story. Another unusual thrill 'is provided by a face of fire that comes floating forward through the black fifth cellar of the great Paris Opera House, the vast vaulted caverns of which were actually built underground for the filming of tho massive spectacle at Universal City. The singular apparition remains a baffling mystery until the progress of the gripping theme discloses tho device with sudden surprise.