The Phantom of the Opera in Old Time Radio and Audio Horror Forum

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The Phantom of the Opera

Author	Comment
IzzyVanHalen	The Phantom of the Opera	Lead	[-]
Mar 24 05 9:32 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Does anyone know why Basil Rathbone played The Phantom on the radio broadcast of the '43 POTO? Ranthbone's great in the part, but I'd rather hear Rains reprising his role. All the other major cast members are present - Susanna Foster, Nelson Eddy etc., but it aint Rainin'.
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Count Gamula	Re: The Phantom of the Opera	#1	[-]
Mar 24 05 12:34 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I don't know why Rathbone played the Phantom in the radio adaptation, but his performance made me appreciate Rains version even more. Basil, though good, lacked the sympathetic quality that Rains brought to the role. He also sounded a little scratchy like he had a bad cold which I'm sure didn't help his performance. It was interesting casting but in contrast to Rains, I don't think Rathbone's style worked as well. If more people are interested, we could feature the radio adaptation of the '43 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA here in the future. *Count Gamula*
IzzyVanHalen	Re: The Phantom of the Opera	#2	[-]
Mar 24 05 2:31 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"If more people are interested, we could feature the radio adaptation of the '43 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA here in the future." That'd be great - I've not heard it in a looong time.
amanontherun	BASIL LOVED IT; CLAUDE DIDN'T LOVE IT	#3	[-]
Mar 24 05 3:16 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've read that Rains simply didn't care too much for radio work, while Rathbone relished it.
IzzyVanHalen	Re: BASIL LOVED IT; CLAUDE DIDN'T LOVE IT	#4	[-]
Mar 24 05 5:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I noticed that you're the newest member, Welcome to the family Amanontherun!
LesDaniels	Re: BASIL LOVED IT; CLAUDE DIDN'T LOVE IT	#5	[-]
Mar 25 05 12:55 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It was very common to change some of the stars when a current movie was adapted for radio. If you collect old radio, you'll notice it all the time. I don't know quite why. I'd guess it was based on who was available at a given time--there were several shows which churned out one of these adaptations every week.
Count Gamula	Re: BASIL LOVED IT; CLAUDE DIDN'T LOVE IT	#6	[-]
Mar 25 05 3:21 AM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Most movie-to-radio adaptations were on LUX RADIO THEATER hosted for many years by Cecil B. DeMille. Each week they adapted a major movie, often with the original stars. Interestingly, although the PHANTOM adaptation was aired just before the movie premiered, many of the radio versions were done a few years after the movies were out. They weren't done to promote a current movie but to let stars recreate their more popular roles and then plug their (or their home studio's) latest film. *Count Gamula*
LesDaniels	Re: BASIL LOVED IT; CLAUDE DIDN'T LOVE IT	#7	[-]
Mar 26 05 4:14 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes, LUX was the most important radio show adapting movies, but there were several others, inlcuding SCREEN DIRECTOR'S PLAYHOUSE and ACADEMY AWARD THEATRE. Especially significant was SCREEN GUILD THEATRE, which lasted 13 years in various incarnations and attracted stars by donating their fees to The Motion Picture Relief Fund. And there really were quite a few substitute stars. Here are a few from LUX that I found by grabbing a random catalog: Lucille Ball in"The Man Who Came to Dinner" Vivien Leigh in "Rebecca" William Powell in "Shadow of a Doubt" Edward G. Robinson in "The Maltese Falcon" Clark Gable in "A Farewell to Arms" Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in "If I Were King" Ingrid Bergman in "Jane Eyre" Fredric March in "The Plainsman" So Rathbone in "The Phantom of the Opera" was not that unusual.
Count Gamula	Re: The Phantom of the Opera	#8	[-]
Apr 2 05 5:58 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Our current audio feature is the Lux Radio Theater adaptation of Universal's 1943 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA starring Basil Rathbone in the Claude Rains role. It's one hour long and includes the original commercials. *Count Gamula*
Doctor Lamont	Re: The Phantom of the Opera	#9	[-]
Apr 17 05 2:16 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've heard there was a radio adaptation of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde with Fredric March. Anyone know what program this was on, if indeed it ever was on at all?
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mmargrajr	Re: The Phantom of the Opera	#10	[-]
Jan 9 06 2:18 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	March did do a radio drama of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, only once. THE THEATER GUILD ON THE AIR (a.k.a. THE U.S. STEEL HOUR) Broadcast November 19, 1950. ABC The program originated from the stage of the Belasco Theatre in New York City. Barbara Bel Geddes was among the cast. Hour-long drama.
BijouBob8mm		#11	[-]
May 9 12 11:36 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I had no idea there had even been a radio dramatization of the 1943 PHANTOM until I stumbled across it on Amazon earlier this week (available as CD or download): http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Opera-Radio-Broadcast-Spoken/dp/B00000073H/ref=sr_1_14_title_1_aud?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336579811&sr=1-14
WalesGuy		#12	[-]
May 9 12 3:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Was PHANTOM the only Universal horror to get a radio adaption
Wich2		#13	[-]
May 9 12 11:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yes. There are radio Dracs and Franks from the period, but not Uni-based.
The Batman of Gotham		#14	[-]
May 10 12 4:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wich2 wrote: Yes. There are radio Dracs and Franks from the period, but not Uni-based. Bill Johnstone ( AKA: The Shadow ) did a radio version of DRACULA in 1931 which I understood was to promote the release of the Universal film. However, since a recording of the performance doesn't seem to have survived, I guess we'll never know for sure. - GJS
Wich2		#15	[-]
May 10 12 5:45 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	True that there are rumors of that. But if it did exist, as you say, it is considered lost. Also, the info on it is sketchy - whether it was a full-out adaptation, or just a puff piece with some selected scenes, etc. That early in radio, full-out adaptations of films were unheard of; that would have been "giving it away for free," and in a medium that the studios generally HATED. Last Edited By: Wich2 May 10 12 5:48 PM. Edited 1 times.
BijouBob8mm		#16	[-]
May 16 12 10:30 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Does anyone know why Basil Rathbone played The Phantom on the radio broadcast of the '43 POTO? The PHANTOM CD just arrived yesterday. Only had a chance to crack it open long enough to glance at the brief liner notes, but it mentions Rains was not fond of doing radio. It doesn't say if he actually refused or if there might have been a schedule conflict...wonder if David Skal's book on Claude Rains discusses this? A number of films that also had radio dramatizations have included the broadcasts as an audio bonus feature on their respective DVD releases. Too bad Universal's DVD of the '43 PHANTOM didn't do the same with this.
Wich2		#17	[-]
May 16 12 7:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	>it mentions Rains was not fond of doing radio< Interesting contention, as he has several citations in one of the bibles, Dunning's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF O.T.R. - from Shakespeare to Inner Sanctum. Here he is in a SUSPENSE - with Vinnie Price! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9LcrQLPafY
BijouBob8mm		#18	[-]
May 23 12 10:41 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Maybe he wasn't always able to dodge the bullet, Craig.
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