Just to let all of you know that Lon Chaney's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was predated by nine years by a little-known German effort: DAS GESPENST IM OPERNHAUS. The film ran a surprising feature length of 76 minutes, directed by Ernst Matray, who later moved to Hollywood to serve as choreographer on THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939), the remake of James Whale's WATERLOO BRIDGE, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (both 1940), and DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1941). The Gaston Leroux story was adpated by Greta Schroder - that's Ellen Hutter/Mina Harker to you and me, of NOSFERATU (1922).
Judging from information on the IMDB (not always the best place to look), the screen's first Erik was the virtually-unknown Nils Olaf Chrisander (1884-1947), who had only the briefest career in pictures, as both an actor and director. His leading lady, the original Christine, was Aud Egede Nissen (1893-1974) who had a similarly ignominous career. However, she played Cara Carozza (second-billed) in Fritz Lang's DR MABUSE, DER SPIELER - EIN BILD DER ZEIT, and in F.W. Murnau's unrelated THE PHANTOM (both 1922).
The film is presumed lost, and it is truly tragic to imagine an undicovered variation on the classic unmasking.
Judging from information on the IMDB (not always the best place to look), the screen's first Erik was the virtually-unknown Nils Olaf Chrisander (1884-1947), who had only the briefest career in pictures, as both an actor and director. His leading lady, the original Christine, was Aud Egede Nissen (1893-1974) who had a similarly ignominous career. However, she played Cara Carozza (second-billed) in Fritz Lang's DR MABUSE, DER SPIELER - EIN BILD DER ZEIT, and in F.W. Murnau's unrelated THE PHANTOM (both 1922).
The film is presumed lost, and it is truly tragic to imagine an undicovered variation on the classic unmasking.
"I'll show you what horror means!" - Fredric March, DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1932)
