Musings in the Dark: Horror 203: Phantom of the Opera

10/16/2024

Horror 203: Phantom of the Opera

This classic film premiered in 1925, with Lon Chaney Jr. Over time, the mask has evolved as the movie was re-released. The most famous iteration of the Phantom’s mask is in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic 1986 musical. According to Google, the mask was inspired by WWI vets with facial injuries. Maria Bjornson, the creator of the commonly known Phantom mask opted to use porcelain instead of copper. The mask represents the Phantom’s vulnerability and the injustice he faces. 

I picked out my favorite variation of the Phantom’s mask, but you can see more of them here: The Many Masks of the Phantom of the Opera - Monsters of Makeup


From L to R: Lon Chaney, 1925. Claude Rains, 1943. Herbert Lom, 1963. Michael Crawford, 1986. Gerard Butler, 2004.




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