Villain(s)  Acid-disfigured composer

Actor(s):  Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, Claude Rains, Edgar Barrier

Brief Description  The 1943 adaptation of Phantom of the Opera is a lush, Technicolor romantic horror film directed by Arthur Lubin for Universal Pictures. Starring Claude Rains as the Phantom, this version leans heavily into musical grandeur, romance, and light comedy, differentiating itself from the darker 1925 silent classic. The film reused Universal's elaborate replica of the Opéra Garnier interior, which had originally been created for the 1925 film. Despite mixed contemporary reviews, the film was a box office success. It is also the only classic Universal horror film to win an Oscar, for Art Direction and Cinematography.

Plot:
The story follows Enrique Claudin, a mild-mannered, aging violinist at the Paris Opera House. After three decades of service, Claudin is dismissed because he is losing the use of his left hand. Unbeknownst to anyone, Claudin is entirely broke because he has spent all his money anonymously funding the vocal lessons of a young understudy, Christine DuBois, with whom he is secretly obsessed.

Desperate for income, Claudin attempts to publish a piano concerto he wrote. When he visits the music publisher, Maurice Pleyel, he hears his music being played in the back room and mistakenly believes Pleyel is stealing it. In a fit of rage, Claudin strangles Pleyel. Pleyel's assistant throws a tray of etching acid into Claudin's face. Screaming in agony, the disfigured Claudin flees into the Paris sewers and takes refuge in the subterranean catacombs beneath the Opera House.

Now disguised in a mask and cloak, Claudin becomes the "Phantom." He orchestrates a reign of terror to force the Opera managers to replace the prima donna, Madame Biancarolli, with Christine. When Biancarolli refuses to step down, the Phantom slips a drug into her wine during a performance, allowing Christine to take the stage and win over the crowd. Later, the Phantom murders Biancarolli and her maid.

During a subsequent performance, the Phantom cuts the chain of the massive Grand Chandelier, sending it crashing into the audience to create a distraction. In the chaos, he kidnaps Christine and drags her deep down into his underground lair. Critics frequently note that this version prioritizes elaborate opera sequences and musical numbers over horror and suspense. Unlike Gaston Leroux's original novel where the Phantom is born deformed, this film gives him a sympathetic backstory involving poverty, a tragic accident, and stolen art.