:13:01
Kerry now had Ward Crane as a Russian
count to duel with for Philbin's affections,
:13:06
and comedian Chester Conklin
to duel wits with.
:13:10
In April, San Francisco got an eyeful.
:13:13
Gales of laughter greeted the movie.
:13:15
"The story drags to the point of nausea,"
said one critic.
:13:19
The picture was pulled.
Laemmle fired the new general manager,
:13:24
and entrusted Phantom's salvation
to a woman, director Lois Weber.
:13:29
She supervised the cut-and-paste
of all Phantom footage.
:13:33
In the preview version, Erique's soul
had been redeemed by Christine's kiss,
:13:38
and he died literally of a broken heart.
:13:46
Western director Sedgwick
had preferred frontier justice.
:13:49
Lois Weber cut to the chase.
:14:16
The Phantom of the Opera
finally opened in September,
:14:19
final cost $632,000.
:14:23
It was a sensation,
grossing more than $2 million.
:14:27
It was one of the last hurrahs
of the silent cinema.
:14:31
Then, in 1927, everything changed:
:14:35
movies had found their voice.
:14:39
Universal was so delighted
with the reception of The Phantom,
:14:42
that naturally, when sound came in,
:14:45
one of the thoughts was
"Let's do it again with sound."
:14:49
The "Return of the Phantom"
was announced,
:14:51
all-talking, all-singing, all-Technicolor,
:14:55
but no Chaney.
:14:57
The Man of a Thousand Faces resisted
becoming The Man of a Thousand Voices.