:41:03
Joseph Breen, head of
the Production Code or the MPPDA,
:41:07
reviewed the completed film on March 21
:41:10
and communicated displeasure
to Morris Pavar,
:41:13
head of editorial at Universal.
:41:15
Vera West had designed some revealing
risqué dresses and gowns for Susanna,
:41:20
and because of this peekaboo wardrobe
Breen refused to approve the film
:41:24
"in its present form, as it contains
a number of unacceptable breast shots".
:41:33
Breen obviously watched the picture
with Pavar, as he would say
:41:36
"I endeavoured to point out to you
as many of these as we could catch
:41:40
as the picture moved along."
:41:41
Film editor Russ Schoengarth
went back through the coverage,
:41:45
struggling to find long shots
that would not offend.
:41:48
Where the footage didn't exist to distance
Miss Foster's breasts,
:41:51
out went the shot, including an entire
cadenza of her solo during this number.
:41:57
"I don't know why they were worried,"
Susanna says. "I was a little bitty thing,
:42:01
but we had to go back and reshoot
some of my scenes because of cleavage,
:42:05
including the cadenza
in the French opera."
:42:07
Shots of Susanna in the unmasking
also required changes for Mr Breen.
:42:13
The script had been submitted to
the Production Code office for approval,
:42:17
and passed with specific instruction that
the strangling of prima donna Biancarolli,
:42:22
played here by Jane Farrar,
not be shown in detail.
:42:25
The crashing of the chandelier
later in the film also caused concern.
:42:29
"We suggest you consult
your distribution department."
:42:32
"It might be well to consider cutting the
episode down to avoid an adverse effect
:42:37
on audiences viewing
the picture in a theatre."
:42:42
Phantom's music was composed
and arranged by Edward Ward.
:42:45
Susanna Foster says that Ward
was an Italian war orphan, born at sea.
:42:50
ASCAP records state that he was born in
St Louis, Missouri, on April 2 or 3, 1896.
:42:56
He was educated at the
Beethoven School of Music in St Louis,
:42:59
and he was a songwriter
whose opus includes