Phantom Of The Opera (1943)

Violinist Erique Claudin is dismissed from the Paris Opera House
after revealing that he is losing the use of the fingers of his
left hand. Unbeknownst to the conductor, who assumes Claudin can
support himself, the musician has used all his money to help
anonymously fund voice lessons for Christine Dubois, a young
soprano to whom he is devoted. Meanwhile, Christine is pressured
by Inspector Raoul Dubert to quit the Opera and marry him. But
famed opera baritone Anatole Garron hopes to win Christine's
heart. Christine considers them both good friends but doesn't
openly express if she loves them.



In a desperate attempt to earn money, Claudin submits a piano
concerto he has written for publication. After weeks of not
hearing a response about his concerto, he becomes worried and
returns to the publisher, Maurice Pleyel, to ask about it. Pleyel
rudely tells him to leave. Claudin hears his concerto being
played in the office and is convinced that Pleyel is trying to
steal it; unbeknownst to him, a visiting Franz Liszt had been
playing and endorsing the concerto. Enraged, Claudin strangles
Pleyel. Georgette, the publisher's assistant, throws etching acid
in Claudin’s face, horribly scarring him. Now wanted for murder,
Claudin flees into the sewers of the Opera and covers his
disfigurement with a prop mask stolen from the Opera house
becoming the Phantom.



After some time, the opera's owners receive a note demanding that
Christine replace Biancarolli. To catch the Phantom, Raoul comes
up with a plan: not let Christine sing during a performance of
the (fictional) Russian opera Le prince masqué du Caucase (“The
Masked Prince of the Caucasus”) to lure the Phantom out into the
open. Garron plans to have Liszt play Claudin’s concerto after
the performance, but the Phantom strangles one of Raoul's men and
heads to the auditorium's domed ceiling. He then brings down the
large chandelier on the audience, causing chaos. As the audience
and the crew flee, The Phantom takes Christine down underground.
He tells Christine that he loves her and will now sing all she
wants, but only for him.



Raoul, Anatole, and the police begin pursuing them underground.
Just as the Phantom and Christine arrive in his lair, they hear
Liszt and the orchestra playing Claudin's concerto. The Phantom
plays along with it on his piano. Christine watches, realizing
the concerto was written around the melody of a lullaby she has
known since childhood. Raoul and Anatole hear the Phantom playing
and follow the sound. Overjoyed, the Phantom urges Christine to
sing, which she does. While the Phantom, is distracted by the
music, Christine sneaks up and pulls off his mask, revealing his
disfigured face. At that same moment, Raoul and Anatole break-in.
Claudin grabs a sword to fight them with. Raoul fires his gun at
Claudin, but Anatole knocks Raoul's arm, and the shot hits the
ceiling, causing a cave-in. Anatole and Raoul escape with
Christine, while Claudin is seemingly crushed to death by the
falling rocks.



Later, Anatole and Raoul demand that Christine choose one of
them. She surprises them by choosing to marry neither one of
them, instead choosing to pursue her singing career, inspired by
Claudin’s devotion to her future. The film ends with Anatole and
Raoul going to dinner together.