#phantom of the opera 1943

[ibrithir-was-here]

The Children of the Phantom across the years--and also Phillipe who isn't too pleased at being forcibly possessed adopted

[kingoftheclaudes]

Propaganda

Captain Louis Renault (Casablanca) - The best and most iconic character of the entire film, if not the entire movie genre. He is what makes this movie possible and I honestly couldn't imagine it without him. Claude's back must've hurt from absolutely carrying this film and according to records, he finished his filming for Now, Voyager and literally the next day, jumped right into shooting for Casablanca. That's dedication right there. I adore Renault, his stupid mustache, and he has more rizz in that right eyebrow than more people do in their entire bodies. I wouldn't need convincing in order to get an exit visa from him. He oozes charm and has the perfect velvety voice in order to carry out his orders (when he feels like it!) and plays both sides to perfection. I desire him carnally (can I put that here?) and he's such a special character and he's what brought me into the wonderful world of old movies. To me, he'll always be the true King of the Claudes!

Erique Claudin (Phantom of the Opera) - My favorite Phantom! Does it differ wildly from the book? Yes. Do I care? NO! Claudin starts the movie by BREAKING YOUR HEART IN TWO and then after the first act he gets to lean into the creep factor by murdering people who get in the way of him helping his daughter achieve her opera goals. While the father/daughter story was cut from the final film, you can 100% see it in Claude Rains' wonderful performance that this is a man so filled with regret at leaving his infant daughter 20 years ago, that he is willing to do anything to help her succeed…even if she doesn't know that he's the one helping her.

This is the final match up for The King of the Claudes Tournament! Other polls and results can be found here!

Additional Propaganda under the cut!

**Both of these fine Claudes have a lot of propaganda, so we are attaching what we can and making another separate propaganda post to include all submissions, which you can find HERE!**

Captain Louis Renault

I love him. He is a liar, a manipulator, and corrupt beyond the telling. He also has a soft spot a mile wide and a snarkiness that has genuinely become commonly used. He is a wonderful little rat-man and I. Love. Him.

Erique Claudin

This movie is gorgeous and the storytelling is a masterpiece! I don't care what anyone says, this is my favorite adaptation of Phantom and Claude sells it perfectly. He's excellent at toeing the line between a masked mad man and a caring individual and I will be forever fuming about how the father/daughter relationship wasn't official. To me, it will be! He's just the right amount of soft fondness and I was squealing because of how adorable he is when he stammers.

[cowgremlin11]

various erik doodles cus i wanna get the hang of his many masks (these are just the ones i like lol)

also i never connected the dots that a monster in paris is poto cus i watched it religiously as a child but it makes so much sense now

[mothreign]

erique claudin in his feels

just wanted to post some more pics of my phantom of the opera (1943) cosplay. this day was so fun because surprisingly a lot of people recognized who i was :,)

[professorambrius]

The Universal Studios Monsters Classic Collection

VHS covers for The Universal Studios Monsters Classic Collection.

The images were composed from two different photos. One was a portrait image of the monster, usually a promo photo and the background photo was often a scene, or a background shot from the film.

[soapylaundry]

gouache sketch of the 1943 phantom :0 I loooove his mask, it has a lot of character, and I think masks with a personality of their own help to sell the idea that the person wearing it is not only disguising themselves, but creating a whole new self on top of that. Claude rains phantom you may not be the most accurate but I love you regardless <333

[quite-elementary]

AaAAAAAAAAAaaaAAAAAaaHHhhHhhhh!!!!

phantom of the opera and dracula my beloveds...

[erique-petrie]

[persnicketypomelo]

oop! sorry - i meant to ask if you would write more for the 1943 phantom 👉👈

consider this as a request to write whatever headcanons you’d like lol- im desperate for more of your great content!

This version amuses me so much, thanks for requesting as always!

Content warning: obsession, kidnapping, spoilers, jealousy Yandere 1943 Phantom of Opera Kidnapping Scenario

I'm going to loosely base this off of the previous one I wrote, but this is standalone

Let's say that this follows the plot of the original movie

In the confusion of the moment, you are swept up by Claudin who, confidently and deceptively, promises to have your best interests in mind--that he'll take care of you

In a way he does have your best interests at heart, but more-so what he believes is best for you

Let's say you're also a singer or musician that knew him before he became a wanted criminal

Perhaps he mentions that he was sent on behalf of someone you trust to deceive you

Once you've gotten below ground level your suspicions are fully peaked, however

Where is he taking you? Who is he really? What are his true intentions with you?

You try to resist, but he merely pulls you along with a strength you wouldn't have expected

He finally drops the facade and tells you, wrapped in his own warped delusions, that he's saving you

He tells you he's taking you away from a world that wants to poison your mind and corrupt you, that the staff of the opera house--no the whole of the world only wants to take advantage of you

But he will protect you , he promises you

Down here, protected by the lulling numb of darkness, he will help you improve your music, without concern for the money-hungry whims of managers

Speaking of which, he could either take a platonic or romantic interest in you

In a platonic way, he sees himself as a father figure of sorts to you, no matter how young you are

He is protective of you as he sees you and your music as an extension of his own musical legacy

Erique here is like a controlling parent who thinks he knows what's best for you, but is really just projecting his own fears and insecurities onto you

In a romantic sense, I think it would be far more sinister

There's already a protective streak from being your mentor, but also the nasty, possessive edge of wanting to be your lover

I think in a romantic scenario he would be far more overbearing and difficult to coexist with

For whatever reason, I don't really see him as adept at courtship

His attempts to woo you would be bearing over you, pulling you close, and saying what are meant to be romantic platitudes (but from him are ominous threats)

Escape attempts will be curbed, but I see more room for leniency in a platonic scenario--like convincing a parent that you're not as helpless as they think

If you accept or lean into that guardian-like relationship, it would mellow his control

However, in a romantic sense, Erique will be much more restrictive, and especially if you have someone who may be interested you back on the surface

If that's the case, it's best to hide it

Lest his jealousy keeps you from ever seeing the light of day again

[contentabnormal]

Claude Rains as Eric Claudin in Phantom Of The Opera (1943)

Watercolors on Paper, 8.5" x 11", 2025

By Josh Ryals

[summerb4jc]

Do you ever think about Phantom of the Opera and go...hey, I mean, this is great and all, but what if it was a romantic comedy? WELL, BUDDY, DO I HAVE A MOVIE FOR YOU.

NOW, the 1925 silent film was fairly book accurate - hitting the same major beats as the novel even if it did manage to crash and burn during the Final Lair scene. BUT there was a time before the release where they reshot almost the entire movie as a romantic comedy - giving Christine TWO love interests to handle while also dealing with the phantom.

Test Audiences HATED it! Booed it right out of the theater! It was re-edited and released in the version we know now, and time passed. Then suddenly, a new version of Phantom of the Opera released. Same set (soundstage 28 - the perfect replica of the Paris Opera), same source material, but different. changed.

THIS was a version in full dazzling technicolor, with incredible operatic numbers, sweeping sets, gorgeous costumes, and not one BUT TWO LOVE INTERESTS for Christine! (and the phantom of the opera was also there).

This version of the story is both funny and charming...which is a really weird tone for a Phantom of the Opera remake. A full Romantic Comedy...with the events of phantom sort of happening in the background. Welcome to the third installment of 100 Years of Phantom, featuring the 1943 Phantom film starring Claude Rains and Susanna Foster.

[kingoftheclaudes]

Claude Rains, Phantom of the Opera (1943)

[strangelittlelad]

So I was thinking about it and-

[mothreign]

that moment when you get acid thrown at your face😞

heres a pic of me in my phantom of the opera (1943) cosplay for a convention i went to months ago. hes my absolute favorite phantom so of course i had to cosplay him duhh!!!!!

[elphabaoftheopera]

thinking about the ACTUAL best love story to come out of Phantom of the Opera today.

Raoul and Anatole from the Phantom of the Opera (1943) dir. Arthur Lubin