They're back! Two of Universal Studios' classic terror flicks return to the big screen this Halloween via Fathom Events: Arthur Lupin's The Phantom of the Opera (1943) and Jack Arnold's The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).
This combination is a tad unique, in that the movies sport juxtaposing styles, but at the same time, their double-feature aura ideally demonstrates Universal's macabre variety.
The Phantom stars Claude (The Invisible Man) Rains in the lead as Erique Claudin, accompanied by Nelson Eddie, Susana Foster, Edgar Barrier and Fritz Lieber, among other superb cast members.
Operatic Technicolor is the order of the day for this remake, which set the pace for other Phantom productions, in particular the 1962, Terence Fisher/Hammer adaptation, as well as Andrew Lloyd Weber's sumptuous stage production.
Phantom 1943 shouldn't be compared to the 1925, Lon Chaney/Rupert Julian classic, and that's okay. This one more than holds its own with ample, tragic panache.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon, in contrast, is a black-and-white triumph (originally shown in 3-D), flaunting wondrous, underwater sequences and a cast that's every bit as impressive as Phantom's.
As such, we're given Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Julia Adams, Ginger Stanley (as Ms. Adams' athletic double), Whit Bissell, Antonio Morena, and as the Gill-man, the towering Ben Chapman (on land) and superstar-swimmer Ricou Browning (submerged).
Millicent Patrick's Gill-man design is an absolute gem to behold and acts as a regal reply to Jack Pierce's long-line of Universal monster makeups; and keep in mind, the big screen can only bring out the Creature's features with superior depth and breadth.
Though The Mummy/Bride of Frankenstein, Fathom double bill from earlier this month caused some controversy by injecting added sound effects and musical inserts to the movies, one can only wonder what "enhancements" might await The Phantom/Creature set, but just having these two biggies beamed again inside an official playhouse should be a tremendous treat.
The Phantom/Creature revival will hit Fathom Events October 29th. Check local listings for time and place.
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