I've recently been watching some of the classic black and white silent horror films in my collection, and the third one I sat down and watched in my little darkened corner of the world was the 1923 Lon Chaney, Sr film- " The Hunchback of Notre Dame ", based on the novel by Victor Hugo. Within the bell tower of Paris's Notre Dame cathedral a deformed hunchback by the name of Quasimodo lives.  The only solace he has from the miseries of his lonliness are the ringing of the cathedral bells.  After an act of kindness done for him, he falls in love with the lovely gypsy girl, Esmeralda.  Unfortunately, both Jehan (the Archdeacon's brother) and Phoebus (the Captain of the Guards) have both been smitten by her beauty. There are no surviving original prints of this film.  Modern video copies have been made from duplicate 16mm prints that were distributed by Blackhawk Films in the 1960's and 19720's.  The original prints from the 1920's were actually filmed...

  Not too long ago, I reviewed the silent horror classic, "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror", and wound up being in the mood to view a few other of the silent horror films in my collection.  The next one I watched was "The Phantom of the Opera", starring Lon Chaney, Sr, and released in 1925.   A mysterious stranger has been threatening the star singer of the Paris Opera House- someone who has signs his letters simply as, "The Phantom".  This stranger wants to clear the way so his protege, Christine Daae can ascend to stardom herself.  Soon, her love for the Comte de Chagny collides with The Phantom's desire for Christine forcing both to take drastic actions in order to be with the one they love. " The Phantom of the Opera " actually underwent three periods of re-shoots and editing, due to poor reception and test viewings.  In 1930, a sound version was created- often assumed to be what is called "The Eastman House Print".  It is ...