Phantom of the Opera / Il Fantasma Dell' Opera (1943) Poster, Italian, First Italian release c. 1946

Phantom of the Opera / Il Fantasma Dell' Opera (1943) Poster, Italian, First Italian release c. 1946

Artist: F. Carfagni (dates unknown)

Unframed: 39 x 27 in. (99 x 69 cm)

This striking Italian poster has only surfaced a few times.

This film was directed by Arthur Lubin. The cast includes Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster and Claude Rains. It tells the story of violinist Erique Claudin (Claude Rains), who is in love with Christine Dubois (Susanna Foster), a soprano understudy in the opera. Christine also has the attention of baritone Anatole Garron (Nelson Eddy) and police inspector Raoul Daubert (Edgar Barrier), who along with Claudin try to help further her career. Claudin uses all of his spare money paying for voice lessons for Christine. When Claudin loses his job, he hopes to earn some money by selling a piano concerto that he has written. However, he thinks that the music publisher is trying to steal his piece, and in a fit of madness, kills him. The publisher's assistant throws acid in Claudin's face, and scars him terribly. Claudin, now wanted for murder, escapes into the sewers of the opera house. He covers his disfigured face with a mask, thus becoming the Phantom of the Opera. The opera house is plagued by numerous crimes, and no one can find the mysterious phantom, whom they believe is behind everything. Anatole and inspector Raoul try to find the Phantom, in a hope that one of them will win Christine's heart.