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Greetings all!!
With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it was time to upload another Mego-ey Monster made by the MAGE company: Universal's "The Phantom of the Opera" as played by Claude Rains in 1943.
The Phantom has been filmed many many times. This was one of the earlier ones, and was Universal's second outing with the character (after Chaney's definitive silent portrayal in 1925), and it was their first monster movie shot in Technicolor (Son of Frankenstein was intended to be shot in color, but it didn't go as planned).
"Phantom" '43 is by no means a classic film. In fact, it is one of the dullest in the entire Universal canon. It should have been great: it has the same Opera soundstage as the '25 Phantom; Claude Rains, easily one of the top ten character actors to come out of Hollywood's golden period , as the title role; brilliant sets; gorgeous photography; an opera set to the music of Chopin... it should have been a top class production all the way. And, in spite of all that is right with it, it is as boring as watching cement dry.
Although it is very mediocre, it is not without some some interesting points: as I said, it was the first technicolor Uni-monster movie, the mask in this film was the inspiration for the iconic Aurora model kit, and for whatever reason, this is the movie that started the plot concept of the Phantom being a failed composer who is scarred with acid by a jealous competitor, and he becomes mad with the desire for vengeance. In the novel, and Chaney's film, he is presumably born that way. This plot device was used again in the Herbert Lom version for Hammer, the 1983 TV version with Maximillian Schell and several others.
I will add more to this story during the run of pics-- and I should warn you: there are alot of them.
The cape was sewn by me, as were the pants and shirt. I stole the jacket and vest from the EMCE Phantom.
The mask was altered from an Aurora model kit mask: I dremelled off the hair and filled the eye sockets, and then painted it off-white. In the film, the mask most often appears a pale blue, and was probably light gray, and simply appeared blue under the lush hues of Technicolor. An elastic strap hols it on his head.
And here he is unmasked!
I made the head by re-casting the Sideshow 8" Invisible Man head. I resculpted the right side of the face to show the acid burn, and completely redid the hair. I am quite happy with how the hair turned out-- it is very accurate to Claude Rains
Here's the Phantom at his organ, composing "Don Juan Triumphant". (The organ is from a Polar Lights kit released about 10 years ago)
(It was a pain in the *** to paint all those little keys)
Uh oh... this isn't going to end well...
The ability to pose and re-create scenes like this are why Megos are the best action figure ever created, IMO.
Here's some pics of the box I designed and made
Collect all the Mage Toys Monsters!
Thanks for looking everybody! And Happy Halloween!
Matt
With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it was time to upload another Mego-ey Monster made by the MAGE company: Universal's "The Phantom of the Opera" as played by Claude Rains in 1943.
The Phantom has been filmed many many times. This was one of the earlier ones, and was Universal's second outing with the character (after Chaney's definitive silent portrayal in 1925), and it was their first monster movie shot in Technicolor (Son of Frankenstein was intended to be shot in color, but it didn't go as planned).
"Phantom" '43 is by no means a classic film. In fact, it is one of the dullest in the entire Universal canon. It should have been great: it has the same Opera soundstage as the '25 Phantom; Claude Rains, easily one of the top ten character actors to come out of Hollywood's golden period , as the title role; brilliant sets; gorgeous photography; an opera set to the music of Chopin... it should have been a top class production all the way. And, in spite of all that is right with it, it is as boring as watching cement dry.
Although it is very mediocre, it is not without some some interesting points: as I said, it was the first technicolor Uni-monster movie, the mask in this film was the inspiration for the iconic Aurora model kit, and for whatever reason, this is the movie that started the plot concept of the Phantom being a failed composer who is scarred with acid by a jealous competitor, and he becomes mad with the desire for vengeance. In the novel, and Chaney's film, he is presumably born that way. This plot device was used again in the Herbert Lom version for Hammer, the 1983 TV version with Maximillian Schell and several others.
I will add more to this story during the run of pics-- and I should warn you: there are alot of them.
The cape was sewn by me, as were the pants and shirt. I stole the jacket and vest from the EMCE Phantom.
The mask was altered from an Aurora model kit mask: I dremelled off the hair and filled the eye sockets, and then painted it off-white. In the film, the mask most often appears a pale blue, and was probably light gray, and simply appeared blue under the lush hues of Technicolor. An elastic strap hols it on his head.
And here he is unmasked!
I made the head by re-casting the Sideshow 8" Invisible Man head. I resculpted the right side of the face to show the acid burn, and completely redid the hair. I am quite happy with how the hair turned out-- it is very accurate to Claude Rains
Here's the Phantom at his organ, composing "Don Juan Triumphant". (The organ is from a Polar Lights kit released about 10 years ago)
(It was a pain in the *** to paint all those little keys)
Uh oh... this isn't going to end well...
The ability to pose and re-create scenes like this are why Megos are the best action figure ever created, IMO.
Here's some pics of the box I designed and made
Collect all the Mage Toys Monsters!
Thanks for looking everybody! And Happy Halloween!
Matt
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