THE PHANTOM

US, 1931, 62 minutes, Black-and-white.
Guinn Williams, Allene Ray, Niles Welch, Tom O'Brien, Sheldon Lewis, Wilfred Lucas, Violet Knights, William Gould, Bobby Dunn, William Jackie.
Directed by Alvin J.Nietz.


This is a very (very) creaky early sound film, relying on all of the techniques of the silent era, of the different acting styles of the silent era (which clash very much in the variety of characters here). The filmmakers also seem to have been influenced by German Expressionism, especially with the representation of The Phantom, reminiscent of Nosferatu.

The film opens with some action, a man to be executed getting over the wall of a prison, leaping onto a moving train, being rescued by a plane.

It is taken for granted that this escapee is The Phantom. There is a threat to a wealthy man and action takes place in his home, a strange creature, hat, veiled, claw fingernails, frightens the daughter of the house as well as the maid and the chauffeur (the latter two with extremes of overacted farcical comedy). Also in the action is a newspaper reporter who is secretly engaged to the daughter, and the newspaper boss who is also in love with her.

There are a whole lot of shenanigans, secret doors, screams a-plenty, the newspaperman being the hero and searching for the mysterious visitor.

It is decided that they go to a local institution to find the doctor who will have some explanations, encountering a strange character who acts as the doctor’ all s servant. Ultimately, it will be all revealed that the doctor is one of those mad doctors, wanting to do experiments on the brain (a feature of films of the 1930s) and has his eyes on the young woman. However, he is unmasked and all is settled.

Minimum entertainment value but of creaky historical interest. Guinn Williams is the hero – that is more often seen as something of a lug and as an action character.