It's not campy enough to be interesting and the performances are dull, dull, dull.

While Lon Chaney Sr. remains the best (and most frightening) Phantom, Claude Rains lands in the place position for his more sympathetic handling of the role.

The cinematography remains gorgeous to this day, and the sets are pretty. It is a picture of opulence. On that front, the film remains a success

Lon Chaney created such an empathetic villain that it was nearly impossible not to root for him