Marsh Auditorium became standing room only as the Southern Miss community filed in to view the 1925 classic silent film, “The Phantom of the Opera,” on Oct. 26, as part of the annual Halloween Silent Movie tradition in the USM School of Music.
The film tells the story of an opera singer, Christine, who rises to fame with the help of The Phantom, a deformed former organist, who haunts the Paris Opera House, leaving destruction and death in his path. He tears Christine away from her lover, Raoul, by capturing her and forcing her to promise never to see Raoul again. When she betrays The Phantom, he returns to the opera house and kidnaps her. Raoul, with the help of the townspeople, saves Christine, and The Phantom is cast into the Seine River, ending his reign of terror.
The film recently celebrated its 100th anniversary in September, and the viewing was accompanied by live organ music performed by Associate Professor Douglas Rust. Rust has performed in several silent movie screenings during his time at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The original “The Phantom of the Opera” film doesn’t have an official soundtrack, so Rust had to get creative for his performance. He settled on memorizing a few scores and relying on his improvisational ability.
“My music choices were guided by audience expectations for “Phantom”, including songs from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and the Bach D Minor Toccata and Fugue,” Rust said. “In the movie, the opera is performing Gounod’s Faust, so I match scenes & ballets to Faust.”
Live music accompaniment has been a staple of the Halloween Silent Movie tradition. Typically, Rust has to balance supporting the visuals without overpowering them and negatively affecting the audience’s viewing experience.
“Visuals are the most important part of a movie, so all music must serve the visuals,” Rust said. “Otherwise, this will sound like an organ recital with pictures. Any music quoted from a published score is cut into excerpts to match the action onscreen.”
Although the age of silent film has long since passed, the importance of preserving what laid the groundwork for modern filmmaking cannot be overstated. The film is known for its revolutionary design of the titular character, The Phantom. Famously, the makeup for The Phantom was created by Chaney and wasn’t revealed until the film’s premiere.
The moment when The Phantom’s mask is removed to reveal his disfigured face drew a huge reaction from the crowd in attendance. The student turnout for the screening was significant, demonstrating the intrigue that younger generations have in classic cinema. Rust said that it’s important to keep this tradition alive so that this interest isn’t lost.
“College students have a strong interest in old films, and the live performance can really bring these 100-year-old stories to life,” Rust said. “A college campus is an ideal environment to screen silent films, and Halloween is a great time to watch these horror classics.”
The community can expect another strong installment in the silent film tradition next year once the Halloween season descends on Southern Miss’s campus in 2026.