Lon Chaney as Erik in Rupert Julian's 1925 silent-film version of The Phantom of the Opera.
The Phantom's makeup was designed to resemble a skull. Lon Chaney attached a strip of fish skin (a thin, translucent material) to his nostrils with spirit gum, pulled it back until he got the tilt he wanted, then attached the other end of the fish skin under his bald cap. For some shots, a wire and rubber device was used, and according to cameraman Charles Van Enger, cut into his nose and caused a good deal of bleeding. Cheeks were built up using a combination of cotton and collodion. Ears were glued back and the rest was greasepaint shaded in the proper areas of the face, he also put egg membrane on his eyeballs to give them a cloudy look. The sight was said to have caused some patrons at the premiere to have fainted.
Universal Studios' sound-stage #28, where the movie was filmed, is said to be haunted. Some people believe that Lon Chaney's ghost haunts the sound-stage.
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