I knew this was an older flick, just didn’t know it was a silent one (really Gertie, you didn’t know a 1925 movie would be silent?). There IS music,which is quite nice, and the basic dialogue is displayed on title cards. As a hard-of-hearing individual used to reading subtitles, having a short sentence onscreen for an average of 10 seconds is a loooong time. Also, due to the age of this thing, the sound (music) quality goes in and out a bit.

Despite all that, I found this a hoot to watch. Lon Chaney was fabulous, and his makeup still caused a twinge of discomfort (versus actual horror) when his face is unmasked. Although I adore the songs provided in later productions of The Phantom, I have to say that this version is now my favorite.