Lon Chaney

A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer. At the Opera of Paris, a mysterious phantom threatens a famous lyric singer, Carlotta, and forces her to give up her role (Marguerite in Faust) for unknown Christine Daae. Christine meets this phantom (a masked man) in the catacombs, where he lives. What's his goal? What's his secret? —Yepok A disfigured former composer haunts the Paris Opera House and several people have seen the cloaked, shadowy figure. From his vantage point high above the opera house stage he sees and falls in love with young understudy Christine Daae, who is standing in for the company's principal, Carlotta. The masked phantom lures Christine into the subterranean world below Paris where he lives and professes his love. When she removes his mask, she is horrified by his grotesque appearance and begs to be released. He agrees but tells her to stay away from her lover, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny. Terrified she turns to Raoul for protection and the outraged phantom, whom the police have determined is an insane criminal and an escapee from Devil's Island, kidnaps Christine off the stage during a performance of Faust. Assisted by Ledoux of the secret police, Raoul proceeds to enter the phantom's underground lair to rescue her. —garykmcd When the Paris Opera House is sold during the production of Faust, the owners advise the new owners that the place is haunted by a Phantom that uses Box 5. The following night, Mlle. Charlotte receives a letter from The Phantom warning her that Christine Daae shall replace her, and Charlotte becomes "ill". She is replaced by Christine that tells her fiancé Vicomte Raoul de Chagny that a mysterious voice is her mentor, and she cannot stop her career. The Phantom advises the owners that Christine must continue to sing but on the next evening, Charlotte returns. During her presentations, a chandelier falls from the ceiling onto the audience. During the havoc, The Phantom kidnaps Christine and declares his love for her in his hideout in the underground of the Opera. While playing organ, Christine lures The Phantom and removes his mask. She sees an ugly deformed man and The Phantom imprisons her. Now he makes Christine promises that she will not see Raoul again if he lets her sing the Opera. But Christine does not keep her promise and The Phantom overhears her conversation. What will he do? —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A gang of blackmailers sends a cripple to San Francisco to expose a banker they have been blackmailing. However, the cripple meets and falls in love with the banker's daughter. Mysterious, sinister Wilse Dilling receives a coded message to go to the home of Queen Ann, a powerful crime boss. When Wilse meets with her, she sends him to the town of Fallbrook, where he is to await her instructions. Being practically wheelchair-bound has not stopped Dilling from committing a lengthy series of crimes, but to his surprise, he finds that the small town atmosphere makes him feel differently about everything. He finds a good friend in banker's daughter Gertrude Hadley, who helps him believe that he can make a fresh start. But Wilse's new-found contentment is soon shattered by a series of new developments. —Snow Leopard

A Canadian Mountie allows an innocent fugitive to escape with the women he loves. In the mountains, the beautiful Nanette waits for her lost love Raoul to return to her. When the villainous Buck McDougall persuades her that Raoul is dead, she consents to marry him, that is until Raoul suddenly turns up at the ceremony right before vows are exchanged. She returns to the man she loves, which angers Buck. He proceeds to frame Raoul for murder. When Raoul and Nanette run away into the wilderness, Buck gets Corporal O'Connor on their trail, since he also harbors unrequited feelings for Nanette and believes she has been kidnapped. —cupcakes