Dr. Hohner, theatre physician at the Vienna Royal Theatre, murders his mistress, the star soprano when his jealousy drives him to the point of mad obsession. Ten years later, another young singer reminds Hohner of the late diva and his old mania kicks in. Hohner wants to prevent her from singing for anyone but him, even if it means silencing her forever.
Production
Universal's last Technicolor feature—every frame drips theatrical opulence.
Acting
Karloff's hypnotic stillness versus Susanna Foster's genuinely pipes.
Score
Opera sequences using real singers, not dubbing—rare for 1944.
Director
George Waggner
Boris Karloff
Dr. Friedrich Hohner
Susanna Foster
Angela Klatt
Turhan Bey
Franz Munzer
Gale Sondergaard
Luise
Thomas Gomez
Count Seebruck
June Vincent
Marcellina
George Dolenz
Amato Roselli
Ludwig Stössel
Carl Baumann
Jane Farrar
Jarmila Vadek
Ernö Verebes
Brunn
Lotte Stein
Mama Hinzl
Scotty Beckett
The King
William Edmunds
Leon, Theatre Concierge
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Universal rushed this into production to reuse the massive opera house sets from Phantom of the Opera (1943)—that's why the scale feels oddly epic for an 86-minute programmer.
The 'hypnotism prevents singing' plot device became a weirdly specific trope in 1940s cinema, reflecting contemporary anxieties about women's voices in wartime workforce—silenced then celebrated on command.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
US
