Intertitle of the Week

If only. It’s bloody baltic here.

This is from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Our intrepid stooges heroes have walked into a trap laid by Lon Chaney.

Fiona and I both remember this title card, from a screening at Edinburgh Film Festival, with live orchestra under the baton of Carl Davis, as reading, “Heat! Sudden, intense heat!” and we use this quote around the house, at random intervals. Disconcerting to find it’s not actually in the film.

(It seems likely that the title was written by the great Lois Weber, who rewrote and recut the movie after unsuccessful previews.)

The tricks of memory are much on my mind, as I’m about to start a project called THE FORGOTTEN — more on this soon.

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