Frequently revived for screenings each year near Halloween, The Phantom of the Opera has come to represent the American silent film to modern audiences. With a great performance by Lon Chaney, amazingly creepy makeup (also by Chaney) and a genuinely chilling unmasking scene, The Phantom of the Opera has entered the American cultural conscience, much like Dracula and Frankenstein. This position of pre-eminence, however, has brought misconceptions.