The Legacy of Gaston Leroux: The Man Behind the Mask

A flamboyant figure in 1920s Parisian society, Gaston (a respected lawyer who becomes the world's first investigative journalist) turns to novel writing after squandering his inherited millions. He produces the world's first locked door murder mystery before stumbling over living witnesses to the "Phantom of the Opera" saga. Desperate to prove that Erik (aka "The Phantom") was real and lived an odyssey in Persia for 20 years before collaborating with Charles Garnier on the design of the Paris Opera House, Gaston's efforts are thwarted by authorities of the day. The authorities have their own motives for keeping the existence of Erik a secret and reaping revenge on Gaston himself. Gaston embarrassed authorities as an investigative journalist when he proved a man convicted to life on Devil's Island in French Guiana was innocent - and no one in France wanted the world to learn that one of their most revered icons (the Opera House) was partially designed and constructed by a deformed lunatic (Erik).