The Phantom is the 13th episode of season 1 and the 13th episode of the series, it is also the season 1 finale. It originally aired on June 24, 1989.
Plot[]
Babar recalls a time in the city where he helped someone even though he didn't want help, The Phantom of the Music Hall.
Summary[]
One night at the Palace, Alexander is having trouble playing a song on the piano and Flora offers to help but Alexander says he doesn't need help. He plays very roughly, and Celeste asks him to settle down. Babar tells him that everyone could use a little help now and then, he once needed help to learn a song. He plays a beautiful song that he learned from The Phantom of the Music Hall when he was a boy.
Back while living in the city with Madame, Babar was involved in school activities including soccer which he was very good at. After a team victory, he and his friends go out celebrating, at dusk. Babar asks them to take the shortcut, but the others are afraid to go that way because of the Phantom of the old Music Hall but Babar doesn't believe them. He goes by himself past the Hall, he does become terrified when hears a noise, but it is just a cat, suddenly there is organ music playing Babar looks inside and sees two red eyes. Terrified, he runs back home, he tells Madame what he saw, but she said it was just his mind playing tricks on him.
The next day, at school, Babar tries to believe that what he saw wasn't there, but the music he heard keeps coming back, finally he decides he has to find out if the Phantom is really there. He goes back into the music hall and explores the place and looks around. While inside, Babar finds a secret passage under the stage, he hears the song again, he looks inside and sees a man in a cape and mask playing the song. The man noticed Babar peeking, he then tells Babar that he was either very brave or very foolish to return to the music hall. Babar insists that he just wanted to know if he really heard the music. The phantom reveals himself and Babar realizes that it is just a man. He says that everyone assumes that the man is a monster, which the man says that is what he wants people to think, so he will be left alone. Babar says that the music should be heard, the Phantom begs to differ. Babar says he wanted to know why the man was hiding down here, and the man admires Babar persistence since no one has ever come back to face the Phantom. Babar asks about the music, the man tells Babar the story behind the song, but only under the condition that Babar will leave and tell no one, Babar promises. The tune was written for a lady who was very close to his heart, when others doubted him, she believed his music should be heard for others, so he set out to pursue a career in music, but the fame did not last too long and he started to doubt himself and one day he did the one thing his friend told him to never do, he gave up and eventually took refuge in the city with nothing, he stayed at the old music hall and the Phantom allows him to shut out the world and where he can remain with his music and memories. After the story Babar leaves just as the man asked him to.
While walking home, Babar began to wonder how he could help the man, he realizes that while he cannot change the man's past, he can change the future, so he gets a petition signed to repair the music hall and the mayor agrees. Babar eagerly tells the Phantom the news, but the Phantom is angry at Babar about this since all he wants is to be left alone. When the mayor and a construction crew try to fix it, the Phantom scared everyone away, before leaving, Babar tells the Phantom no one will bother him ever again. That night Babar cannot stop thinking about the music hall. Madame comes in to see how he's doing. Babar tells Madame that first the mayor wanted to fix the music hall now he wants to tear it down, Babar wishes they just leave it alone. Madame assures him that she loves that music hall very much, but unfortunately there is nothing they can do about it, especially because the mayor is tearing it down tomorrow. Babar is shocked to hear this and has to tell the Phantom.
When he gets there the next day, the mayor and the wrecking crew are already set up with a wrecking ball. Babar tries to tell the mayor, but the mayor says that it's too far gone to get fixed especially after yesterday. Babar runs inside when no one is looking and tries to warn the Phantom and says that he only wants to help him, but the Phantom says he doesn't want or need help, and he wants to be left alone. Babar goes on by saying that he must show himself, but the Phantom refuses. Babar tries to go after him, but his foot gets caught in a rope and is dangling from the roof. Outside the building, Madame is looking for Babar and believes he came there, but the mayor hasn't seen Babar, and they are about to knock down the building. As soon as the building is hit, organ music is heard, and Madame realizes that someone is inside. Once inside, Madame, finds Babar dangling from the rope, both the foreman and the mayor help him up. The mayor asks who was playing that music to alert them, Babar tells them it was the Phantom, but Madame tells Babar that there is no Phantom, and she knows that tune. The Phantom says that he wrote that song for her. Babar is so happy, the young girl who inspired the man was Madame herself. They are both happy to see one another and the man apologized for failing, but Madame assures him that he never failed and that his music should be heard for everyone. Babar asks the man if he'll play again, he agrees, and his return performance was a huge success, and Babar was happy to know that he had helped the man return.
After the story ends, Babar tells his children that it is all right to ask for help. Alexander than asks if both he and Flora could help him, and Celeste adds that another side of the story is that people should always give help when requested. The three practice the piano and Alexander asks how is doing and Babar says he is doing well.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The episode's plot bears a strong resemblance to The Phantom of the Opera, a musician who is talented hides away in a music hall wearing a mask, cape, and tuxedo but writes incredible music. One big difference from the story is that the Phantom was a deformed man who wanted to be accepted but here he is someone who hides away and keeps his music to himself. Both stories did have the characters in a love with a lady, unlike the story the character does get the girl in the end.
- Babar is shown going to school, according to the original story, Babar was educated by a professor and was a fast learner, but we don't know if he actually went to school.
- This is the first backstory where Babar recalls his time in the city, and before the events in Babar Returns.
- The song The Phantom plays is heard again in later episodes.
- Pom is not present in the episode with his brother and sister.
- Several of the scenes were later used in the episode School Days.
Errors[]
- When grabbing onto a drape, Babar's trunk is curly, yet when he lets go, he is shown to have not gripped it so hard.