Phantom of the Opera

Theatrical Release Date: 1925 09 08 (USA)

UPC: 014381409727

Studio: Image Entertainment

Summary: Lon Chaney stars as Erik, the Phantom, in what is probably his most famous and certainly his most horrifying role. Produced by Universal, the film shot in 1923 and shelved for nearly two years, and was subjected to intensive studio tinkering. While many expected a disaster, the film turned out to be a rousing success. It was both the stepping off point for Chaney's run as a superstar at MGM and the prototype for the horror film cycle at Universal in the 1930s. The story concerns Erik, a much-feared fiend who haunts the Paris Opera House. Lurking around the damp, dank passages deep in the cellars of the theater, he secretly coaches understudy Christine Daae (Mary Philbin) to be an opera star. Through a startling sequence of terrors, including sending a giant chandelier crashing down on the opera patrons, the Phantom forces the lead soprano to withdraw from the opera, permitting Christine to step in. Luring Christine into his subterranean lair below the opera house, the Phantom confesses his love. But Christine is in love with Raoul de Chagny (Norman Kerry). The Phantom demands that Christine break off her relationship with Raoul before he'll allow her to return to the opera house stage. She agrees, but immediately upon her release from the Phantom's lair, she runs into the arms of Raoul and they plan to flee to England after her performance that night. The Phantom overhears their conversation and, during her performance, the Phantom kidnaps Christine, taking her to the depths of his dungeon. It is left to Raoul and Simon Buquet (Gibson Gowland), a secret service agent, to track down the Phantom and rescue Christine. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Category: Horror

Awards: U.S. National Film Registry – Library of Congress

Features: [None specified]

Phantom of the Opera

Format: DVD

Release Date: 10/15/1997

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 92 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Region: Universal Compatability

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Title [2:41]
2. A Night At the Opera [11:14]
3. A Note From the Phantom [4:58]
4. The Walls Speak [3:55]
5. Bringing Down the Chandelier [6:02]
6. Lured Into the Catacombs [13:42]
7. The Unmasking [6:34]
8. The Bal Masque [14:37]
9. Kidnapped! [8:51]
10. Callers [6:24]
11. An Offer for Life [7:53]
12. Erik Flees with Christine [4:41]

Dan Jardine

Heavily influenced by German Expressionism, with its moody sets and murky patterns of shadows and light, The Phantom of the Opera set the style for such subsequent films as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The melodramatic tale of a deformed man, an abused outsider all his life, searching for love in a world of socialites repulsed by his presence, obviously derives from Victor Hugo's classic Hunchback novel. The film's visual emphasis on subterranean settings and impressive sets, such as the Paris Opera House, also clearly informed these later films. As the Phantom, Lon Chaney created such an empathetic villain that it was nearly impossible not to root for him. The groundbreaking use of the costly two-strip Technicolor process in some key scenes is tremendously effective in conveying the film's tone. On-set battles led to a series of directors, including Chaney himself, taking the helm for different scenes, but the final vision was that of New Zealander Rupert Julian. Even as the story deteriorates into hokey melodrama, Chaney's riveting performance holds the film together to the end. The moment when the Phantom's mask is ripped away remains one of the most chilling moments in movie history. ~ Dan Jardine, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Edward Cecil  Actor 
Anton Vaverka  Actor 
Chester Conklin  Actor 
Grace Marvin  Actor 
Edith Yorke  Actor 
Ward Crane  Actor 
Alexander Bevani  Actor 
Cesare Gravina  Actor 
Bernard Siegel  Actor 
George B. William  Actor 
Bruce Covington  Actor 
John Miljan  Actor 
Olive Ann Alcorn  Actor 
Rupert Julian  Director 
Carl Laemmle, Jr.  Producer 
Tom Reed  Screenwriter 
Raymond Schrock  Screenwriter 
Rick Wakeman  Composer (Music Score) 
Elliott J. Clawson  Screenwriter 
Philip Springer  Composer (Music Score) 
Frank M. McCormack  Screenwriter 
Carl Laemmle, Sr.  Producer 
Lon Chaney  Actor 
Mary Philbin  Actor 
Norman Kerry  Actor 
Arthur Edmund Carewe  Actor 
Gibson Gowland  Actor 
John St. Polis  Actor 
Edward Martindel  Actor 
Snitz Edwards  Actor 
Virginia Pearson  Actor 

Country: USA