The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer.

Directors:

Rupert Julian, Lon Chaney (uncredited) ,

Writer:

Gaston Leroux (from the celebrated novel by)

Stars:

Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lon Chaney	...	The Phantom
Mary Philbin	...	Christine Daae
Norman Kerry	...	Vicomte Raoul de Chagny
Arthur Edmund Carewe	...	Ledoux
Gibson Gowland	...	Simon Buquet
John St. Polis	...	Comte Philip de Chagny (as John Sainpolis)
Snitz Edwards	...	Florine Papillon
Mary Fabian	...	Carlotta (1929 re-edited version only)
Virginia Pearson	...	Carlotta / Carlotta's Mother (1929 re-edited version)

Storyline

At the Opera of Paris, a mysterious phantom threatens a famous lyric singer, Carlotta and thus forces her to give up her role (Marguerite in Faust) for unknown Christine Daae. Christine meets this phantom (a masked man) in the catacombs, where he lives. What's his goal ? What's his secret ?

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Plot Keywords:

phantom | singer | opera | catacombs | opera singer | 

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Taglines:

The greatest horror film of modern cinema!

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Genres:

Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Release Date:

15 November 1925 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Phantom der Oper

Filming Locations:

Stage 28, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 101 min (original release) 92 min (1995) 107 min (DVD) 106 min (Ontario) 95 min (1929 re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (talking sequences, musical score and sound effects) (1929 re-release) Silent

Color:

Black and White Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only stage in the history of Hollywood where a turntable was built specifically for the 1925 "Phantom of the Opera" feature film, and has remained intact for ninety years. Stage theatrics use of a turntable in set design was primarily a European novelty incorporated into elaborate opera productions in England, Italy and Germany. A turntable built into the set design was first introduced on Broadway in 1941, for the Kurt Weill musical "Lady In The Dark" designed by stage designer Harry Horner. The novelty of this motorized turntable was unique, a center donut ring, with an outer six foot ring. The entire "donut turntable" could move in either direction, or the center turntable could move independent of the stationary outer ring, and the outer ring could move in the opposite direction of the center ring. The same turntable concept was copied in the set design for the 1969 Broadway musical "CoCo" designed by Cecil Beaton. The Oliver Smith set design for the 1956-1962 Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" utilized two turntables, aligned on center stage, rotating in opposite direction of each other, to transform the scenic set elements. During the 50s, 60s and 70s, NBC Burbank's stock scenery division built a motorized turntable which expanded from a ten foot diameter, to a thirty foot diameter turntable. This scenic element was used on several NBC color television variety series, as "The Dinah Shore Show," "The Bob Hope Show," "The Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Show," etc.. "The stage 28 Phantom of the Opera turntable" is unique in the history of both Hollywood films, live color television series/specials and Broadway stage productions.

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Goofs

Continuity of Erik's sleeves during the unmasking.

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Quotes

Erik: [title card] Did you hear voices?
[Christine shakes her head]
Erik: [title card] Perhaps we have more callers.
Title Card: Heat - Intolerable heat!

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Crazy Credits

None of the technical staff of this film receives screen credit.

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Connections

Version of O Fantasma da Ópera (1991)

User Reviews

Music, Words and Personality Cannot Make Up for That Face.

The titled character is a badly disfigured man (Lon Chaney) who stays in the catacombs of the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with the theater's newest leading lady (Mary Philbin) and hatches a plan to take her down to his tomb. Masked, able to play lovely music and say such lovely things, she finds herself strangely attracted to Chaney. However, she makes the mistake of unmasking him and that is when he shows his true deviant colors. "The Phantom of the Opera" is one of the finest pictures of the late silent era and Chaney was arguably the greatest performer of the period (of course Buster Keaton and Charles Chaplin fans would not agree). His ability to literally transform himself into movie monsters is truly uncanny, especially considering the lack of technical resources in the 1920s. New Zealand director Rupert Julian (who took sole credit in spite of the fact that Chaney and fellow director Edward Sedgwick also did some of the work behind the camera) uses tone to stretch his audience to their outer-limits throughout. Spooky, dramatic, stressful and memorable, "The Phantom of the Opera" is one of those silent pictures that will suck you in and never let you go. 5 stars out of 5.