The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Director:

Rupert Julian
(more)

Writer:

Gaston Leroux (from the celebrated novel by)
(more)

Release Date:

15 November 1925 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The greatest horror film of modern cinema!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Phantom | Singer | Catacomb | Opera Singer

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Olive Ann Alcorn	...	La Sorelli (uncredited)
Joseph Belmont	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Alexander Bevani	...	Mephistopheles (uncredited)
Earl Gordon Bostwick	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Edward Cecil	...	Faust (uncredited)
Ruth Clifford	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Chester Conklin	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Roy Coulson	...	The Jester (uncredited)
Bruce Covington	...	M. Moncharmin (uncredited)
Ward Crane	...	Count Ruboff (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Guard at Christine's Door (uncredited)
Madame Fiorenza	...	Mme. Giry - Keeper of the Box (uncredited)
Cesare Gravina	...	Manager (uncredited)
William Humphrey	...	M. Debienne (uncredited)
Carla Laemmle	...	Prima Ballerina (uncredited)
Edward Martindel	...	Comte Philip de Chagny (1929 re-edited version) (uncredited)
Grace Marvin	...	Martha (uncredited)
John Miljan	...	Valentin (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Bernard Siegel	...	Joseph Buquet (uncredited)
William Tracy	...	Ratcatcher - Messenger from the Shadows (uncredited)
William Tyroler	...	Director of Opera Orchestra (uncredited)
Vola Vale	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Anton Vaverka	...	Prompter (uncredited)
George B. Williams	...	M. Ricard (uncredited)
Edith Yorke	...	Mama Valerius (uncredited)

Directed by
Rupert Julian
Lon Chaney		(uncredited)
Ernst Laemmle		(uncredited)
Edward Sedgwick		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Gaston Leroux		(from the celebrated novel by)
Walter Anthony		titles (uncredited)
Elliott J. Clawson		adaptation (uncredited)
Bernard McConville		treatment (uncredited)
Frank M. McCormack		uncredited
Tom Reed		titles (uncredited)
Raymond L. Schrock		adaptation (uncredited)
Jasper Spearing		treatment (uncredited)
Richard Wallace		additional comedy material (uncredited)

Produced by
Carl Laemmle	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Joseph Carl Breil		(San Francisco world premiere)
Roy Budd		(1993)
Carl Davis		(1996)
Gustav Hinrichs		(New York premiere)
Gabriel Thibaudeau		(1990)
Rick Wakeman		(1990)
Sam Perry		(1929 sound re-release) (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Milton Bridenbecker		(uncredited)
Virgil Miller		(uncredited)
Charles Van Enger		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Edward Curtiss		(uncredited)
Maurice Pivar		(uncredited)
Gilmore Walker		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Ben Carré		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall		(uncredited)
Elmer Sheeley		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Lon Chaney	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Raymond L. Schrock	....	executive production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Pasternak	....	assistant director (uncredtied)

Art Department
Ben Carré	....	consulting artist (uncredited)
Charles Gemora	....	opera house set design (uncredited)
Charles A. Logue	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Foley	....	foley artist: re-issue (uncredited)
C. Roy Hunter	....	recording supervisor: re-issue (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Trey Freeman	....	digital artist: digital restoration and color correction (restored version)
Jerome Ash	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward T. Estabrook	....	supervisor: color photography (uncredited)
Roman Freulich	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joseph Cherniavsky	....	synchronization (1929 re-release) (uncredited)

Music Department
James Fitzpatrick	....	music contractor (1996)
David Broekman	....	composer: stock music (1929 re-release) (uncredited)
Arthur Jentsch	....	composer: stock music (1929 reissue) (uncredited)
Hugo Riesenfeld	....	composer: stock music (1929 reissue) (uncredited)
William Schiller	....	composer: additional music (1929 re-release) (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter
Carl Laemmle	....	president: Universal Pictures Corp.
Ernest Belcher	....	ballet master (uncredited)
Lon Chaney	....	mask maker: his own mask (uncredited)
Edwards Davis	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Archie Hall	....	technical director (uncredited)
Fay Holderness	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Ernst Laemmle	....	director: sound sequences (uncredited)
Jack Lawton	....	title designer: notes (uncredited)
Robert Ross	....	assistant: Mr. Julian (uncredited)
Edward Sedgwick	....	supplementary director (uncredited)
Ralph Slosser	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Phillips Smalley	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Miss Starkey	....	secretary (uncredited)
Meta Stern	....	researcher (uncredited)
William von Wymetal	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Aileen Webster	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Max Winkler	....	cue sheet compiler (uncredited)

Thanks
Kevin Phelan	....	special thanks: FilmTel supervisor (1999 restoration)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (Jewel) (as A Universal Production)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1925) (USA) (theatrical)
• Croeze en Bosman (1926) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Channel 4 Television Corporation (1987) (UK) (TV)
• Kino Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Milestone Film & Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Sunrise Silents (2004) (worldwide) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (reissue)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Bach Films (2009) (France) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• DTP Entertainment (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kartes Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino International (????) (USA) (TV)
• Photoplay Productions (????) (USA) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min | UK:101 min (original release) | USA:92 min (1995 version) | USA:107 min (DVD version) | Canada:106 min (Ontario) | 95 min (1929 re-release)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White | Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1928) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Lon Chaney put egg membrane on his eyeballs to give them a cloudy look.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Parts of the unmasking scene were clearly filmed on days when Lon Chaney didn't wear his character makeup. When he has the mask on, his ears are not glued back, which suggests that his face was "au naturel" underneath the mask.

Quotes:

Christine:[title card] You... You are the Phantom!
Erik:[title card] If I am the Phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so... If I shall be saved, it will be because your love redeems me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monster Mania (1997) (TV)

A magnificent performance from the legendary Lon Chaney, Sr.

This 1925 silent classic is still impressive, even after seventy-nine years!

Lon Chaney's performance is easily the highlight of the movie. His ghostly movements about his underground lair are haunting even by today's standards.

Use all of the computer generated images you want, but there is no substitute for authentic, old-world macabre. The scene where Erik's face is revealed is still shocking. He seems as horrorified by Christine seeing his face as she is by seeing his face. He seems to feel genuinely violated by her taking his mask off, revealing his horrible visage to the last person on earth he would want to see it. The Technicolor scene of the "Bal Masque" is also quite famous. The backdrops are very effective in creating the moody, medieval atmosphere of the underground passages. All in all, an excellent version of a timeless story.