The Phantom of the Opera (1962)

The corrupt Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough) steals the life's work of the poor composer Professor L. Petrie. (Herbert Lom). In an attempt to stop the printing of music with D'Arcy's ... See full summary »

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Anthony Hinds (screenplay), Gaston Leroux (composition)

Stars:

Herbert Lom, Heather Sears, Edward de Souza

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Herbert Lom	...	The Phantom (Prof. L. Petrie)
Heather Sears	...	Christine Charles
Edward de Souza	...	Harry Hunter
Thorley Walters	...	Lattimer
Michael Gough	...	Lord Ambrose d'Arcy
Harold Goodwin	...	Bill
Martin Miller	...	Rossi
Liane Aukin	...	Maria
Sonya Cordeau	...	Yvonne
Marne Maitland	...	Xavier
Miriam Karlin	...	Charwoman
Patrick Troughton	...	The Rat Catcher
Renee Houston	...	Mrs. Tucker
Keith Pyott	...	Weaver
John Harvey	...	Sgt. Vickers

Storyline

The corrupt Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough) steals the life's work of the poor composer Professor L. Petrie. (Herbert Lom). In an attempt to stop the printing of music with D'Arcy's name on it, Petrie breaks into the printing office and accidentally starts a fire, leaving him severely disfigured. Years later, Petrie returns to terrorize a London opera house that is about to perform one of his stolen operas.

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Plot Keywords:

opera | house | opera house | murder | composer | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest THRILL CLASSIC of All Time!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Music | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Phantom der Oper

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A subplot involving a pair of Scotland Yard police inspectors on the trail of the Phantom was shot especially for the American TV version (by the TV companies, not by Hammer). This was a regular occurrence in this era, most notably with Hammer's films The Kiss of the Vampire and The Evil of Frankenstein.

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Goofs

Although there is great attention to the music of the opera - it almost sounds like a real Bernard Herrmann 20th century opera - when the conductor turns the page and it is torn, it is only page two of the score. Act I has been going on for a few minutes, probably roughly 20 pages of a standard score, but the conductor is still on page one which is about six bars, or 10 seconds of music.

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Quotes

The Phantom: I am going to teach you to sing, Christine. I am going to give you a new voice! A voice so wonderful that theatres all over the world will be filled with your admirers. You will be the greatest star the opera has ever known. Greater than the greatest! And when you sing, Christine, you will be singing only... for me.

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Connections

Version of El fantasma de la ópera (1960)

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Soundtracks

"Joan of Arc"
by Edwin Astley

User Reviews

Confusing Remake of a Classic Film

This version of "The Phantom of the Opera" was the second remake of the oft filmed classic tale was produced by England's Hammer Studios who remade most of the old Universal B&W classics of the 30s and 40s.

An Opera based on the life of Joan of Arc is being performed at the Opera house. Several mysterious unexplainable events have taken place. An apparent murder scares off the lead singer and she is replaced by a young aspiring singer, Christine (Heather Sears). A shadowy figure known as The Phantom (Herbert Lom) lurking among the shadows takes a personal interest in the girl. Also taking an interest in her is lecherous Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough) the womanizing entrepreneur. Coming to her aid is the Opera's producer (Edward de Souza) the token hero of the piece.

Needless to say the girl winds up in the Phantom's underground hideaway where she is kept captive until his terrible secret is revealed.

Lom as the Phantom is more of a supporting player rather than the star. The Phantom is played more as a sympathetic character rather than a menace. The real villain of the piece is Gough who steals the film as the unscrupulous D'Arcy. There is also an evil dwarf (Ian Wilson). Lom's makeup as The Phantom is not revealed until the end of the film and then we only get a brief glimpse. It could have been used to much greater effect.

Others in the cast include Thorley Walters as Latimer, the manager of the Opera house and Miles Malleson in a nice bit as the cabby in the park. True Hammer Horror fans will spot Hammer regular Michael Ripper almost unrecognizable as the first cabby who drives the hero and heroine home from the restaurant.

Unfortunately, the producers have left many loose ends. What happens to D'Arcy who is last seen running from the room in which he has just met The Phantom? And the Dwarf? He is literally left hanging at the film's end. Do the baddies get away with it?

The original theatrical version of the film runs 84 minutes. There is also a 98 minute version which adds scenes involving Scotland Yard detectives investigating the goings on at the Opera, a flashback sequence which repeats in its entirety a scene shown earlier and an attempted murder of D'Arcy's mistress all of which add nothing to the film.

No one will ever better the Lon Chaney 1925 silent version of this story but you have to give Hammer credit for at least trying to tell it with a few new twists.