Worldwide Studios has hit hard times and plans on selling its back lot location to some property developers. The only thing standing in the way is the Phantom of Hollywood, a masked madman who lives on the lot in a cave. MGM was planning on tearing down some of its history structures and used that as an opportunity to do this fun updating of the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA myth. If there is such a thing as back lot eye candy porn, this might be the champ. Lots of amazing locations are used throughout this 74 minute TV movie. Perhaps the most interesting thing about it is the opening where director Gene Levitt films the dilapidated sets and buildings and then flashes back to them being used in old MGM productions. The plot isn't anything special (our phantom kidnaps the leading lady as required, but seems to have no real affinity for her) but it is a fun little film. Jack Cassidy is good in a dual role as both the company film archivist and his burn-scarred brother who is the Phantom. Strangely, Cassidy would dies less than two years later in a fire.
11 Reviews
Phantom Indeed...
jwhickman26 November 2011
Interesting little TV-movie, obviously inspired by the more famous Phantom Of The Opera. Nice behind-the-scenes shots of decaying MGM sets, some even in the act of being demolished. Peppered with old stars, Jackie Coogan, etc. A nice companion piece to the William Castle's Ghost Story/Cirlce Of Fear episode "Graveyard Shift" which aired the previous year (1973) featuring John Astin and a pregnant Patty Duke Astin. Both seem to hit upon the same note - a sign of the times - the despair of the end of the Hollywood magic factories and a longing for a return to times and people lost. MGM was becoming a hotel chain and record label as Universal was devolving into television and theme parks.
Hollywood Fantasy
tomsclassics18 July 2002
One of our Hollywood fantasy streets and towns, the MGM backlot, where many a "Twilight Zone" victim, sometimes "Out of Limits" victim lived or wound up, crumples up like old wet cardboard before our very eyes. But, as seen in other scenes in the movie, sadly, perhaps it was too much of a mess to save. But we do get a tour of the backlot sets before it is torn down. And, Jack Cassidy Is the only other reason for looking at this.
Interesting TV movie with a classic feel
Marta11 January 2001
Unfortunately, they were permanently dismantling the old back lot on the MGM studio property when this was being filmed, since the land had been sold to developers, so you watch as a grand old Hollywood institution is methodically destroyed and forever lost. If not for that, this movie would be only an interesting oddity. You see many Hollywood film sets from the old days of the cinema, juxtaposed against their present-day condition, and then you see them demolished. Today, it makes for sad viewing when you realize what history is being thrown away.
The movie itself is fairly good; the premise being that there is a legend of a phantom who protects the studio when it's in danger. The workmen begin disappearing, and a studio exec starts to delve into the history of the studio to try and find out who's doing the killing.
This screams 70's TV movie while you're watching it, but it's a decent film despite that. Jack Cassidy is good, as usual, in the part of the aging film star; he has ego to spare and fits the part extremely well. There are many old Hollywood stars in it, like Broderick Crawford, Jackie Coogan, Peter Lawford, John Ireland, Elisah Cook, Jr., and Billy Halop. All in all, it's a film that is more important than it would have been otherwise, just because of the historic film sets in it that can't be seen anymore. I enjoy this movie immensely, and everyone I talk with about it remembers it fondly. It's worth a look if you can find it.
The movie itself is fairly good; the premise being that there is a legend of a phantom who protects the studio when it's in danger. The workmen begin disappearing, and a studio exec starts to delve into the history of the studio to try and find out who's doing the killing.
This screams 70's TV movie while you're watching it, but it's a decent film despite that. Jack Cassidy is good, as usual, in the part of the aging film star; he has ego to spare and fits the part extremely well. There are many old Hollywood stars in it, like Broderick Crawford, Jackie Coogan, Peter Lawford, John Ireland, Elisah Cook, Jr., and Billy Halop. All in all, it's a film that is more important than it would have been otherwise, just because of the historic film sets in it that can't be seen anymore. I enjoy this movie immensely, and everyone I talk with about it remembers it fondly. It's worth a look if you can find it.
For the classic film buff
amyers-1127 April 2008
This is, frankly, a rather awful movie.
Despite that, however, it is (as some other commenters have noted) a very interesting piece for anyone who enjoys old movie history or wants to learn a little bit more about it. The shots of MGM's back lots and the clips from a plethora of classic movies are nostalgia-provoking even in the layman, and it's hard to avoid a little tug at your heartstrings when the sets are destroyed at the end of the film.
Beware, however, to those who are looking for a Phantom of the Opera retread: this will likely disappoint you. Very few of Leroux's original ideas survive, since the Phantom here is a vehicle to show the destruction of old Hollywood rather than a story point unto himself. There's no love story and no examination of social morals, and the things that do carry over are mostly reworked to suit the new purpose of the film.
That said, the dialogue is terrible, the action cartoonish and in some cases outlandishly unrealistic, and the plotting slipshod. It's not Plan 9, but it's definitely not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination.
If you're a die-hard Phantom of the Opera fan, feel free to add it to your collection (though it's extremely hard to find nowadays), but the real reason to watch this film is to reflect on the milestones of the film industry and to watch the last moments of a bit of movie-making history before its destruction. Even if the writers borrowed Leroux's framework for their story, it is all about Hollywood and its legacy.
Despite that, however, it is (as some other commenters have noted) a very interesting piece for anyone who enjoys old movie history or wants to learn a little bit more about it. The shots of MGM's back lots and the clips from a plethora of classic movies are nostalgia-provoking even in the layman, and it's hard to avoid a little tug at your heartstrings when the sets are destroyed at the end of the film.
Beware, however, to those who are looking for a Phantom of the Opera retread: this will likely disappoint you. Very few of Leroux's original ideas survive, since the Phantom here is a vehicle to show the destruction of old Hollywood rather than a story point unto himself. There's no love story and no examination of social morals, and the things that do carry over are mostly reworked to suit the new purpose of the film.
That said, the dialogue is terrible, the action cartoonish and in some cases outlandishly unrealistic, and the plotting slipshod. It's not Plan 9, but it's definitely not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination.
If you're a die-hard Phantom of the Opera fan, feel free to add it to your collection (though it's extremely hard to find nowadays), but the real reason to watch this film is to reflect on the milestones of the film industry and to watch the last moments of a bit of movie-making history before its destruction. Even if the writers borrowed Leroux's framework for their story, it is all about Hollywood and its legacy.
The phantom of Hollywood
coltras358 August 2022
The famed MGM back lot is home to a million memories of movies gone by. It's also secret home to a masked killer who goes on the rampage when the lot is threatened with redevelopment.
Inspired by the Phantom of the Opera, this is an interesting thriller that melds the sinister with moviemaking nostalgia. You sort of feel sorry for the phantom who is trying to stop the backlots from being torn down. Well-photographed and located, the phantom of Hollywood is atmospheric, fun and boasts a tour de force performance from Jack Cassidy.
Inspired by the Phantom of the Opera, this is an interesting thriller that melds the sinister with moviemaking nostalgia. You sort of feel sorry for the phantom who is trying to stop the backlots from being torn down. Well-photographed and located, the phantom of Hollywood is atmospheric, fun and boasts a tour de force performance from Jack Cassidy.
We're destroying the backlot anyway, so let's film a movie around the debris.
mark.waltz24 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
That's basically what happens in this entertaining piece of nostalgia that surrounds the wrecking ball entering MGM studios, here known as worldwide films. Mentions of actors and films and even clips confirms all that, and it's a great double Bill to be seen with the same year's "That's Entertainment!" the sad state of the big train that Fred Astaire walked by in that movie where he filmed scenes for "The Band Wagon" is utilized here, and the initial scene showing juvenile delinquents breaking into the studio and wrecking things just to be nasty is indeed disturbing. But I'm not sorry to say that they get what's coming to them from the presence of a phantom inside one of the facades of a building from the middle ages, and that is a phantom of Hollywood.
An All-Star cast of current Hollywood actors and faces of the past fleches this out, with Broderick Crawford as a police chief investigating the death of the two delinquents and later on involved when more murders take place, and Peter Lawford as a developer that takes over the land where the backlot was. It's a last opportunity to use the sets, many in ratty condition, and it is also a bit depressing as the memory of great movies shown in clips passes through your mind.
There is a last party on the lot, and this leads to the horrific murder of someone that we find out as the phantom's brother. Like "Phantom of the Opera", there is a young girl involved, and it turns out that these she is the daughter of the man buying the property. Skye Aubrey isn't destined to become a household name, but she does a fine job as she hears the phantom story and begins to gain a bit of sympathy for him.
it's not giving away too much to indicate that it is Jack Cassidy behind the phantom's mask, also playing the brother who has worked in the stills department since the silent era. Cassidy, a known ham on TV and in movies and a popular Broadway musical star, gives probably his best screen performance, and hidden behind maze cup, you don't get to see the handsome profile that was often compared to John Barrymore and Errol Flynn. Headshots reveal who he is and his story, indicating the stardom for him that only lasted for a brief time, justifies a bit of the bitterness.
So this is a bittersweet movie, a hard comment on the times and a slam at the developers taking over studio properties as well as the movie goers themselves who wanted location footage on the real streets of real cities rather than the artificiality that went on behind the scenes on the backlot.
An All-Star cast of current Hollywood actors and faces of the past fleches this out, with Broderick Crawford as a police chief investigating the death of the two delinquents and later on involved when more murders take place, and Peter Lawford as a developer that takes over the land where the backlot was. It's a last opportunity to use the sets, many in ratty condition, and it is also a bit depressing as the memory of great movies shown in clips passes through your mind.
There is a last party on the lot, and this leads to the horrific murder of someone that we find out as the phantom's brother. Like "Phantom of the Opera", there is a young girl involved, and it turns out that these she is the daughter of the man buying the property. Skye Aubrey isn't destined to become a household name, but she does a fine job as she hears the phantom story and begins to gain a bit of sympathy for him.
it's not giving away too much to indicate that it is Jack Cassidy behind the phantom's mask, also playing the brother who has worked in the stills department since the silent era. Cassidy, a known ham on TV and in movies and a popular Broadway musical star, gives probably his best screen performance, and hidden behind maze cup, you don't get to see the handsome profile that was often compared to John Barrymore and Errol Flynn. Headshots reveal who he is and his story, indicating the stardom for him that only lasted for a brief time, justifies a bit of the bitterness.
So this is a bittersweet movie, a hard comment on the times and a slam at the developers taking over studio properties as well as the movie goers themselves who wanted location footage on the real streets of real cities rather than the artificiality that went on behind the scenes on the backlot.
The end of Hollywood
BandSAboutMovies29 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The Phantom of Hollywood was one of the last films shot on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer backlot, which was being demolished at the time of filming. It's actually a major plot point, as it takes the place of the backlot of Worldwide Studios, the fictional studio within this movie.
A disfigured actor - just like the Phantom of the Opera - is killing anyone that tries to take down the studio. There are some great shots of famous films of the past - The Philadelphia Story, Grand Hotel, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Wizard of Oz - juxtaposed with the sets that have fallen into disrepair.
In 1974, no one - perhaps save the Phantom - knew the value of this history.
This one has a great cast, with Jack Cassidy (father of Shaun and David), Broderick Crawford, Peter Lawford, Jackie Coogan, John Ireland, Kent Taylor, Corinne Calvet and more appearing. It was written by George Schenck, who the normal world may know as one of the main writers and executive producers of NCIS, but we know as the writer, producer and director of Superbeast (and the writer of Turkey Shoot, too!). Director Gene Levitt is best known for creating Fantasy Island.
A disfigured actor - just like the Phantom of the Opera - is killing anyone that tries to take down the studio. There are some great shots of famous films of the past - The Philadelphia Story, Grand Hotel, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Wizard of Oz - juxtaposed with the sets that have fallen into disrepair.
In 1974, no one - perhaps save the Phantom - knew the value of this history.
This one has a great cast, with Jack Cassidy (father of Shaun and David), Broderick Crawford, Peter Lawford, Jackie Coogan, John Ireland, Kent Taylor, Corinne Calvet and more appearing. It was written by George Schenck, who the normal world may know as one of the main writers and executive producers of NCIS, but we know as the writer, producer and director of Superbeast (and the writer of Turkey Shoot, too!). Director Gene Levitt is best known for creating Fantasy Island.
A clever, even poignant, take off of "Phantom of the Opera"
m2mallory10 October 2013
There have been so many remakes and ripoffs of "The Phantom of the Opera" that they all tend to blend together, though the made-for-TV "The Phantom of Hollywood" carries the distinction of showing us the end of an era taking place as we watch. It follows the original story fairly closely, but translates it to a Hollywood movie studio that is on the verge of selling off its backlot property to developers, since nobody uses the ramshackle sets anymore. The studio in question is called "Worldwide," but it is really MGM. It was filmed at MGM, it utilizes old film clips from MGM classic movies, its music score is peppered with classic songs from MGM films, and there's even a reference to Andy Hardy's house on the backlot, "Andy Hardy" being a long-running MGM series. Why they didn't call it MGM and be done with it is anyone's guess. As for the plot, a mysterious hooded figure living under the backlot desperately fights against its destruction, because it is his home. Who he is, and why he is hiding, is all part of the mystery. "The Phantom of Hollywood" is not a spoof, though it has its humorous and ironic moments, and a few standard clichés found in all films set in a movie studio, such as the ubiquitous shot of exotically dressed extras wandering around in between the soundstages, and the fact that none of the film executives ever seem to do any actual work. There is also an in-joke in making leading lady Skye Aubrey the daughter of the studio head, since Aubrey herself was the daughter of James Aubrey, the head of CBS, which aired the picture. It features a good cast of veterans, including Peter Lawford, Jackie Coogan, Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Corinne Calvet, Regis Toomey, Kent Taylor, and even former Dead End Kid Billy Hallop in a bit. Peter Haskell is the nominal hero and Jack Cassidy, in heavy makeup, plays the mysterious studio historian...could he be the masked killer? Well, not really; the mystery goes a little deeper than that. While it has its creepy moments, the film isn't all that scary. The real horror is watching the old, very recognizable MGM backlot sets being bulldozed to the ground on camera. By this point in time nothing could have saved them, but for film buffs, it's a bit like watching a snuff film. But that is the whole point of "The Phantom of Hollywood"...that era of movie-making was by that point as obsolete as a silent film.
Fun For What It Is
Michael_Elliott21 January 2017
The Phantom of Hollywood (1974)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Worldwide Studio has fallen on some hard times so a decision is to made to sell its back lot to some developers, which will bring in some much needed cash but at the same time it would take away from historic nature. This doesn't sit well with a mysterious figure who starts murdering people on the lot.
This here is basically a remake of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with the main interest being that "Worldwide Studio" is actually MGM. Yes, MGM is the back lot that is used here and some of the most interesting moments happen early on when we see how some of the sets currently look and then we get a clip of the movie that they were once featured in. We get some pretty fascinating scenes doing this and there's another section where some of the MGM classics like SAN FRANCISCO, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and GRAND HOTEL are paid tribute to.
As far as the rest of the film goes, it's a pretty routine murder-mystery but at the same time there's a nice cast that helps keep the film moving even if its 74-minute running time seems a bit longer. I actually really liked the look of the killer as well as his choice of weapon. They really did seem like a costume from the 1930s and as I said we also get a nice cast. Jack Cassidy, Jackie Coogan, Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Peter Lawford and Kent Taylor are all fun to watch here and certainly add to the entertainment.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Worldwide Studio has fallen on some hard times so a decision is to made to sell its back lot to some developers, which will bring in some much needed cash but at the same time it would take away from historic nature. This doesn't sit well with a mysterious figure who starts murdering people on the lot.
This here is basically a remake of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with the main interest being that "Worldwide Studio" is actually MGM. Yes, MGM is the back lot that is used here and some of the most interesting moments happen early on when we see how some of the sets currently look and then we get a clip of the movie that they were once featured in. We get some pretty fascinating scenes doing this and there's another section where some of the MGM classics like SAN FRANCISCO, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and GRAND HOTEL are paid tribute to.
As far as the rest of the film goes, it's a pretty routine murder-mystery but at the same time there's a nice cast that helps keep the film moving even if its 74-minute running time seems a bit longer. I actually really liked the look of the killer as well as his choice of weapon. They really did seem like a costume from the 1930s and as I said we also get a nice cast. Jack Cassidy, Jackie Coogan, Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Peter Lawford and Kent Taylor are all fun to watch here and certainly add to the entertainment.
Cheesy
drednm15 July 2018
Trite story of "phantom" who lives on the back lot at a Hollywood movie studio (MGM actually) in a cave. He gets nasty when the studio sells off the acreage and starts destroying the old sets.
TV movie with a few name stars has Peter Lawford as the studio head, Broderick Crawford and John Ireland as cops, Peter Haskell as the studio PR guy, Jackie Coogan as a film editor, Jack Cassidy as a photo archive guy, and Skye Aubrey as Lawford's daughter.
Cameo appearances by Regis Toomey as a guard, Billy Halop as an engineer, and Kent Taylor and Corinne Calvet as the "premiere" add nothing to the story.
The 70-year-old phantom, racing around the lost makes no sense. When they start to bulldoze the sets, the fall down like the cardboard and plywood they are. The real sets might have been only facades, but they were built out of real building materials. It's almost funny to hear the sound effects as the cardboard sets fall down.
The most interesting part of the movie is the use of movie clips. We see some real special effects from SAN FRANCISCO, Charles Laughton and Clark Gable in MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, Jaen Harlow and Marie Dressler in DINNER AT EIGHT, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Greta Garbo and John Barrymore in GRAND HOTEL, Mickey Rooney in YOUNG TOM EDISON, and clips from THE WIZARD OF OZ and the silent version of BEN-HUR (complete with roaring crowds!). There are passing mentions of John Gilbert and Joan Crawford.
The acting is terrible and the make-up is even worse. Hard to believe they spent money on re-mastering this for a DVD release when so many real classic films are sitting on shelves in archives.
TV movie with a few name stars has Peter Lawford as the studio head, Broderick Crawford and John Ireland as cops, Peter Haskell as the studio PR guy, Jackie Coogan as a film editor, Jack Cassidy as a photo archive guy, and Skye Aubrey as Lawford's daughter.
Cameo appearances by Regis Toomey as a guard, Billy Halop as an engineer, and Kent Taylor and Corinne Calvet as the "premiere" add nothing to the story.
The 70-year-old phantom, racing around the lost makes no sense. When they start to bulldoze the sets, the fall down like the cardboard and plywood they are. The real sets might have been only facades, but they were built out of real building materials. It's almost funny to hear the sound effects as the cardboard sets fall down.
The most interesting part of the movie is the use of movie clips. We see some real special effects from SAN FRANCISCO, Charles Laughton and Clark Gable in MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, Jaen Harlow and Marie Dressler in DINNER AT EIGHT, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Greta Garbo and John Barrymore in GRAND HOTEL, Mickey Rooney in YOUNG TOM EDISON, and clips from THE WIZARD OF OZ and the silent version of BEN-HUR (complete with roaring crowds!). There are passing mentions of John Gilbert and Joan Crawford.
The acting is terrible and the make-up is even worse. Hard to believe they spent money on re-mastering this for a DVD release when so many real classic films are sitting on shelves in archives.
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