Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Brian De Palma (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Music | Musical | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The music made him do it!

Plot:

A disfigured composer sells his soul for the woman he loves so that she will perform his music. However, an evil record tycoon betrays him and steals his music to open his rock palace.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Rock Palace | Rock Opera | Faust | Composer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

William Finley	...	Winslow / The Phantom
Paul Williams	...	Swan
Jessica Harper	...	Phoenix
Gerrit Graham	...	Beef
George Memmoli	...	Philbin
Archie Hahn	...	The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads
Jeffrey Comanor	...	The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads
Peter Elbling	...	The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads (as Harold Oblong)
Colin Cameron	...	Band
David Garland	...	Band
Gary Mallaber	...	Band
Art Munson	...	Band
Mary Margaret Amato	...	Swan's Entourage
Rand Bridges	...	Swan's Entourage
James Bohan	...	Swan's Entourage
Herb Pacheco	...	Assassin
Jennifer Ashley	...	Groupie
Janit Baldwin	...	Groupie
Janus Blythe	...	Groupie (as Janis Eve Lynn)
Katherine Mastellos	...	Groupie
Robin Mattson	...	Groupie
Patrice Rohmer	...	Groupie
Ruthy Ross	...	Groupie (as Ruthey Ross)
Cheryl Smith	...	Groupie
April Troy	...	Groupie
Walter Foster	...	Cop
Peter Harrell	...	Cop
Troy Haskins	...	Judge
Gene Gross	...	Warden
Henry Calvert	...	Nightwatchman
Ken Carpenter	...	Stagehand
Sam Forney	...	Stagehand
Leslie Brewer	...	Surfgirl
Celia Derr	...	Surfgirl
Linda Larimer	...	Surfgirl
Roseanne Romine	...	Surfgirl
Nydia Amagas	...	Dancer
Sara Ballantine	...	Dancer
Kristi Bird	...	Dancer
Cathy Buttner	...	Dancer
Linda Cox	...	Dancer
Jane DeFord	...	Dancer
Bibi Hansen	...	Dancer
Robin Jeep	...	Dancer
Deen Summers	...	Dancer
Judy Washington	...	Dancer
Susan Weiser	...	Dancer
Janet Savarino	...	Singing Twin
Jean Savarino	...	Singing Twin
Keith Allison	...	Country & Western Singer
Bobby Birkenfeld	...	Guy
Sandy Catton	...	Black Singers (as Sandy Catton & friends)
William Donovan	...	Reporter
Edmund Lane	...	Reporter (as Scott Lane)
Dennis Olivieri	...	Reporter
Adam Wade	...	Reporter
Nancy Moses	...	Back-Up Singer
Diana Walden	...	Back-Up Singer
Sherri Adeline	...	Girl in Ticket Line
Carol O'Leary	...	Betty Lou
Marty Bongfeldt	...	Mini-bopper (as Marty Bongfeld)
Coleen Crudden	...	Mini-bopper
Bridgett Dunn	...	Mini-bopper
William Shephard	...	Rock Freak
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shelly Desai	...	Dental Health Volunteer #1 (uncredited)
Ray Kennedy	...	Beef (singing voice) (uncredited)
Rod Serling	...	Introductory Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian De Palma

Writing credits
Brian De Palma		(written by)

Produced by
Michael Arciaga	....	associate producer
Gustave M. Berne	....	executive producer (as Gustave Berne)
Jeffrey L. Hayes	....	associate producer (as Jeffrey Hayes)
Paul Lewis	....	associate producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
Lynn Pressman-Raymond	....	assistant producer (as Lynn Raymond)
Bill Scott	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Paul Williams

Cinematography by
Larry Pizer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch

Casting by
Sylvia Fay
Gino Havens
Peggy Taylor

Production Design by
Jack Fisk

Costume Design by
Rosanna Norton

Makeup Department
John Chambers	....	makeup designer
Rolf Miller	....	makeup artist
Anna Sugano	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gary Kent	....	unit manager
Thomas Lightburn	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael J. Dmytryk	....	assistant director (as Michael Dmytryk)
Robert Enrietto	....	second assistant director
Burt Bluestein	....	second assistant director: New York (uncredited)

Art Department
Michel Levesque	....	construction coordinator (as Michael Levesque)
Erik L. Nelson	....	property master (as Erik Nelson)
Sissy Spacek	....	set dresser
Brian Swain	....	construction coordinator
John Alvin	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harriet Fidlow	....	assistant sound editor (as Harriet Glickstein)
Al Gramaglia	....	sound mixer
Dan Sable	....	sound editor
David Schneiderman	....	boom operator
James M. Tanenbaum	....	sound (as James Tanenbaum)

Special Effects by
Greg Auer	....	special effects

Stunts
Andy Epper	....	stunt double: Winslow (as Andrew Epper)
James Gambino	....	stunt double: Swan
Jim Lovelett	....	stunt double: Winslow
Steven Richmond	....	stunt double: Swan

Camera and Electrical Department
John L. Black	....	grip (as John Black)
Terry Bowen	....	second assistant camera
Richard Cronn	....	best boy
Sean Doyle	....	assistant camera
Robert Elfstrom	....	special photography for wedding
Cary Griffith	....	grip
Tim Griffith	....	gaffer
Maurice Horton	....	electrician
Bruce Kaye	....	second assistant camera
Paul Marcus	....	electrician
Jack Palinkas	....	key grip
James Signorelli	....	special photography for wedding
Darryl Smith	....	electrician
Mike Taylor	....	grip
Ronnie Taylor	....	camera operator (as Ronald Taylor)
Mike Redding	....	electrician (uncredited)
Philip Sloan	....	electrician: Dallas (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Peter Jamison	....	associate costume designer

Editorial Department
Paul Hirsch	....	montage

Music Department
Michael Arciaga	....	music supervisor
Jules Chaikin	....	music supervisor
John Fox	....	assistant music editor
Ed Norton	....	music editor
George Aliceson Tipton	....	composer: additional score
George Aliceson Tipton	....	conductor: additional scoring
Paul Williams	....	music producer

Other crew
Alexa Bodrero	....	assistant to director
Ken Carpenter	....	production assistant
Judith Cohen	....	production secretary
Adrian Cumming	....	production assistant
J. Daniel Dusek	....	production assistant (as Dan Dusek)
Peter Elbling	....	choreographer (as Harold Oblong)
Karen Gilbert	....	production assistant
Deborah Howe	....	assistant to producer
Cassandra Kaye	....	script supervisor
William Shephard	....	choreographer for wedding
Stanley Weiser	....	production assistant
Edward Summer	....	marketing consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Harbor Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox-MGM Film (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Fox-Lira (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM-Fox (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (199?) (Japan) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (laserdisc)
• Capelight Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Future Film (200?) (Finland) (DVD)
• Key Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Oregon Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1996) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• A&M Records  original soundtrack available on
• Centaur Music Productions  electronic music synthesizer furnished by (as Centaur Music Productions Inc. at The Record Plant)
• Filmusic  music supervision
• Magno Sound  sound mixing
• Optical House, The  opticals
• Soundlabs  music recorded at (as Soundlabs, Hollywood)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Movielab)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Iceland:14 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1996) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Harbor Productions

Trivia:

At the airport when Beef is introduced, the Death Records logo on the lectern was superimposed over the original logo for Swan Song Records to avoid conflict with Led Zeppelin's record label, which had sued. Although the film's producers were certain they would win due to the fact that the phrase was common long before, they decided to make the change in order to get the film finished quickly rather than go through a prolonged court fight.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Winslow is visiting the Death Records building for the first time, Swan Song Enterprises is visible above the doors. Swan Song was apparently changed to Death Records by the producers to avoid legal hassles with Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label.

Quotes:

Winslow Leach:But I'm innocent! Swan stole my music and FRAMED ME!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lupin the Third: The Secret of Mamo (1978)

Soundtrack:

The Phantom's Theme

A long lost, but not forgotten Midnight Movie Classic

Still playing on double-bills with The Rocky Horror Picture Show in England, Brian DePalma's foray into the psychodelic world of the musical excesses that was the 70's becomes more than just another rock musical. With a fusion of Faust, Dorian Grey, Phantom of the Opera, the Twilight Zone (courtesy of an opening narration by Rod Serling)and Psycho, using multiple camera angles cleaved into split screens, we follow the tragic trials and tribulations of one Winslow Leech (William Findley, the scary side splitting surgeon of DePalma's "Sisters"), composer, whose music is stolen by mook henchman Philbin (George Memmoli, Joey Clams of Scorsese's "Mean Streets")on the orders of his boss, rock impresario Swan (song writer Paul Williams, in a role that must have had him giddy) to be used in the opening of his new rock palace, The Paradise.

Attempting to get his music back, Winslow befriends a young, up and coming singer called Phoenix (Jessica Harper, who many have accused of being woefully miscast. Watch for her in "My Favorite Year"). Beaten by Philbin, set up on drug charges by Swan, subjected to stainless steel dentures because of Swan's own campaign to wipe out dental decay in the penal system, Leech escapes prison upon hearing his music on the radio, breaks into the record factory, and when caught, accidentally has his faced mauled by a hot record press, and sent moaning in pain into the East River.

Swan continues his preps for the opening, using his former 50's doo-wop group, the Juicy Fruits, now a surfer band called The Beach Bums (Later, they become a Kiss-like bunch called The Undead. The band is made up of the same three actors, Archie Hahn, Jeffery Commanor and Harold Oblong. Watch for Hahn in many more films, including "Innerspace" as the deadly deliveryman), to perform Winslow's music. A shadowy figure, donning a leather bodysuit, lame lined cape and a hawk-like mask invades the Paradise and starts reeking havoc.

From here, all the cliches play out from Phantom of the Opera, but in one absolutely looney twist is the addition of a fay glitter rock star called Beef (Gerrit Graham, singing voice by Ray Kennedy), who delivers a Hitchcock homage that will never let you look at Janet Leigh in the Bates Motel shower the same way ever again. Toss in a bit of Dorian Grey, with a videotape instead of a portrait taking on the years(and we wonder about Dick Clark's never aging profile!), a strange transformation of several musical themes, all familiar but somehow morphed into different personnas, and you have a cult classic on your hands.

This movie fits into so many different viewer interest groups. First, the DePalma fans, watching his early work before classics like "Sisters", "Carrie" and "Dressed To Kill"; for musicians/soundtrack fanatics, the mutation of a handful of themes into different works, as well as an incidental soundtrack filled with string quartets, classic piano and organ; for movie trivia fans, the appearance of the star of one of DePalma's all time suspense/horror classics as a production associate, not as an actress (I'm not telling you. watch the credits!).

For the rest of us, a great popcorn night movie that will leave you laughing, tapping your feet and wondering "Where was I when this movie came out and how did I miss it the first time?"