The Phantom of the Opera (1990) (TV)

Director:

Tony Richardson

Writers (WGA):

Gaston Leroux (novel)
Arthur Kopit (play)

Release Date:

18 March 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

Count de Chagnie has discovered Christine's singing talent on a market place and sent her to his friend Carriere...

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Phantom | Love | Paris Opera | Subterranean

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Gerard Carriere
Adam Storke	...	Count Philippe de Chagny
Teri Polo	...	Christine Daee
Charles Dance	...	Erik The Phantom of the Opera
Ian Richardson	...	Cholet
Andréa Ferréol	...	Carlotta
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Inspector Ledoux
Jean Rougerie	...	Jean-Claude
André Chaumeau	...	Joseph Buguet
Marie-Thérèse Orain	...	Madame Giry
Marie-Christine Robert	...	Flora
Marie Lenoir	...	Florence
Anne Roumanoff	...	Fleure
Jean Dupouy	...	Alfredo (singer 'Faust')
Jacques Mars	...	Oroyeso (singer 'Mephisto')

Also Known As:

Le fantôme de l'opéra (France)
Phantom der Oper (Germany)

Runtime:

168 min

Country:

USA | France | Italy | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Hexatel

Trivia:

This film only aired twice. It's original air date was on NBC in 1990. The film was subsequently shown in the mid 90's on A&E.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Christine Daae's last name is mispelled on one of the posters for the production of "Faust" inside the opera house.

Quotes:

Erik The Phantom of the Opera: [hearing Carlotta singing for the first time] My God... this place really *is* haunted! What is *that?*
Gerard Carriere: From the sound, I would say it's Carlotta... the new star.
Erik The Phantom of the Opera: [looking thunderstruck] She can't sing!
Gerard Carriere: Well, obviously, she doesn't know that.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Behind the Mask: The Story of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

La Traviata

I think the best "Phantom" made to date!

1990 two-part Brit film, made for TV to take advantage of the interest in the then hit Broadway musical. This one is not a musical, but has numerous excellent operatic scenes. A young Comte, patron of the opera, hears a beautiful singer at a country fair, sends her to the impresario of the opera house to arrange for singing lessons. That manager has just been dismissed, succeeded by a scurrilous couple played by jealous, demanding soprano Andréa Ferréol and her husband, fawning Ian Richardson. He's in a very different role for him, which couldn't keep out his usual officious nature behind a very strange semi-Italian accent! I imagine he relished every second of it. Ferréol demands the leading roles in every opera, refuses to give lovely ingenue Teri Polo lessons, but lets her stay on as her costume girl and dresser to lesser players. Veteran character actor Charles Dance does a fine job as Erik, the Phantom, as does Burt Lancaster as the ousted manager. Unlike that famous organ scene in the Lon Chaney 1925 silent, we never see Erik's face. When he is unmasked, his back remains to the camera. I've seen most if not all of the film "Phantoms" and deem this the finest of all. Direction, sets, locations are all absolutely outstanding. The TV film originally ran on two different nights, with complete, long opening titles and closing credits run both times. The first installment ends suddenly with the huge chandelier crashing down on opera patrons. Tres abrupt! Viewers must fiddle around with controls to jump to the "next scene", the film's concluding half, and sit through those titles again. Should have been re-edited for home viewers. But the performance itself is well worth it, after one figures all this out. A very strange trailer is included as the third CD "scene".