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IMDbPro

The Phantom of the Opera

  • 19251925
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
18K
YOUR RATING
Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, and Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Watch ’Trailer’
Play trailer2:46
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Horror
A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer.A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer.A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
18K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Rupert Julian
    • Lon Chaney(uncredited)
    • Ernst Laemmle(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Gaston Leroux(from the 1910 celebrated novel by)
    • Walter Anthony(titles)
    • Elliott J. Clawson(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Lon Chaney
    • Mary Philbin
    • Norman Kerry
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Rupert Julian
    • Lon Chaney(uncredited)
    • Ernst Laemmle(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Gaston Leroux(from the 1910 celebrated novel by)
    • Walter Anthony(titles)
    • Elliott J. Clawson(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Lon Chaney
    • Mary Philbin
    • Norman Kerry
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 161User reviews
    • 101Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:46
    Trailer

    Photos120

    Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney, Norman Kerry, and Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
    Mary Philbin in The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lon Chaney
    Lon Chaney
    • The Phantomas The Phantom
    Mary Philbin
    Mary Philbin
    • Christine Daaeas Christine Daae
    Norman Kerry
    Norman Kerry
    • Vicomte Raoul de Chagnyas Vicomte Raoul de Chagny
    Arthur Edmund Carewe
    Arthur Edmund Carewe
    • Ledouxas Ledoux
    Gibson Gowland
    Gibson Gowland
    • Simon Buquetas Simon Buquet
    John St. Polis
    John St. Polis
    • Comte Philip de Chagnyas Comte Philip de Chagny
    • (as John Sainpolis)
    Snitz Edwards
    Snitz Edwards
    • Florine Papillonas Florine Papillon
    Mary Fabian
    Mary Fabian
    • Carlottaas Carlotta
    Virginia Pearson
    Virginia Pearson
    • Carlottaas Carlotta
    • (1929 re-edited version)
    • …
    Alma Wayne
    • Undetermined Secondary Roleas Undetermined Secondary Role
    Olive Ann Alcorn
    Olive Ann Alcorn
    • La Sorellias La Sorelli
    • (uncredited)
    Betty Allen
    • Ballerinaas Ballerina
    • (uncredited)
    Betty Arthur
    • Ballet danceras Ballet dancer
    • (uncredited)
    Joseph Belmont
    • Stage Manageras Stage Manager
    • (uncredited)
    Alexander Bevani
    Alexander Bevani
    • Mephistophelesas Mephistopheles
    • (uncredited)
    Earl Gordon Bostwick
    • Minor Roleas Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    Ethel Broadhurst
    • Frightened Ballerinaas Frightened Ballerina
    • (uncredited)
    Edward Cecil
    • Faustas Faust
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Rupert Julian
      • Lon Chaney(uncredited)
      • Ernst Laemmle(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Gaston Leroux(from the 1910 celebrated novel by)
      • Walter Anthony(titles) (uncredited)
      • Elliott J. Clawson(adaptation) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Lon Chaney's horrific, self-applied make-up was kept secret right up until the film's premiere. Not a single photograph of Chaney as The Phantom was published in a newspaper or magazine or seen anywhere before the film opened in theaters. Universal Pictures wanted The Phantom's face to be a complete surprise when his mask was ripped off.
    • Goofs
      When the crowd grabs Erik alongside the Seine, they are in such a rage that some people accidentally fall into the river. However, it appears they deliberately run and jump into the water, rather than being pushed or jostled. Another one runs down the stairs and is about to jump just as the scene ends.
    • Quotes

      The Phantom: [Christine sees a casket in the room] That is where I sleep. It keeps me reminded of that other dreamless sleep that cures all ills - forever!

      Christine Daae: You - You are the Phantom!

      The Phantom: 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.

    • Crazy credits
      In 1925 (and for many years afterwards), credits used to appear at the beginning of movies. In The Phantom of the Opera (1925), the credits do appear at the beginning and also are repeated at the end, preceded by the following caption: "This is repeated at the request of picture patrons who desire to check the names of performers whose work has pleased them."
    • Alternate versions
      In 2012 it was determined that an "accidental 3-D" version of the film existed. From an examination of various prints of the film, it was discovered that most - if not all - of the original film was shot using two cameras placed side-by-side. This was most likely done to create simultaneous master and safety/domestic and foreign negatives of the film. However, when synched together and anaglyph color-tinted, the spatial distance between the two simultaneous film strips translates into an effective 3-D film. Under the working title of LA FANTOME 3D, a fund-raising effort is under way to locate and restore (create) a full "accidental 3-D" version of the film.
    • Connections
      Edited into Drácula (1931)

    User reviews161

    Review
    Top review
    Seeing this one with Mary was an unforgettable experience!
    My goodness...close to fifty years ago I saw this film in the company of its leading lady, Mary Philbin. She was a friend of an unforgettable lady our family had met when we moved from New England to southern California. Our mutual friend was constantly prodding Miss Philbin, who had become quite reclusive after retiring from the screen, to get out and enjoy life. (They took a trip to Europe one summer, for instance.) One evening she persuaded Mary, who was extremely reluctant, by the way, to accompany us to the silent movie theater on Fairfax Ave., not far from Hollywood Blvd. and the site of Grauman's Chinese Theater and other first-run movie palaces, to see a revival of "The Phantom of the Opera." That old theater, not in the least luxurious and quite small, was a virtual shrine for lovers of silent films. Management had obtained a print of this film in acceptable condition, though I don't recall that the Technicolor sequence had been preserved in that print and, on that evening anyway, there was no musical accompaniment.

    Mary dreaded the experience of seeing one of her old films amid a mid-Fifties audience, which she feared would find the film a subject of comical curiosity rather than a piece of genuinely enthralling entertainment. We joined the rest of the audience that night in enjoying the experience of seeing the film, however, and Mary was relieved that she had consented to accompany us (though she insisted that we shield her from any possible recognition, not too easy to do, since she had hardly changed in appearance in the quarter-century since that classic's production.) I, for one, remember being amazed at the care and expense that had obviously been lavished on its production.

    Not very long after that evening, we went to a neighborhood theater in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to see James Cagney in the 1957 Universal-International biographical film about Lon Chaney, Sr., "Man of a Thousand Faces," again with Mary Philbin in our company. The unmasking scene from "The Phantom of the Opera" was rather perfunctorily recreated, with an actress playing Mary who did not resemble her. As we exited the theater, Mary and our family friend, who had quite a few early Hollywood associations (She had once been married to Ernst Lubitsch, the legendary director, when they first came to Hollywood from their native Germany.), regaled me with reminiscences about Irving Thalberg (played in the film by a young Robert Evans), whom they had both known and for whom they had quite a high regard.

    Mary remained a family friend over the years until her death more than thirty years later. She led a very quiet life, for many years occupying a house she had owned since the days of her stardom (only a few blocks north on Fairfax Ave. from that silent movie revival house!) I remember her with great fondness for her modesty and extraordinary sweetness.
    helpful•21
    2
    • gregcouture
    • Apr 25, 2003

    FAQ5

    • What year does the film take place?
    • I've heard there are different versions of the film. What version of the film am I viewing?
    • How much of the film was presented in color?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 15, 1925 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Also known as
      • Phantom of the Opera
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 28, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,751,476
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,360,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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