The Phantom of the Opera

Director: Rupert Julian, Edward Sedgwick, Lon Chaney

Overview

"Lon Chaney stars as Erik, the Phantom, in what is probably his most famous and certainly his most horrifying role. Produced by Universal, the film shot in 1923 and shelved for nearly two years, and was subjected to intensive studio tinkering. While many

Product Details

Release Date:	01/22/2002
UPC:	0089218318893
Original Release:	1925
Source:	Alpha Video
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[silent]
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00
Sales rank:	31,794

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Lon Chaney	The Phantom
Mary Philbin	Christine Daae
Norman Kerry	Raoul de Chagny
Snitz Edwards	Florine Papillon
Gibson Gowland	Simon
Edward Martindel	Philippe de Chagny
Virginia Pearson	Carlotta
Arthur Edmund Carewe	Ledoux
Edith Yorke	Mama Valerius
Anton Vaverka	Prompter
Bernard Siegel	Joseph Buguet
Olive Ann Alcorn	La Sorelli
Cesare Gravina	Manager
George B. Williams	Mons. Ricard
Bruce Covington	Mons. Moncharmin
Edward Cecil	Faust
Alexander Bevani	Mephistopheles
Grace Marvin	Martha
Ward Crane	Count Ruboff
Chester Conklin	Orderly
William Tryoler	Director of Opera Orchestra
John Miljan	Valentine
John St. Polis	Philippe de Chagny [silent version]
George B. William	M. Richard, manager
Philip Springer	Composer
Rick Wakeman	Composer

Technical Credits

Elliott J. Clawson

Raymond Schrock

Tom Reed

Frank M. McCormack

Elliott J. Clawson	Screenwriter
Raymond Schrock	Screenwriter
Carl Laemmle	Producer
Tom Reed	Screenwriter
Carl Laemmle Jr.	Producer
Frank M. McCormack	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Side #1 --
2. Chapter 1 [31:32]
3. Chapter 2 [12:34]
4. Chapter 3 [19:37]
5. Chapter 4 [19:49]

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Side #1 --
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Index

Editorial Reviews

Heavily influenced by German Expressionism, with its moody sets and murky patterns of shadows and light, The Phantom of the Opera set the style for such subsequent films as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The melodramatic tale of a deformed man, an abused outsider all his life, searching for love in a world of socialites repulsed by his presence, obviously derives from Victor Hugo's classic Hunchback novel. The film's visual emphasis on subterranean settings and impressive sets, such as the Paris Opera House, also clearly informed these later films. As the Phantom, Lon Chaney created such an empathetic villain that it was nearly impossible not to root for him. The groundbreaking use of the costly two-strip Technicolor process in some key scenes is tremendously effective in conveying the film's tone. On-set battles led to a series of directors, including Chaney himself, taking the helm for different scenes, but the final vision was that of New Zealander Rupert Julian. Even as the story deteriorates into hokey melodrama, Chaney's riveting performance holds the film together to the end. The moment when the Phantom's mask is ripped away remains one of the most chilling moments in movie history.