The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 American silent horror film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, directed by Rupert Julian and starring Lon Chaney in the title role of the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House,[1] causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star. The film remains most famous for Chaney's ghastly, self-devised make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. The picture also features Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis and Snitz Edwards. The last surviving cast member was Carla Laemmle (1909-2014), niece of producer Carl Laemmle, who played a small role as a "prima ballerina" in the film when she was about 15 years old. The film was released on September 6, 1925, premiering at the Astor Theatre in New York. Vaudeville stars Broderick & Felsen created a live prologue for the film's Broadway presentation at the B.S. Moss Colony Theater beginning on November 28, 1925. The film's final budget was $632,357.[2]
The Phantom of the Opera
- Rupert Julian
- Uncredited:
- Lon Chaney
- Ernst Laemmle
- Edward Sedgwick
- Uncredited:
- Walter Anthony
- Elliott J. Clawson
- Bernard McConville
- Frank M. McCormack
- Tom Reed
- Raymond L. Schrock
- Jasper Spearing
- Richard Wallace
The Phantom of the Opera
1910 novel
by Gaston Leroux
- Lon Chaney
- Norman Kerry
- Mary Philbin
- Arthur Edmund Carewe
- Gibson Gowland
- Snitz Edwards
- Bernard Seigel
- Charles Van Enger
- Uncredited Additional Photography:
- Milton Bridenbecker
- Virgil Miller
- Edward Curtiss
- Maurice Pivar
- Gilmore Walker
- Lois Weber
Universal Pictures
- 107 minutes
(Original cut) - 94 minutes
(1929 Sound Re-release) - 92 minutes
(Eastman House print, 20 fps) - 78 minutes
(Eastman House print, 24 fps)
United States
$2 million $1 million (1929 Sound Re-release)
In 1953, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.
Reception[edit]
Initial response[edit]
Initial critical response for the film was mixed. Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times gave the film a positive review as a spectacle picture, but felt that the story and acting may have been slightly improved.[9] TIME praised the sets but felt the picture was "only pretty good".[10] Variety wrote, "The Phantom of the Opera is not a bad film from a technical viewpoint, but revolving around the terrifying of all inmates of the Grand Opera House in Paris by a criminally insane mind behind a hideous face, the combination makes a welsh rarebit look foolish as a sleep destroyer."[11]
Modern response[edit]
Roger Ebert awarded the film four out of four stars, writing "It creates beneath the opera one of the most grotesque places in the cinema, and Chaney's performance transforms an absurd character into a haunting one."[12] Adrian Warren of PopMatters gave the film 8/10 stars, summarizing, "Overall, The Phantom of the Opera is terrific: unsettling, beautifully shot and imbued with a dense and shadowy Gothic atmosphere. With such a strong technical and visual grounding it would have been difficult for Chaney to totally muck things up, and his performance is indeed integral, elevating an already solid horror drama into the realms of legendary cinema."[13] Time Out gave the film a mostly positive review, criticizing the film's "hobbling exposition", but praised Chaney's performance as being the best version of the title character, as well as the film's climax.[14]
TV Guide gave the film 4/5 stars, stating, "One of the most famous horror movies of all time, The Phantom of the Opera still manages to frighten after more than 60 years."[15] On Rotten Tomatoes, The Phantom of the Opera holds an approval rating of 90% based on 50 reviews from June 2002 to October 2020, with a weighted average rating of 8.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare – and Lon Chaney's performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre."[16]
Differences from the novel[edit]
Although this particular adaptation is often considered the most faithful, it contains some significant plot differences from the original novel.
In the movie, M. Debienne and M. Poligny transfer ownership of the Opera to M. Montcharmin and M. Richard, while in the novel they are simply the old and new managers.[25]
The character of Ledoux is not a mysterious Persian and is no longer a onetime acquaintance of the Phantom. He is now a French detective of the Secret Police. This character change was not originally scripted; it was made during the title card editing process.
The Phantom has no longer studied in Persia in his past. Rather, he is an escapee from Devil's Island and an expert in "the Black Arts".
As described in the "Production" section of this article, the filmmakers initially intended to preserve the original ending of the novel, and filmed scenes in which the Phantom dies of a broken heart at his organ after Christine leaves his lair. Because of the preview audience's poor reaction, the studio decided to change the ending to a more exciting chase sequence. Edward Sedgwick was hired to provide a climactic chase scene, with an ending in which the Phantom, after having saved Ledoux and Raoul, kidnaps Christine in Raoul's carriage. He is hunted down and cornered by an angry mob, who beat him to death and throw him into the Seine.
Legacy[edit]
In 1998 The Phantom of the Opera was added to the United States National Film Registry, having been deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".[35] It was included, at No. 52, in Bravo's The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
It is listed in the film reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[36]
In the United States, the film is in the public domain because Universal did not renew the copyright in 1953.[37]