The Phantom of the Opera (film)
"The Phantom of the Opera" is a horror film released in 1962, adapted from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel of the same name. Set in the late 1800s at the London Opera House, the film follows Christine Charles, a talented singer who becomes the object of obsession for the mysterious Phantom, a man concealed by a mask due to his disfigurement. The plot unfolds after a series of unsettling events, including the discovery of a hanged stagehand, prompting Christine's rise to fame as she is drawn into the Phantom's world.
The film, produced by Hammer Films, is notable for being one of several adaptations of Leroux's story, including earlier versions from 1925 and 1943. It faced production delays and changes, including a notable attempt to cast Cary Grant as the Phantom. While the film featured elements of horror, some critics felt it diluted the character of the Phantom, leading to mixed reviews and box office struggles.
Despite its initial reception, the 1962 film contributed to the enduring legacy of "The Phantom of the Opera," inspiring multiple adaptations over the years, including a renowned 1986 Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The Phantom of the Opera (film)
- Release Date: 1962
- Director(s): Terence Fisher
- Writer(s): John Elder
- Principal Actors and Roles: Herbert Lom (The Phantom); Heather Sears (Christine Charles)
The Phantom of the Opera is a horror film released in 1962 that tells the story of Christine Charles, a singer at the London Opera House, who uncovers the mysterious past of the Phantom that haunts the theatre. The film is based on the 1910 novel of the same name written by French writer Gaston Leroux. Before the 1962 Hammer Films version, The Phantom of the Opera had previously been adapted for the screen in 1925—a silent film starring Lon Chaney Sr., as well as another successful adaptation in 1943.
After the biographical film about Chaney, Man of a Thousand Faces, was released in 1959, producers at Universal Pictures were inspired to create another version of The Phantom of the Opera. Universal dove straight into pre-production development, with Franklin Coen penning the screenplay, but plans for the remake were quickly put on hold. The successful release of Dracula (1958) by British film company, Hammer Films, convinced Universal to scrap their own plans for the Phantom remake and instead hand it over to Hammer. Soon after Hammer bought the rights to the film in 1959, the company entered a five-year contract with Columbia Pictures, which led to many delays in getting the production up and running. After many false starts, serious production for The Phantom of the Opera finally began two years later, in 1961. American actor Cary Grant was extremely interested in starring in a British horror film, and the part of the Phantom was modified to accommodate Grant. However, after reading the watered-down version of the original Phantom, Grant lost interest in assuming the role, and the part went to Herbert Lom instead.
Plot
The Phantom of the Opera takes place in the late 1800s in London, England where the London Opera house is preparing for the opening of its new opera, composed by the arrogant and affluent Lord Ambrose D’Arcy. During a run-through of the opera, a stagehand is found hanged on the stage, and the opera’s star refuses to perform. Scrambling to find a replacement, the opera’s producer, Harry, holds auditions and discovers the immense talent of a chorus girl, Christine. Soon, Christine is visited in her dressing room by the Phantom, a man dressed in black, his face obscured by a mask. Horrified, Christine screams and runs away, but is comforted by Harry.
At Christine’s boarding house, Harry discovers old manuscripts of an opera and inquires about them to the landlady. She informs Harry that a former tenant, Professor Petrie, who was killed in a fire at a printing press, wrote the opera. Harry investigates further and discovers that while Petrie was caught in the fire, he was splashed with acid, and in an attempt to relieve the pain, drowned in the River Thames. Petrie’s body was never recovered, and Harry confides in Christine that he believes D’Arcy stole Petrie’s opera. Later, when Christine returns home alone, the Phantom’s henchman dwarf is waiting for her, causing her to faint. When Christine awakens, she is in the bowels of the opera house, where the Phantom is playing an organ, and he insists that she become his protégé.
Worried at Christine’s disappearance, Harry goes to the River Thames and hears her voice coming from a drain. Harry enters the sewer, following the sound of Christine’s singing and the sound of an organ, and eventually finds his way into the Phantom’s lair. There, the Phantom explains everything to Harry and Christine in a flashback. Five years ago, the Phantom was a poor composer, and D’Arcy offered to buy his opera for a small price. The Phantom agreed, hoping for exposure, but upon finding out that D’Arcy planned to publish it under his own name, went to have the copies destroyed. Accidentally starting a fire, and splashing himself with acid, he jumped into the river and was taken by the current into a drain. He confesses to Harry and Christine that he is dying, and his last wish is to see his opera performed by Christine.
Several weeks later, the opera premieres and Christine sings beautifully—witnessed by an emotional Phantom from his box. However, the dwarf is discovered watching from the catwalk and while being chased by a stagehand, jumps onto a huge chandelier hanging above Christine. The Phantom jumps onstage, ripping off his mask and pushing Christine aside, just in time to have the chandelier crush him in front of the audience.
Significance
Production for The Phantom of the Opera began in November of 1961 in England, where much of the film was shot at Bray Studios. For three weeks, in order to capture the scenes of the opera house, the producers rented out London’s Wimbledon Theatre, which served as the film’s London Opera House. In total, more than one hundred musicians and chorus extras were hired to fill out the bustling opera house.
For the Phantom’s flashback sequence, director Terence Fisher employed use of Dutch angles. This was a technique in which the camera was tilted to give the action an unusual crooked effect, a common technique in utilized by filmmakers to differentiate flashback or dream sequences from the rest of the shots.
The film was released to mixed reviews, many critics believing that by toning down the character of the Phantom, the film had lost many of its horror qualities, and the film was considered a flop at the box office. Since the 1962 version of The Phantom of the Opera, many more film versions have been creating, including one in 1989, 1998, and 2004. Perhaps most well known is the 1986 Broadway musical adaptation composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Bibliography
Backer, Ron. "The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux." Classic Horror Films and the Literature That Inspired Them. Jefferson: McFarland, 2015. Print.
Hall, Ann C. Phantom Variations: The Adaptations of Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera, 1925 to the Present. Jefferson: McFarland, 20009. Print.
Hutchings, Peter. The A to Z of Horror Cinema. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. Print.
Leggett, Paul. Terence Fisher: Horror, Myth and Religion. Jefferson: McFarland, 2002. Print.
Meikle, Denis. A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. Print.
"The Phantom of the Opera." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2015 <http://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Phantom-of-the-Opera-film-1962>.
"The Phantom of the Opera (1962)." Turner Classic Movies. Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86598/The-Phantom-of-the-Opera/>.