THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Director: Terence Fisher, Screenplay - John Elder [Anthony Hinds] from the novel by
Gaston Leroux, Producer: Anthony Hinds and Basil Keys, Cinematography - Arthur Grant,
Music - Edwin Astley, Opera scenes staged by Dennis Maunder, Makeup -
Roy Ashton, Art Direction - Don Mingaye, Production Company -
Hammer Films. 1962.
Cast: Herbert Lom (The Phantom/Professor Petrie), Heather Sears -
(Christine Charles), Thorley Walters (Lattimer), Michael Gough (Lord
Ambrose d'Arcy), Edward de Souza (Harry Hunter), Miles Malleson
(Cabby), Marne Maitland (Xavier), Martin Miller (Rossi), Miriam Karlin
(Charwoman), Harold Goodwin (Bill), John Harvey (Vickers), Liane Aukin
(Maria), Sonya Cordeau (Yvonne), Leila Forde (Teresa), Renee Houston
(Mrs. Tucker), Geoffrey L'Oise (Frenchman), Michael Ripper
(Longfaced Cabby), Patrick Troughton (Rat Catcher), Ian Wilson (Dwarf)
Dr. Petrie is infuriated when the copyrights and ownership of his
manuscripts are taken from him by Lord Ambrose D’Arcy, the owner of
the Opera house. During a struggle to regain his work, the professor
starts a fire but it gets out of control, and in the attempt to put
out the fire, he mistakenly tosses a tray of acid on the flames; some
of the acid splashes back onto his face and scars him forever. He flees
in pain and ends up leaping into the Thames River; his body is never
found.
Shortly thereafter, the London Opera House is menaced by a mysterious
Phantom. The Phantom admires Christine Charles, a vocalist from the
chorus, and he arranges a position for her to sing in the place of diva
Marie through a series of incidents. People marvel at Christine’s
beautiful voice, and she is soon awarded the lead in the new opera,
supposedly written by D’Arcy. When Christine declines Lord Ambrose’s
advances, she is immediately replaced with another singer, Yvonne.
The outraged Phantom sends his dwarf assistant to abduct Christine.
He takes her far below the opera house. There, under strict conditions,
she is trained to sing the new opera by the Phantom. The masked man once
again arranges that Christine be given the lead in the new show.
During the course of the new opera, Christine’s fiancee Harry Hunter,
notices the Phantom’s dwarf assistant breaking loose the chandelier
above the stage when he is spotted and chased by a stagehand. As the
structure falls toward the stage, the Phantom tears off his mask, leaps
from his hiding place and onto the stage to sacrifice his life for
Christine’s. He is crushed beneath the weight of the chandelier, and
his face was hideously scarred.
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