Detail view of Movies Page


ABOUT THE AFI CATALOG \| FAQ \| CONTRIBUTORS

Search For:

Search In:

Using:

Limited To:

Video Availability

Advanced Search

Movie Detail

Name Occurs Before Title

Offscreen Credit

Print Viewed By AFI

Stub Record

The Phantom of the Opera

Director: Rupert Julian (Dir)
Release Date:   15 Nov 1925
Premiere Information:   New York premiere: 6 Sep 1925
Duration (in feet):   8,464 (Si); 8,382 (Sd)
Duration (in reels):   10

Print this page
Display Movie Summary

Available Formats
Facets	DVD	VHS	LaserDisk
Image	DVD	VHS	LaserDisk
Kino	DVD	VHS	LaserDisk
Movies Unlimited	DVD	VHS	LaserDisk
Nostalgia Family Video	DVD	VHS	LaserDisk
Sinister Cinema	DVD	VHS	LaserDisk

Cast:	Lon Chaney	(The Phantom)
	Mary Philbin	(Christine Daae)
	Norman Kerry	(Raoul de Chagny)
	Snitz Edwards	(Florine Papillon)
	Gibson Gowland	(Simon)
	John Sainpolis	(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	(M. Ricard)
	Bruce Covington	(M. Moncharmin)
	Edward Cecil	(Faust)
	John Miljan	(Valentin)
	Alexander Bevani	(Mephistopheles)
	Grace Marvin	(Martha)
	Ward Crane	(Count Ruboff)
	Chester Conklin	(Orderly)
	William Tryoler	(Director of opera orchestra)

Summary:

Christine Daae, an understudy at the Paris Opera, is guided to stardom by a mysterious and compelling voice that emanates from behind the walls of her dressing room. The voice eventually summons her to a meeting, and she discovers a sinister man whose face is covered by a mask. He demands that she give up her fiancé, Raoul, and devote herself to her music and her mentor. She agrees, and he allows her to sing again. Realizing that she is going back on her word, The Phantom kidnaps Christine, takes her to his underground chambers, and is revealed, when his mask is removed, to be hideous beyond description. Raoul and Ledoux (of the secret police) follow The Phantom, and he traps them in an infernal device. A mob follows, and The Phantom flees. Raoul and Ledoux escape, rescuing Christine. The mob forces The Phantom into the Seine, where he drowns, grotesquely defiant to the last.

Production Company:	Universal Pictures
Production Text:	Universal-Jewel
Director:	Rupert Julian	(Dir)
	Edward Sedgwick	(Addl dir)
Producer:	Carl Laemmle	(Pres)
Writer:	Raymond Schrock	(Adpt)
	Elliott J. Clawson	(Adpt)
	Tom Reed	(Titles)
Photography:	Virgil Miller	(Dir of photog)
	Milton Bridenbecker	(Addl photog)
	Charles J. Van Enger	(Addl photog)
Art Direction:	Charles D. Hall	(Art dir)
Film Editor:	Maurice Pivar	(Film ed)
Country:	United States
Language:	English

Music:
Songs:
Source Text:	Based on the novel Le fantome de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux (Paris, 1910).
Authors:	Gaston Leroux

Copyright Claimant	Copyright Date	Copyright Number
Universal Pictures	1/8/1925 dd/mm/yyyy	LP21689

Physical Properties:	b&w with col seq:	Technicolor
	Si:	Si, also with talking seq added in 1929


Genre:	Horror

Subjects (Major):	Detectives
	Faust (Opera)
	Kidnapping
	Monsters
	Opera
	Paris (France)
	Singers
	Unrequited love

Note:	The film was reissued on 15 Dec 1929, with talking sequences added featuring Mary Philbin and Norman Kerry. For the reissued version, scenes with John Sainpolis were deleted and others were inserted with Edward Martindel in the role of "Philippe de Chagny." The role played by John Miljan was completely removed from the reissue. Scenes from the original, in which part of the opera Faust is performed, were dubbed with arias from the work. For information on other versions of The Phantom of the Opera , please consult the entry for the 1943 Universal release Phantom of the Opera .

Bibliographic Sources:	Date	Page
Film Daily	13 Sep 1925.
Film Daily	16 Feb 1930	p. 8.
MPW	7 Feb 1925	p. 605.
MPW	19 Sep 1925	p. 256.
New York Times	7 Sep 1925	p. 15.
Variety	9 Sep 1925	p. 35.
Variety	12 Feb 1930	p. 14.

Display Movie Summary