The Phantom of the Opera (1962 film)
| The Phantom of the Opera | |
|---|---|
British original poster
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| Directed by | Terence Fisher |
| Produced by |
Anthony Hinds Basil Keys |
| Written by |
John Elder Gaston Leroux (novel) |
| Based on |
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux |
| Starring |
Herbert Lom Heather Sears Edward de Souza Michael Gough |
| Music by | Edwin Astley |
| Cinematography | Arthur Grant |
| Edited by | Alfred Cox |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (UK) Universal Pictures (USA) |
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Release date
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25 June 1962 |
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Running time
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84 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤180,000 |
| Box office | 580,164 admissions (France) |
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1962 British horror film based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. The film was made by Hammer Film Productions.
The film opens in Victorian London on a December night in 1900. The first night of the season at the London Opera House finds the opening of a new opera by Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough), a wealthy and pompous man, who is annoyed and scornful when the opera manager Lattimer (Thorley Walters) informs him the theatre has not been completely sold out. No one will sit in a certain box because it is haunted. Backstage, despite the soothing efforts of the opera's producer, Harry Hunter (Edward de Souza), everyone, including the show's star, Maria, is nervous and upset as if a sinister force was at work. The climax comes during Maria's first aria, when a side of the scenery rips apart to reveal the body of a hanged stage hand. In a panic, the curtain is rung down, and Maria refuses to sing again.
With the show postponed, Harry frantically auditions new singers. He finds a promising young star in Christine Charles (Heather Sears), one of the chorus girls. Lord Ambrose lecherously approves of the selection, and invites Christine to dinner. In her dressing room Christine is warned against Lord Ambrose by a Phantom voice. At dinner, Lord Ambrose attempts to seduce her, but as they are about to leave to his apartment, she is saved by Harry. On the ride back home, Christine tells Harry about the voice she heard. Intrigued, Harry takes Christine back to the opera house, where in her dressing room, the same voice tells Harry to leave her there and go. At the same time the rat catcher (Patrick Troughton) is murdered by the Phantom's lackey, a dwarf (Ian Wilson). Investigating the murder, Harry leaves Christine by herself where she is approached by a man dressed in black, wearing a mask with only one eye, The Phantom of the Opera. He tells her she must come with him but she screams and The Phantom flees. Harry comforts her and takes her home.
The next day Lord Ambrose sends a dismissal to Christine for refusing to come back to his apartment. Lord Ambrose chooses a more willing but less talented singer to take Christine's place. When Harry refuses to accept this he is also dismissed by Lord Ambrose. Visiting Christine at her boarding house, Harry finds some old manuscripts which he recognizes as a rough draft of the opera he has been producing. Questioning Christine's landlady Mrs. Tucker, he learns that it was written by a former boarder by the name of Professor Petrie, who had been killed in a fire at a printers that was to print his music. Making further inquiries, he learns that Petrie did not actually perish in the fire, but was splashed with Nitric Acid while apparently trying to extinguish the blaze, had run away in agony and was drowned in the River Thames. This is confirmed by the policeman who was in the area at the time, but the body was never recovered. Harry and Christine have a romantic day together. While having a moonlight carriage ride Harry tells her about Petrie, and that he is convinced that Lord Ambrose stole Petrie's music. He leaves it at that, as he believes that the Professor is long since dead.
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