The Phantom of the Opera

"The Phantom of the Opera" by Hammer is a dramatic version directed by Terence Fisher. The screenplay shows the phantom as a poor composer that is stolen by the arrogant and corrupt Lord Ambrose D'Arcy, who is the real villain of the story. The sets and costumes are magnificent associated to great performances in one of the best films of the famous story by Gaston Leroux. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Fantasma da Ópera" ("The Phantom of the Opera")

I really enjoyed this film here. It was a great horror film and not that bad as a Phantom movie. Although The Phantoms real name in this one is not Erick as it should be, The Pasrt was played very well by Herbert Lom and i really liked it that they had the Phantom play the fuleral march in this one. The mask on the Phantom was really cool it was the full face mask and i like that. In some of the more recenlt Phantom films he has not ever had the mask (as in the 1999 version with Julian Sands and the 1989 big budget film with Robert Englund)All in all this movie is really good and if you are a fan of Gothic horror films then you will like this one this has a gothic setting to it that i liked. I give this movie a 8 out of 10. Done very well for it's time

This was one of the best, but it really bothered me that it strayed so far from other versions. It takes place in Victorian London rather than Paris, and the Phantom has a totally different death scene at the end. What happened to the famous "Chandelier" scene? Christine Charles instead of Dae?? Anyway, a very good movie. I'd rate this about an 8 out of 10. Those sets in the underground certaintly look like the original sets from 1925!.

I have many other "Phantom" movies but this is one of my favorites, even though the location and story has been changed. I thought Herbert Lom did a great job and the aria Christine sings is hauntingly beautiful. I would love to have a CD of the music. Does anyone know if it is available?

In this version of The Phantom Of The Opera, the hideous phantom lurks in the sewers and catacombs of London instead of Paris. And in this third version bits of a real opera by British composer Edwin Astley highlight the musical portion of the film. That's important because in this telling of the tale, the phantom has a singular interest in this particular work.

Stepping into the shoes of Lon Chaney and Claude Rains is Herbert Lom. Because this film is done in flashback Lom is given less of a chance to create his character in the way his predecessors did. Still Lom as he did in Night And The City manages to get across both the poignancy and the evil that he's sunk to. I would also compare his characterization of Professor Petri here with what he did in Flame Over India where he got across sympathy for a character who was a terrorist.

The truly evil one here is Michael Gough who is a classic Victorian rakehell whom if he were slightly of better character and given to a bit of introspection, we could hear some Oscar Wilde aphorisms coming out of his mouth. But his Lord D'Arcy hasn't got any redeeming features whatsover. Kind of like Liberty Valance which also came out in 1962.

The young lovers here are producer Edward DeSouza and Heather Sears the singer that Lom takes an interest in. I looked to see who might have dubbed Sears for the opera sequences and found no credit. If she did it herself, truly remarkable and why didn't that part of her talent be better known.

I saw an edited version of this on YouTube and I'm convinced they involved the end of some characters in a ghastly fashion. I'd like to see a director's cut if possible.