The Phantom of the Opera

1962  NR  DRAMA  1h 24min

CAST— Herbert Lom, Heather Sears, Edward de Souza, Michael Gough

MUSIC— Edwin Astley  DIRECTOR— Terence Fisher  BASED ON— The Phantom of the Opera (novel), by Gaston Leroux

     By now a familiar story already presented in prior feature films, this is a fairly satisfying though typically cheesy Hammer production. Taking place in Victorian London as opposed to Paris, composer Michael Gough (a real jerk, by the way) is setting the stage for his latest opera, a tear-jerker based on the life of Joan of Arc. But trouble keeps rearing its head; accidents occur, sabotage is committed, frightening events happen. To top everything off the sleazy Gough is unable to bed his new leading lady. In a mad frenzy, Gough starts firing personnel left and right; but that means he'll need replacements for cast and crew. And things are still eerie around here. Meanwhile, the now dismissed producer begins to woo the would-be lead. Along the way he takes a detour from romance to investigate a hunch he has about supposed composer Gough and his connection to the legend of the phantom of the opera house. Could the mysterious ghost really be a living, breathing, tragically misunderstood specter from Gough's past? Presented as a victim driven insane, Herbert Lom's heroic version of the Phantom adds surprising depth to the film, as does Gough's deliciously deviant performance. Though the unmasking doesn't pack quite the punch of Lon Chaney's famous reveal, the film is modestly entertaining, especially given its production company.

OUR RATING— **

ORIGINAL— The Phantom of the Opera (1925/1943)

REMADE AS— The Phantom of the Opera (1989/1999/2004)