Starring Herbert Lom, Heather Sears, Edward de Souza, Thorley Walters, Michael Gough
Directed by Terence Fisher
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A grand opera production is delayed by acts of sabotage and murder within the opera house, and when a young ingenue singer is cast, a mysterious masked stranger reaches out to her.
Hammer Films' version of the popular Gaston LeRoux novel, casting Herbert Lom as the notorious Phantom, features a script by Anthony Hinds (writing as John Elder) which is a definite departure from the novel and the previous film adaptations. While the Phantom has always been portrayed as something of a sympathetic figure due to his disfigurement, Lom's Phantom is probably the most sympathetic I've seen, with Gough played up as the true villain in an oily performance as the opera's supposed composer, and the murders committed not by the Phantom but his dwarf assistant. This was probably due to stories I've heard that the script was written for Cary Grant to play the Phantom as a nobler character before he backed out of the picture. The opera scenes are staged well, with lots of bright colors utilized in the costume design and cinematography, but per IMDB, Sears as lead singer Christine was dubbed by a professional singer for her solos. She's beautiful and expressive but lacks any powerful scenes, and does not have a chance to unmask the Phantom as in the 1925 silent adaptation. I wouldn't rank the picture as on a par with the 1925 classic, showcasing Lon Chaney's memorable performance and makeup, but think it's well-directed by Fisher, enjoyed Lom's and Gough's performances, and thought De Souza was capable as the opera's producer and Christine's paramour.
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