Post by Zone Fighter on Dec 3, 2005 0:31:13 GMT -8
The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
Herbert Lom - The Phantom (Professor. L. Petrie)
Heather Sears - Christine Charles
Thorley Walters - Lattimer
Michael Gough - Lord Ambrose d'Arcy
Edward de Souza - Harry Hunter
Miles Malleson - 2nd Cabby
Marne Maitland - Xavier
Martin Miller - Rossi
Miriam Karlin - Charwoman
Harold Goodwin - Bill
John Harvey - Sergeant Vickers
Liane Aukin - Maria
Sonya Cordeau - Yvonne
Leila Forde - Teresa
Renee Houston - Mrs. Tucker
Laurie Main - Forbes
Keith Pyott - Weaver
Michael Ripper - Longfaced Cabbie
Patrick Troughton - Ratcatcher
Ian Wilson - Dwarf
This is a very different version of the story. Set in London instead of Paris, all the characters are British instead of French and the Phantom is just mildly unstable, not a homicidial maniac. There are two deaths but one is ruled a suicide and the other is a murder carried out by a mute hunchback not the Phantom. Unlike some of the other Phantoms this version has no romantic interest in the young singer, he just wants to teach her to sing the lead is his opera about Joan of Arc.
Sensing that the Lord Ambrose invited her to his apartment for something other than singing lessons, Christine invites the producer to join them. His plan foiled, Lord Ambrose fires the singer and the producer. Everyone defers to the Lord Ambrose because he's a nobleman.
The former producer discovers that Lord Ambrose is a fraud, having stolen the opera from a music professor who was reported killed in a fire. Because the real composer is dead he decides not to do anything about the fraud. But, his lordship manages to so aggrevate everyone at the opera that they all walk out forcing the opera manager to finally overule him and rehire the former producer, who in turn rehires everybody else. Of course the music professor is not dead, but has become the Phantom. His servent, a murderous hunchback abducts Christine and takes her to the Phantom's lair.
Patrick Troughton (Doctor #2 in Doctor Who) has too brief an appearance as a ratcatcher who tries to sell the singer and producer a pair of rats, for a pie.
I've seen several versions of the Phantom of the Opera including the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. This is the least freightening and contains more humor than most. The Andrew Lloyd Webber version had a better plot but this Hammer film has better singing. Otherwise its probably the poorest version.
Why do these films always list the hunchack as "The Dwarf" in the ending credits? They're not dwarves.
Apparently Cary Grant was originally slated to play the love interest, producer Harry Hunter, but his agent talked him out of it.
According to the IMdb this film flopped at its original theatrical release.
Herbert Lom - The Phantom (Professor. L. Petrie)
Heather Sears - Christine Charles
Thorley Walters - Lattimer
Michael Gough - Lord Ambrose d'Arcy
Edward de Souza - Harry Hunter
Miles Malleson - 2nd Cabby
Marne Maitland - Xavier
Martin Miller - Rossi
Miriam Karlin - Charwoman
Harold Goodwin - Bill
John Harvey - Sergeant Vickers
Liane Aukin - Maria
Sonya Cordeau - Yvonne
Leila Forde - Teresa
Renee Houston - Mrs. Tucker
Laurie Main - Forbes
Keith Pyott - Weaver
Michael Ripper - Longfaced Cabbie
Patrick Troughton - Ratcatcher
Ian Wilson - Dwarf
This is a very different version of the story. Set in London instead of Paris, all the characters are British instead of French and the Phantom is just mildly unstable, not a homicidial maniac. There are two deaths but one is ruled a suicide and the other is a murder carried out by a mute hunchback not the Phantom. Unlike some of the other Phantoms this version has no romantic interest in the young singer, he just wants to teach her to sing the lead is his opera about Joan of Arc.
Sensing that the Lord Ambrose invited her to his apartment for something other than singing lessons, Christine invites the producer to join them. His plan foiled, Lord Ambrose fires the singer and the producer. Everyone defers to the Lord Ambrose because he's a nobleman.
The former producer discovers that Lord Ambrose is a fraud, having stolen the opera from a music professor who was reported killed in a fire. Because the real composer is dead he decides not to do anything about the fraud. But, his lordship manages to so aggrevate everyone at the opera that they all walk out forcing the opera manager to finally overule him and rehire the former producer, who in turn rehires everybody else. Of course the music professor is not dead, but has become the Phantom. His servent, a murderous hunchback abducts Christine and takes her to the Phantom's lair.
Patrick Troughton (Doctor #2 in Doctor Who) has too brief an appearance as a ratcatcher who tries to sell the singer and producer a pair of rats, for a pie.
I've seen several versions of the Phantom of the Opera including the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. This is the least freightening and contains more humor than most. The Andrew Lloyd Webber version had a better plot but this Hammer film has better singing. Otherwise its probably the poorest version.
Why do these films always list the hunchack as "The Dwarf" in the ending credits? They're not dwarves.
Apparently Cary Grant was originally slated to play the love interest, producer Harry Hunter, but his agent talked him out of it.
According to the IMdb this film flopped at its original theatrical release.
