Phantom of the Opera (1925)
89%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
7 wins & 42 nominations total
Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare — and Lon Chaney’s performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.
Lon Chaney’s performance in The Phantom of the Opera is a true masterpiece of gothic horror. The film’s morbid imagery, suspenseful plot, and eerie atmosphere make it a must-watch for any fan of the genre. And let’s not forget Chaney’s iconic portrayal of the Phantom himself, which is both chilling and tragic. Sure, some may find the film a bit campy, but that’s all part of its charm. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and prepare to be spooked by one of the greatest horror films of all time.
Production Company(ies)
Atticus Group Vision Quest Productions,
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief violent images
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 12:39:12.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 33m
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Language(s):English, Italian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 6, 1925 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 16, 1999
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
silent film, horror, Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Rupert Julian, Carl Laemmle, Gaston Leroux, Bernard McConville, Universal Pictures, box office, budget, critic reviews, MPAA rating, Phantom of the Opera, opera singer, mysterious admirer, masked presence, disfigured recluse, Paris Opera House, prisoner, suitor, rescue, gothic horror, suspense melodrama, tragic figure, grotesque appearance, organist, sewers, potboiler, aesthetic virtues, spook melodrama, masquerade ball, Hollywood hokum, high-camp, haunting imagery, antagonist, expressive, production value, big budget, sets, ballroom, grand opera house, dungeon, color sequence, chilling atmosphere, definitive classic
Worldwide gross: $154,674,241
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $235,720,965
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 604
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 25,705,667
US/Canada gross: $51,293,931
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $78,171,096
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 867
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,001,890
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $6,098,814
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,066
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $70,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $106,678,833
Production budget ranking: 373
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $57,446,552
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $71,595,580
ROI to date (est.): 44%
ROI ranking: 1,180
Mary Philbin – Christine Daae
Norman Kerry – Vicomte Raoul de Chagny
Arthur Edmund Carewe – Ledoux
Gibson Gowland – Simon Buquet
John St. Polis – Comte Philip de Chagny
Director(s)
Rupert Julian
Writer(s)
Gaston Leroux, Bernard McConville
Producer(s)
Carl Laemmle
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
7 wins & 42 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (5)
The atmosphere matches Chaney’s performance perfectly. His grotesque appearance is achieved with wires, cotton balls, and eye-dilating chemicals, but his character, as usual, is animated from within.
August 16, 2013
Keith Phipps
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
Lon Chaney’s performance as the hideous organist prowling the sewers beneath the Paris Opera is still a cornerstone of gothic horror.
August 16, 2013
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A grand, pulpy potboiler of a suspense melodrama.
November 24, 2011 | Rating: 4/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The main inducement to watch remains Chaney’s tragic, ineffably sad figure.
August 12, 2008 | Rating: A
Lawrence O’Toole
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Kerry is a colorless hero, Philbin contents herself with being pretty and becoming terrorized at the Phantom, and Chaney is either behind a mask or grimacing through his fiendish makeup.
August 12, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Lon Chaney’s magnetism and the overall impact of the suspense and reveal is still impressive.
August 12, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Alan Morrison
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
[Phantom] is not nearly so magnificent in scale, nor so stirring in theme, as The Hunchback — but as represented on the screen it is a more consistently thrilling story. It is spook melodrama at its wildest and weirdest, and it is beautifully done.
October 7, 2021
Robert E. Sherwood
LIFE
The audience was always interested in Lon Cheney’s mysterious character. [Full Review in Spanish]
October 2, 2020
María Luz Morales (Felipe Centeno)
La Vanguardia (Spain)
I see it and I am temporarily bored, I feel that it lacks dramatic expressiveness, although I recognize that it has aesthetic virtues that are undeniable when portraying gothic horror through atmospheres. [Full review in Spanish]
August 2, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Morbid imagery, strangulations, threats of bodily harm, abductions, curses, murder, and the signature masquerade ball populate this Grand Guignol archetype.
July 30, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
This is high-camp Hollywood hokum to be sure, but hokum dressed up to the nines. And arguably the sheer gorgeousness of the film, as well as Chaney’s chill portrayal of the spectre, lend the entire endeavour an unexpected gravitas.
March 26, 2020
Pamela Hutchinson
Silent London
However, again the standout piece of the film remains to be Chaney. He appears maniacal from the word go, even as we’re introduced to him as a silhouette.
October 12, 2018 | Rating: 4/4
Alan French
1428 Elm…
Plot
Begins when an opera ghost terrorizes the cast and crew of the French Opera House while tutoring a chorus girl. He finally drives the lead soprano crazy so she and her friend leave. The girl is able to sing lead one night but the soprano doesn’t want her show stolen so she comes back. The ghost demands they keep giving his protégé lead roles. Meanwhile, His pupil falls in love with the Vicomte de Chagny, but the Phantom is in love with Christine, his student. The Phantom is outraged by their love and kidnaps Christine to be his eternal bride. Will Raoul, the Vicomte, be able to stop this dastardly plan?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Lon Chaney’s performance as the Phantom is still considered one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.
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