Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Brian De Palma (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Music | Musical | Thriller

Tagline:

The music made him do it!

Plot:

A disfigured musician sells his soul for the woman he loves so that she will perform his music.

Plot Keywords:

Faust | Contract | Singer | Composer | Split Screen

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

William Finley	...	Winslow / The Phantom
Paul Williams	...	Swan
Jessica Harper	...	Phoenix
Gerrit Graham	...	Beef
George Memmoli	...	Philbin
Archie Hahn	...	The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads
Jeffrey Comanor	...	The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads
Peter Elbling	...	The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads (as Harold Oblong)
Colin Cameron	...	Band
David Garland	...	Band
Gary Mallaber	...	Band
Art Munson	...	Band
Mary Margaret Amato	...	Swan's Entourage
Rand Bridges	...	Swan's Entourage
James Bohan	...	Swan's Entourage

Also Known As:

Phantom (USA) (working title)
Phantom of the Fillmore (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Movielab)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Iceland:14 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1996) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Harbor Productions

Trivia:

The single-edit, "time bomb in the car trunk" sequence is an homage to Orson Welles' famous opening for Touch of Evil (1958).

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Phantom attacks Beef with the plunger, as Beef is sliding down the wall of the shower, you see the water spray of the shower twice, meaning two different takes were used for one scene.

Quotes:

Winslow Leach: "All art…"
[Swan has moved to the other side of the Phantom]
Winslow Leach: "All articles which have been excluded shall be deemed included." What does that mean?
Swan: That's a clause to protect you, Winslow.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Back Lot Murders (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Somebody Super Like You

A Super-Cult of My Generation

The powerful and awarded producer of records and owner of the successful label Death Records, Swan (Paul Williams), steals the Faust cantata composed by the unknown and naive composer Winslow Leach (William Finley) for the grand-opening of his rock-palace, The Paradise. When Winslow bothers Swan trying to meet him to produce his album, he is framed by Swan and sentenced to life in Sing Sing. Winslow escapes from the prison and is accidentally disfigured by the record press of the Death Record. He haunts The Paradise and finds Swan, who proposes a thick contract to Winslow to be signed with his blood. In accordance with the deal with the evil producer, the composer could finish the cantata he was composing for his muse and passion, the singer Phoenix (Jessica Harper), to sing in the theater. However, Swan double-crosses Winslow again, and he finds the dark secret of his contract.

The kitsch "Phantom of the Paradise" is a super-cult of my generation, with a tragic love story that blends "The Phantom of the Opera", "Faust" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I do not know how many times I have heard the delightful soundtrack of this movie on CD and watched this film on VHS, and today I have just seen it again on DVD for the first time, thirty-three years after the original release and still enjoying and singing the songs together with Phoenix, Beef and the Juicy Fruits. My family also loves this movie and the songs of this underrated masterpiece. The awesome composer of the some of the most important classic songs of The Carpenters, Paul Williams, fits perfectly to the role of the evil Swan, with his blond hair and dark heart. I do not recall seeing William Finley in another movie, at least in a remarkable role. However, the debut of the talented Jessica Harper was stunning, with a top-notch performance and an awesome voice. I could bet at that time that she would become a sensation as actress and singer, but unfortunately I just recall her in "Suspiria", "Love and Death" and "Tales from the Crypt". Brian De Palma pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock with the shower scene of Beef. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "O Fantasma do Paraíso" ("The Phantom of the Paradise")