The Phantom of the Opera (1989)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Dwight H. Little

Writers:

Gaston Leroux (novel)
Gerry O'Hara (based on a screenplay by)
(more)

Release Date:

4 November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Music

Tagline:

The final curtain is about to drop.

Plot:

A darker version of the classic Gaston Leroux novel. A young soprano becomes the obsession of a horribly disfigured composer who has plans for those oppose himself or the young singer.

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Devil | Singer | Opera | Soprano

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Robert Englund	...	Erik Destler / The Phantom
Jill Schoelen	...	Christine Day
Alex Hyde-White	...	Richard Dutton
Bill Nighy	...	Martin Barton
Stephanie Lawrence	...	La Carlotta
Terence Harvey	...	Insp. Hawkins
Nathan Lewis	...	Davies
Peter Clapham	...	Harrison
Molly Shannon	...	Meg (New York)
Emma Rawson	...	Meg (London)
Mark Ryan	...	Mott
Yehuda Efroni	...	The Rat Catcher
Terence Beesley	...	Joseph Buquet
Ray Jewers	...	Elise
Robin Hunter	...	Roland
Virginia Fiol	...	Sarah
Cathy Murphy	...	Esther
Andre Thornton Grimes	...	Bartender
Jaclyn Mendoza	...	Maddie
John Ghavan	...	Dwarf / The Devil
Mickey Epps	...	Cardplayer
László Szili	...	Cardplayer (as Laszlo Szili)
Patrick Burke	...	Workman
Jonathan Linsley	...	Workman
Tommy Wright	...	Workman
László Baranyi	...	Workman
Ottilia Borbáth	...	House Mother (as Ottilia Borbath)
Lajos Dobák	...	Maitre d' (as Lajos Dobak)

Directed by
Dwight H. Little

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gaston Leroux		novel
Gerry O'Hara		based on a screenplay by
Duke Sandefur		screenplay

Produced by
Eliezer Ben-Chorin	....	associate producer
Deborah Del Prete	....	line producer
Menahem Golan	....	executive producer
Menahem Golan	....	producer
Gigi Pritzker	....	line producer
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
Misha Segal

Non-Original Music by
Charles Gounod		(from opera "Faust")

Cinematography by
Peter Lyons Collister
Elemér Ragályi		(as Elemer Regalyi)

Film Editing by
Charles Bornstein

Art Direction by
Tivadar Bertalan

Costume Design by
John Bloomfield

Makeup Department
John Carl Buechler	....	additional prosthetic makeup effects supervisor: Magical Media Industries Inc.
Everett Burrell	....	makeup effects crew
Michael Deak	....	location makeup effects: Magical Media Industries Inc.
John Foster	....	production manager: Magical Media Industries Inc.
Ron Pipes	....	makeup effects crew
Sean Rodgers	....	makeup effects crew
Josephine Turner	....	wig maker: Magical Media Industries Inc.
John Vulich	....	location makeup effects: Magical Media Industries Inc.
John Vulich	....	special makeup effects
Kevin Yagher	....	special makeup effects
Mark C. Yagher	....	makeup effects crew

Production Management
Marc S. Fischer	....	unit production manager
Omneya 'Nini' Mazen	....	post-production supervisor
Helena Toth	....	production supervisor
Joseph Vittorie	....	production supervisor: 21st Century Film Corporation (as Joseph N. Vittotrie Jr.)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michal Engel	....	key second assistant director
Avner Orshalimy	....	first assistant director (as Avener Orshalimi)
Péter Rácz	....	additional second assistant director

Art Department
Zoltán Horváth	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Ed Callahan	....	sound effects editor
Jeff Clark	....	sound engineer
Cyril Collick	....	sound recordist
Joe Dorn	....	adr editor
Csaba Erös	....	boom operator
Arnold Finkelstein	....	sound effects recordist
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
Martin Maryska	....	sound designer
John Morris	....	supervising sound editor
Doug Parry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dorielle Rogers	....	sound recordist
Steven J. Rogers	....	production sound mixer
Dean St. John	....	adr recordist
Dean St. John	....	foley recordist
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
Jay Wilkinson	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Michael Deak	....	on-set effects supervisor

Stunts
Zoltán Gulyás Kiss	....	stunts
László Imre	....	stunt performer
György Kivés	....	stunt double: The Phantom (as Gyorgy Kives)
Ferenc Novinecz	....	stunts
Tamás Pintér	....	stunt coordinator (as Tamas Pinter)
Gábor Piroch	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David E. Elkins	....	first assistant camera: additional camera
Géza Gonda	....	first assistant camera
Jorge Lovitz	....	camera operator
Andrea Martin	....	gaffer
Andrea Martin	....	key grip electrician
András Váradi	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Julie Hughes	....	casting: USA and New York
Nancy Lara-Hansch	....	casting consultant
Maggi Sangwin	....	casting: United Kingdom and London

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anne Bloomfield	....	assistant costume supervisor

Music Department
William Ashford	....	director of music: 21st Century Film Corporation
Virginia S. Ellsworth	....	music editor
Harriet Schock	....	song lyrics
Misha Segal	....	conductor
Eric Tomlinson	....	music editor: Budapest

Other crew
Mellanie Bradfield	....	script supervisor
John Carl Buechler	....	additional prosthetic effects
Earl Ellis	....	laboratory technician
Matt Falls	....	laboratory technician
Anita Hope	....	production coordinator: USA
Vera Loosz	....	production accountant
Andras Miko	....	opera director
Nobuko Oganesoff	....	location manager

Production Companies

• 21st Century Film Corporation
• Breton Film Productions
• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Dee Gee Entertainment

Distributors

• 21st Century Film Corporation (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Premier Releasing (1990) (UK) (theatrical)
• 21st Century Film France (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• Alphaview Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cine Art Pictures (Brazil) (DVD)
• Cineplex-Odeon Films (Canada)
• Columbia Pictures (through 21st Century Film Corporation)
• Finnkino (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (1993) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Kevin Yagher Productions (makeup effects design and creation)
• Magical Media Industries (additional prosthetic makeup effects design and creation)
• Mechanical and Makeup Imageries

Other Companies

• Glen Glenn Sound  sound
• The Budapest Studio Symphony Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera: The Motion Picture (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (re-rating: 2001) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Singapore:M18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

21st Century Film Corporation

Trivia:

During a scene with fire, hot wax fell on Jill Schoelen and burned her arm and shoulder. After this, Dwight H. Little convinced Jill Schoelen to do two more takes in the fire.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Christine first leaves to visit her fathers grave, she has pink and white flowers. When she arrives at the grave, she has only five red roses.

Quotes:

Prostitute: Good evening, guv'nor. What is your desire tonight?
Erik Destler: Desire! What do you know of desire?

Movie Connections:

References The Shining (1980)

Soundtrack:

Joan of Arc

Decent entertainment.

1980's style treatment of endlessly enduring story of disfigured composer, worshiping an aspiring young opera star from afar, who kills assorted people in order to further her career.

This time, the titular, tragic menace is named Eric Destler, and is played by Freddy Krueger himself, a.k.a. Robert Englund, who is very effective, emoting in a heartfelt manner.

Jill Schoelen plays the young singer Christine, and she's actually pretty appealing, offering a likable performance as a sweet young ingénue type.

I'll just say here that I'm not an aficionado of Gaston Leroux's novel, or the numerous stage productions and feature film adaptations that it has spawned. Therefore, I can't make any comparisons, although this entertaining film manages the neat trick of being classy and gory at the same time. It has an opulent, well-photographed look, and on the other side, flashy and shocking makeup effects by Kevin Yagher (in this version, the Phantom hides his ugly visage by stitching dead flesh onto his face rather than wearing a mask).

The underground lair looks impressively seedy, and the music is of course haunting and lovely. The decent supporting cast is another plus.

The 1925 silent version with Lon Chaney is probably bound to remain the definitive film interpretation of the work, but I think that this enjoyable - if forgettable - film is a good, respectable effort.

Be on the lookout for a very young Molly Shannon, appearing near the beginning and end of the picture.

7/10