@Pairjira Yes! I'm so glad I waited for this. I almost bought it from the Goodwill without any special features and, judging by the homemade sleeve, pretty poor picture quality.
@KatyHallow Nice! definitely a good call. I have the 2-disc ultimate edition on DVD which is fantastic! I'm debating on whether I should bother buying the BluRay or not since I already have a great version on DVD.
I found a trailer for a DVD release of the Lon Chaney Phantom Movie. It's set to come out next month which includes a new talkie version and 3D version. I'm not joking guys. Type "Phantom of the Opera 3D: Angel of Music Edition Trailer" in the YouTube search engine.
I was at Universal studios hollywood last month, and they have an attraction called "The house of Horrors" where you go through the history of universal's classic horror films. They have actors, or animatronics of classic monsters, and at one instance, I saw the Lon Chaney phantom walk passed me, and he was unmasked.
I made the mistake of watching it online, but I still enjoyed it. However, the ending with the mob beating Erik to death just came out of nowhere. And I really love how the original novel ends and I wish they had kept that in!
Does anyone agree that it would be awesome if they made a film like "brams stokers dracula", or mary shellys frankenstien" for phantom of the opera..... it would be awesome if they did it right and didnt ad a bunch of sex like in bram stokers dracula...
I read an intresting part in a chapter in the origional book that says that the phantom can make a lion roar sound with a catgut string, and rubbing it with a glove covered in resin. That's interesting because that was how the roar of Godzilla was made.
Julian Sands' refusal to take the role seriously and commit to the role physically just made the Argento version all the more pretentious. Lon Chaney was awesome. He was a pretty attractive guy but he was willing to make himself look grotesque for the sake of entertainment. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of a true actor.
i think the 1925 original has the best make up and it has yet to be recreated well in other phantom films . it was originally done with wax , and grease paint . it turns out that Chaney's nose was held back with a strip of silk glued to his forehead and enlarged his nostrils by shoving rubber cigar tips up his nose . i found a video of a make up recreation but its a latex appliance like in man of a thousand faces.
Maybe it's just me but I would never regard this as the best adaptation of PotO. Even though it's stunningly faithful up until the end. The raped ending totally kills this movie for me as a phan. I mean I can appreciate the film to some extent as a movie buff but never as a phan. I just think the ending is the most important part of any story and oh gawd what they did to this story. Plus, I love Erik and it kills me to have to witness such a fate especially as it's a screaming lie.
You know, a man named Ben Caree knew the below stage area of the opera house quite well, and universal got some of his sketches and reproduced them exactly.
I really love that sad and pathetic ending with the allmighty Phantombeing destroyed by stupid people... when he rises his hand you really see how powerful is the FEAR. And then, he decided that he don´t want to live much more and start laughing. Chaney is a winner.
well when you look Closely at the Costumes I have never seen a movie of its time that goes that Far out for the costumes. it doesn't seek a more Lavish and Dark look it keeps the serious and realistic Nature of the book.
Like the way the Persian Describes Eriks Masque of the red Death.
velvet robe and a well Feathered Hat. and red vest. and robing pants.
As for proof I have been up close to the Original Red Death 1925 and it is a velvet cape its length can span far across the floor if left
you know apparently Mary Philbin who plays christine in this version faded from the public view for year but she didcome to see the musical version on broadway! xxxx
She did indeed. Mary's film career came to an end in the talkie era and she spent the rest of her life caring for her aging parents (she was engaged at one point, but the man was Jewish and Mary's parents, who were Irish Catholic, objected to the marriage, so she called it off). Mary attended the premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical on its opening night in Los Angeles.
That's exactly right, she privately attended with her caretaker (because at that time, she was beginning to suffer from the beginning symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease). But she was said to have really enjoyed it and not only was she there, but so was Susanna Foster and Carla Laemmle (the prima ballerina in the 1925 silent version). However, Carla is still alive today. :)
Other then The Man Who Laughs, Lon Chaneys The Phantom of the Opera is probably my favorite silent film. ^_^ i absolutly LOVE it!!! except for the end of course.....argh...Its amazing how Lon acts so emotionally even though the viewer doesnt hear him speak....i just find it fascinating. X3
you know, the set for the Paris Opera's foyer is vastly superior in this film than in the 2004 one. I still find that I prefer this silent version over the musical one- perhaps because it was the first taste of Phantom that I ever got.
I watched the voice-less, colorless, original version of Lon Chaney phantom and I still dislike it.What an ending! Really, Erik makes the mob back off by pretending to have something in his hand, which is weird already, then he just bursts out laughing and reveals the trick, and gets clobbered immediately. Oh, and he also left Christine out in the middle of the road to get trampled as he runs to save himself! Dunno, it just seemed like a really stupid ending for me.
The movie didn't always end that way. The movie ended like the book does, but the test audiences wanted more justice dealt to Erik. Stupid 1925 audiences.
*reply to theaterRaven* Yes I heard the audiences also actually fainted at the sight of the Lon Chaney deformity (which in my opinion was less horrific than the stage version..)
One other question... where is that supposed scene from LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT from? where did you find it? chaney's hair in that clip is also not right.. it is too long and too white. again, look at all the stills of him as the vampire character from the film and do a comparison. if it is genuine, VERY COOL. but, this would have made news, especially in film circles. i couldnt find one thing on google, either.
You are claiming to have found a "bootleg" scene of LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT?? if you look closely, the costume of whoever that is in that "bootleg" is wrong.. the bat wings on chaney's costume (under his arms) were not white, but black, as a number of publicity stills show. have to say.. the burned film cell at the end of that sequence is a nice touch too.. very cliche' in trying to make it appear old and authentic.
Believe it or not there IS a Phantom video - Return of the Phantom by Microprose. I will be reviewing that soon as I've always wanted to do an angry video game review.
Sorry, this has nothing to do with what you wrote, but it seems like the fastest way to contact you. Have you ever wondered why Scott McQueen didn't do the commentary on the longer New York General Release Version? Or better yet, why didn't they even try to restore the friggin' thing?! It looks terrible!! Plot-wise, the New York General Release version is much more understandable than the 1929 version. They should restore it before it decomposes moreso. Wow, that felt good; I feel better now. :)
It is the best one out there and believe it or not..Wal-mart has it for a dollar during Halloween! It is actually pretty good quality considering. That's where I got my copy
PhantomReviewer, you forgot to mention that the original Los Angeles preview of the film it included Christine's "adopted" mother & legal guardian, Mamma Valerius.
Excellent. This has become without question my favorite movie version of POTO. At first the ending spoiled it for me, but once I heard about the original ending, much truer to the book, I fell in love with this version. Its too bad footage of the original deleted scenes does not still exist.
Sooooo close to the book. But then... THAT ENDING! Stupid test audiences. So, since you're going in chronological order now, does that mean you'll get to the 1942 version soon? *sad, pleading eyes*
Love love love your reviews! Oh man, Chaney version is the first POTO film I've seen. I hadn't seen any other film, not read the book, not even seen pictures of Chaney, so the unmasking scene was pretty effective to me. It's my favourite version and because it's my first experience to POTO I am more forgiving to the cuts and changes than other people, though I also would like to see the original Leroux ending.
OMG!!!!i heard u were doing this and i couldnt wait to see it! I love all of ur reviews, i really like how u put comedy into the reviews. when is part 2 coming? i wish that they would discover the orignal that previewed in San Francisco.
@PhantomReviews Have you heard of the musical/instrumental "Angel Of Music" The Untold Prequel To "The Phantom Of The Opera"? (that's really the whole title) It's on itunes and some clips are on YouTube...it's actually pretty good..I believe they have a Facebook page as well...I think it's filled with Phantomy goodness
The Chaney Phantom movie is finally getting a BluRay release on November 1! Thought I let you know in case ;)
Pairjira 4 months ago
@Pairjira Yes! I'm so glad I waited for this. I almost bought it from the Goodwill without any special features and, judging by the homemade sleeve, pretty poor picture quality.
KatyHallow 3 months ago in playlist Phantom Reviews Season 1
@KatyHallow Nice! definitely a good call. I have the 2-disc ultimate edition on DVD which is fantastic! I'm debating on whether I should bother buying the BluRay or not since I already have a great version on DVD.
Pairjira 3 months ago
My father has this movie
laneylowry 4 months ago in playlist More videos from PhantomReviews
I found a trailer for a DVD release of the Lon Chaney Phantom Movie. It's set to come out next month which includes a new talkie version and 3D version. I'm not joking guys. Type "Phantom of the Opera 3D: Angel of Music Edition Trailer" in the YouTube search engine.
tscastro114 5 months ago
I was at Universal studios hollywood last month, and they have an attraction called "The house of Horrors" where you go through the history of universal's classic horror films. They have actors, or animatronics of classic monsters, and at one instance, I saw the Lon Chaney phantom walk passed me, and he was unmasked.
godzilla964 6 months ago
I made the mistake of watching it online, but I still enjoyed it. However, the ending with the mob beating Erik to death just came out of nowhere. And I really love how the original novel ends and I wish they had kept that in!
Una7654 7 months ago
the youtube version is from horror classics 50 movies
firerock2245 7 months ago
Phantom 1925 is awesome, well done!
CutandPrintFilms 8 months ago
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castlevania3151 9 months ago
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TheNapoleonnerd 9 months ago
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TheNapoleonnerd 10 months ago
Do you think you'll review the 1930 sound version.
godzilla964 11 months ago
Does anyone agree that it would be awesome if they made a film like "brams stokers dracula", or mary shellys frankenstien" for phantom of the opera..... it would be awesome if they did it right and didnt ad a bunch of sex like in bram stokers dracula...
TheTitanic4 11 months ago
What format was the lon chaney movie in when you found it at the paris opera house.
godzilla964 1 year ago
I read an intresting part in a chapter in the origional book that says that the phantom can make a lion roar sound with a catgut string, and rubbing it with a glove covered in resin. That's interesting because that was how the roar of Godzilla was made.
godzilla964 1 year ago
Lon Chaney Sr- My favorite actor and the best Erik ever. EVER!
NickBFilms 1 year ago
@NickBFilms That's a FACT! I love Lon Chaney!
TheNapoleonnerd 10 months ago
3:08. WIG!!!!
godzilla964 1 year ago
Julian Sands' refusal to take the role seriously and commit to the role physically just made the Argento version all the more pretentious. Lon Chaney was awesome. He was a pretty attractive guy but he was willing to make himself look grotesque for the sake of entertainment. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of a true actor.
jazzandmint 1 year ago
That G is pretty amazing!
ShadowinEX 1 year ago
i think the 1925 original has the best make up and it has yet to be recreated well in other phantom films . it was originally done with wax , and grease paint . it turns out that Chaney's nose was held back with a strip of silk glued to his forehead and enlarged his nostrils by shoving rubber cigar tips up his nose . i found a video of a make up recreation but its a latex appliance like in man of a thousand faces.
ethannintendonerd 1 year ago
this was the first phantom film i saw . i think i saw it when i was seven on tcm at 1 in the morning
ethannintendonerd 1 year ago
when they invent time travel, i am going back to 1925, swiping a print of the "good" version and doing the phans a favour!!
xxkewldudexx 1 year ago
Maybe it's just me but I would never regard this as the best adaptation of PotO. Even though it's stunningly faithful up until the end. The raped ending totally kills this movie for me as a phan. I mean I can appreciate the film to some extent as a movie buff but never as a phan. I just think the ending is the most important part of any story and oh gawd what they did to this story. Plus, I love Erik and it kills me to have to witness such a fate especially as it's a screaming lie.
PhantomSammy 1 year ago
You know, a man named Ben Caree knew the below stage area of the opera house quite well, and universal got some of his sketches and reproduced them exactly.
123peytonE 1 year ago
they should have kept the LA premier version
it was more true to the novel
TheTitanic4 1 year ago
I really love that sad and pathetic ending with the allmighty Phantombeing destroyed by stupid people... when he rises his hand you really see how powerful is the FEAR. And then, he decided that he don´t want to live much more and start laughing. Chaney is a winner.
Kikefriki 1 year ago
ele era um grande ator
fredalbano 1 year ago
well when you look Closely at the Costumes I have never seen a movie of its time that goes that Far out for the costumes. it doesn't seek a more Lavish and Dark look it keeps the serious and realistic Nature of the book.
Like the way the Persian Describes Eriks Masque of the red Death.
velvet robe and a well Feathered Hat. and red vest. and robing pants.
As for proof I have been up close to the Original Red Death 1925 and it is a velvet cape its length can span far across the floor if left
TheRedDeathProject 2 years ago
PART 2 not held together thats why Lon is holding his hand to the Chest. if not he would walk and be draging a long Cape across the floor.
And what I meant by Not seeking a more lavish look. I mean how ALW version did it. even if it does look amazing.
TheRedDeathProject 2 years ago
you know apparently Mary Philbin who plays christine in this version faded from the public view for year but she didcome to see the musical version on broadway! xxxx
christinedaae87 2 years ago 3
She did indeed. Mary's film career came to an end in the talkie era and she spent the rest of her life caring for her aging parents (she was engaged at one point, but the man was Jewish and Mary's parents, who were Irish Catholic, objected to the marriage, so she called it off). Mary attended the premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical on its opening night in Los Angeles.
TheaterRaven 2 years ago 3
That's exactly right, she privately attended with her caretaker (because at that time, she was beginning to suffer from the beginning symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease). But she was said to have really enjoyed it and not only was she there, but so was Susanna Foster and Carla Laemmle (the prima ballerina in the 1925 silent version). However, Carla is still alive today. :)
EmilyGreene1984 2 years ago
I think the Persian's sexy, does that make me weird?
JoelandtheBots 2 years ago 4
Heh.... I'm inclined to agree! I thought I was the only one! ;)
PhantomMidnight 2 years ago
no not wierd, I though the same thing.
dyhard678 2 years ago
No! I agree with you. He's lovely. *goes gooey eyed*
MsPinkWings 2 years ago
Other then The Man Who Laughs, Lon Chaneys The Phantom of the Opera is probably my favorite silent film. ^_^ i absolutly LOVE it!!! except for the end of course.....argh...Its amazing how Lon acts so emotionally even though the viewer doesnt hear him speak....i just find it fascinating. X3
GirLover77 2 years ago 14
you know, the set for the Paris Opera's foyer is vastly superior in this film than in the 2004 one. I still find that I prefer this silent version over the musical one- perhaps because it was the first taste of Phantom that I ever got.
amortenti 2 years ago 5
Chaney's son took after him with make up and horror films.
Enabsflow1 3 years ago 2
I watched the voice-less, colorless, original version of Lon Chaney phantom and I still dislike it.What an ending! Really, Erik makes the mob back off by pretending to have something in his hand, which is weird already, then he just bursts out laughing and reveals the trick, and gets clobbered immediately. Oh, and he also left Christine out in the middle of the road to get trampled as he runs to save himself! Dunno, it just seemed like a really stupid ending for me.
VampPhan 3 years ago
The movie didn't always end that way. The movie ended like the book does, but the test audiences wanted more justice dealt to Erik. Stupid 1925 audiences.
TheaterRaven 2 years ago 32
*reply to theaterRaven* Yes I heard the audiences also actually fainted at the sight of the Lon Chaney deformity (which in my opinion was less horrific than the stage version..)
VampPhan 2 years ago
*chuckles* I understand that there were some people who were paid to faint like that to drum up hype for the flick.
Atressa 2 years ago
well for now it IS actually less horrific, but you must think that now people are not as easily scared as they where when the movie was released
ghelik1890 2 years ago
One other question... where is that supposed scene from LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT from? where did you find it? chaney's hair in that clip is also not right.. it is too long and too white. again, look at all the stills of him as the vampire character from the film and do a comparison. if it is genuine, VERY COOL. but, this would have made news, especially in film circles. i couldnt find one thing on google, either.
jpotokar 3 years ago
You are claiming to have found a "bootleg" scene of LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT?? if you look closely, the costume of whoever that is in that "bootleg" is wrong.. the bat wings on chaney's costume (under his arms) were not white, but black, as a number of publicity stills show. have to say.. the burned film cell at the end of that sequence is a nice touch too.. very cliche' in trying to make it appear old and authentic.
jpotokar 3 years ago
I like the use of shadows in this film. It really gives off a creepy atmosphere.
suspense13 3 years ago 3
Hehe I wish they would make a Phantom Video Game, I love horror survivor games and the phantom provides the perfect material.
tico8007 3 years ago
Believe it or not there IS a Phantom video - Return of the Phantom by Microprose. I will be reviewing that soon as I've always wanted to do an angry video game review.
PhantomReviews 3 years ago
Excellent, I look foward to it
tico8007 3 years ago
Is it fun to play?
ChrisStockslager 3 years ago
Sorry, this has nothing to do with what you wrote, but it seems like the fastest way to contact you. Have you ever wondered why Scott McQueen didn't do the commentary on the longer New York General Release Version? Or better yet, why didn't they even try to restore the friggin' thing?! It looks terrible!! Plot-wise, the New York General Release version is much more understandable than the 1929 version. They should restore it before it decomposes moreso. Wow, that felt good; I feel better now. :)
ChrisStockslager 3 years ago 2
@tico8007 I would like the phantom to be a boss in "Castlevania".
godzilla964 1 year ago
It is the best one out there and believe it or not..Wal-mart has it for a dollar during Halloween! It is actually pretty good quality considering. That's where I got my copy
Aside from that. Brava. I adore the reviews!
Darkmindedrose 3 years ago
This is By far the best Phantom!!!!
GetHerDonej20 3 years ago 4
PhantomReviewer, you forgot to mention that the original Los Angeles preview of the film it included Christine's "adopted" mother & legal guardian, Mamma Valerius.
EmilyGreene1984 3 years ago
Excellent. This has become without question my favorite movie version of POTO. At first the ending spoiled it for me, but once I heard about the original ending, much truer to the book, I fell in love with this version. Its too bad footage of the original deleted scenes does not still exist.
LerouxFan 3 years ago 3
Once again, brilliant...
I actually got my copy of this version in a "The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber" CD's...heh, I was happy...
Goooooood job. :)
missadeline22 3 years ago
Do you know that the film "The Hypnotist" a.k.a. London after midnight, is known as a lost film?
AwesomeCinema 3 years ago
Gah! Damn movie audience from the 1920's!
kenwen4 3 years ago
Comment removed
ChrisStockslager 3 years ago
I was nodding my head like some kind of cocker spaniel throughout this entire video. BRILLANT review! This Chaney phan loved it!
MrsLonChaney 3 years ago
Oh, I can't wait to see more! Brilliant reviews, like always MrPhantomReviews!
clamp2005 3 years ago 3
I love you. <3
Keepseeker 3 years ago
Sooooo close to the book. But then... THAT ENDING! Stupid test audiences. So, since you're going in chronological order now, does that mean you'll get to the 1942 version soon? *sad, pleading eyes*
SloeEyedDoe 3 years ago 5
So any plans on reviewing the cartoon version and the stage version of the musical?
Hasselhoffhater 3 years ago
I'll get to the cartoon one at some point, but I have already reviewed the movie of the ALW musical.
PhantomReviews 3 years ago
Love love love your reviews! Oh man, Chaney version is the first POTO film I've seen. I hadn't seen any other film, not read the book, not even seen pictures of Chaney, so the unmasking scene was pretty effective to me. It's my favourite version and because it's my first experience to POTO I am more forgiving to the cuts and changes than other people, though I also would like to see the original Leroux ending.
Can't wait for part 2!
kriitikko 3 years ago
OMG!!!!i heard u were doing this and i couldnt wait to see it! I love all of ur reviews, i really like how u put comedy into the reviews. when is part 2 coming? i wish that they would discover the orignal that previewed in San Francisco.
DrNoYes9 3 years ago
Part 2 should be up in a day or two, hopefully. Glad you enjoyed the review.
PhantomReviews 3 years ago
Well technley(Sorry for my spelling) you only reviewed the movie version..... but anyway I really love your reviews.
Hasselhoffhater 3 years ago
WHOOPS! not the san francisco version! the original much more faithful to the novel! sorry about that. im not crazy!!!!!
DrNoYes9 3 years ago
@PhantomReviews Have you heard of the musical/instrumental "Angel Of Music" The Untold Prequel To "The Phantom Of The Opera"? (that's really the whole title) It's on itunes and some clips are on YouTube...it's actually pretty good..I believe they have a Facebook page as well...I think it's filled with Phantomy goodness
Poet2916 2 months ago
@DrNoYes9
It was destroyed back in '25, so unless you have a time machine, ur shit out of luck, sorry.
xxkewldudexx 1 year ago