Review of The Phantom of the Opera (1962) by Bruce B — 12 Nov 2010

The movie really falls apart in the last act, when the liberties taken with the plot just start to become goofy--turning the Phantom into more or less a complete hero just doesn't work here, and the little hunchback henchman is entirely perfunctory and underdeveloped, especially considering he usurps most of the Phantom's role, including responsibility for at least two murders.

It's not so much that Gaston Leroux is untouchable--they just dropped the ball here. Still, the first hour of this undersung Hammer horror adaptation of "The Phantom of the Opera" is astonishingly good--my favorite Hammer horror film I've seen so far (admittedly, I've only seen a couple).

Terence Fisher's direction is pitch-perfect--the story is taut and efficiently told, and the cast could not be better. Surprisingly, once he gets his time in the spotlight the Phantom comes off as one of the least interesting characters--Herbert Lom is much more memorable as the deliciously sinister Lord Ambrose, and even the young lovers, played by Heather Sears and Edward de Souza, are actually incredibly charming, likable, sympathetic, and interesting.

It's rare that a romantic subplot from a 1960s horror-melodrama B-movie is something one actually invests in, but the romance, atmosphere, and intrigue carry this thing along something fierce for a long time.

In fact, while Lon Chaney is definitive (as Max Schreck and Bela Legosi are to vampires, so is Chaney to the Phantom--every iteration is built on the foundation he created), the first hour of Hammer's "Phantom" is maybe even better than the Chaney film--moody, moving, fun, creepy, romantic, and with some very memorable bits (the part early on where the dude gets hanged is wonderfully executed).

Not a masterpiece, but highly recommended nevertheless.