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The Phantom of the Opera
This is the HARDBACK version. The silent movie version of The Phantom of the Opera that we are familiar today is not the original 1925 release but a silent version of the 1929 sound remake. Directed by Rupert Julian and starring Lon Chaney, Sr. in the title role as a deformed musician haunting the Paris Opera House, committing murder, and terrorizing the owners and producers in a pathetic and terrible attempt to earn the love of a famous opera singer. Stars included Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis, and Snitz Edwards. The last surviving cast member was Carla Laemmle, who was the niece of Universal Studios' producer Carl Laemmle. In this new illustrated book, follow the history of the 1925 original release from Gaston Leroux's original conception to the 1929 sound remake. What actual events inspired the story? What inspired Chaney's makeup? What was in the hour of footage cut from the film's release that was considered too horrible for audiences in 1925? Contributions by Mary Philbin (Christine), Ray Bradbury, Ron Chaney, Carl Laemmle Junior, Charles Van Enger (cinematographer), Rupert Julian, Virgil Miller (cinematographer), Ben Carre (Art Director), and Patric Leroux. Includes a short biography and bibliography of Gaston Leroux by Francis Lacassin, and a facsimile of the original May 1931 Liberty magazine five-part article, "Lon Chaney, A Portrait of the Man Behind the Thousand Faces," by Adela Rogers St. Johns. "Each page is filled with documented information that will change a few history books. You almost get the feeling that you are part of the Golden' years of Hollywood." -Ray Bradbury "It looks as if this volume of The Phantom of the Opera will be the only record for the rest of time if the original release of 1925." -Ron Chaney"
- GenresNonfiction
362 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 16, 2026
Over the years, I’ve collected and read a large number of movie filmscript books. These usually contain (in addition to the complete filmscript) a production history and lots of photographs (usually copied from inferior grayscale sources, yet intriguing just the same).
The last title from my backlog was about the making of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in a book by Philip J. Riley. Although this silent film is one of my favorites, I long held-off beginning it for multiple reasons. Foremost among them is that I think it is the largest one of its type. I was going to be reading this for a while. In addition to that, there was the “small print” issue impacting easy reading. Most of these books have one script page per page of the book. This one mostly contained two per page. In addition, there were also items in the Appendix that I was certain I’d need a magnifying glass to read (and this was indeed the case for one of them).
However, Riley’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was by far the best of its type that I’ve ever read.
For many years, film historians and collectors have been debating what went on behind the scenes of the 1925 production. I had a version in my collection that I watched for many years before I discovered it was from a 1929 reissue that had music, sound effects, and dialogue sections added … but that was available in a silent format only. I will never forget the evening that I saw a screening of the 1925 version on a murky, 16mm print from a collector at the Cinevent Film convention. I was startled by the many alterations that ranged from Carlotta’s Mother in the 1929 version actually being Carlotta herself in the original release to the unmasking sequence with a different angle. I later discovered that this collector’s print was missing about 30-minutes of subplot footage that really didn’t harm the story by its absence.
I’ve read several books about Lon Chaney’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA through the years, but none of them had as much information as this one or such a treasure trove of details that were completely new to me. I could easily cover 13-pages or more with “finds” that intrigued and excited me.
When it came time to “struggle” with the small print, I felt a little bit like an archeologist unearthing an incredible artifact. Yes, it was slow going, but it was always worth the effort. (And I found out what was in those missing 30-minutes.) One item was an amazing analysis of Gaston Leroux’s style of writing, including why he resorted to italics in places. In fact, the writer of the article found a theme link that crossed a number of Leroux’s books when he employed that font.
Finally, the entire 5-part article from “Liberty” magazine about Lon Chaney’s life (written by Adela Rogers St. John) was included. Yes, the grey lettering added to the reading difficulty (as did two pages that were transposed), but I couldn’t believe the depth of the work. This wasn’t the typical “celebrity bio” piece, but a delightfully detailed explanation.
An unexpectedly brilliant discovery occurs near the beginning of the book. Riley admitted that he had been an ardent admirer of the movie. Quite by accident, he made the acquaintance of Mary Philbin who portrayed Christine in the show, and who had spent many years steadfastly refusing to grant interviews about it. After months of cultivating a friendship, Philbin (on her own) started relating to Riley about how Lon Chaney had subtly given her instructions to show her to the best advantage during the scene when the Phantom abducts Christine. I had just started the book, and I realized that this tidbit made it worth every penny of the purchase price.
Some years ago, I bought a collectable Souvenir Program from a 1999 showing of the 1925 version of the film. I’ve been saving it to reward myself upon the completion of Riley’s book, and I’ve started enjoying it today. It’s an absolute treat!
The last title from my backlog was about the making of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in a book by Philip J. Riley. Although this silent film is one of my favorites, I long held-off beginning it for multiple reasons. Foremost among them is that I think it is the largest one of its type. I was going to be reading this for a while. In addition to that, there was the “small print” issue impacting easy reading. Most of these books have one script page per page of the book. This one mostly contained two per page. In addition, there were also items in the Appendix that I was certain I’d need a magnifying glass to read (and this was indeed the case for one of them).
However, Riley’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was by far the best of its type that I’ve ever read.
For many years, film historians and collectors have been debating what went on behind the scenes of the 1925 production. I had a version in my collection that I watched for many years before I discovered it was from a 1929 reissue that had music, sound effects, and dialogue sections added … but that was available in a silent format only. I will never forget the evening that I saw a screening of the 1925 version on a murky, 16mm print from a collector at the Cinevent Film convention. I was startled by the many alterations that ranged from Carlotta’s Mother in the 1929 version actually being Carlotta herself in the original release to the unmasking sequence with a different angle. I later discovered that this collector’s print was missing about 30-minutes of subplot footage that really didn’t harm the story by its absence.
I’ve read several books about Lon Chaney’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA through the years, but none of them had as much information as this one or such a treasure trove of details that were completely new to me. I could easily cover 13-pages or more with “finds” that intrigued and excited me.
When it came time to “struggle” with the small print, I felt a little bit like an archeologist unearthing an incredible artifact. Yes, it was slow going, but it was always worth the effort. (And I found out what was in those missing 30-minutes.) One item was an amazing analysis of Gaston Leroux’s style of writing, including why he resorted to italics in places. In fact, the writer of the article found a theme link that crossed a number of Leroux’s books when he employed that font.
Finally, the entire 5-part article from “Liberty” magazine about Lon Chaney’s life (written by Adela Rogers St. John) was included. Yes, the grey lettering added to the reading difficulty (as did two pages that were transposed), but I couldn’t believe the depth of the work. This wasn’t the typical “celebrity bio” piece, but a delightfully detailed explanation.
An unexpectedly brilliant discovery occurs near the beginning of the book. Riley admitted that he had been an ardent admirer of the movie. Quite by accident, he made the acquaintance of Mary Philbin who portrayed Christine in the show, and who had spent many years steadfastly refusing to grant interviews about it. After months of cultivating a friendship, Philbin (on her own) started relating to Riley about how Lon Chaney had subtly given her instructions to show her to the best advantage during the scene when the Phantom abducts Christine. I had just started the book, and I realized that this tidbit made it worth every penny of the purchase price.
Some years ago, I bought a collectable Souvenir Program from a 1999 showing of the 1925 version of the film. I’ve been saving it to reward myself upon the completion of Riley’s book, and I’ve started enjoying it today. It’s an absolute treat!
June 20, 2015
* I received this as a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *
The popularity of the stage production of “The Phantom of the Opera” has definitely introduced the classic story to many people who may otherwise not have bothered with Gaston Leroux and his “little book”. I know I would not have picked it up years ago had I not gone to a production of “The Phantom” at the theater. Probably even lesser known is the 1925 film version starring Lon Chaney.
This book is the history of that film and it does not miss a step. If you are left with a question after reading through this I cannot imagine what it might be.
This book gives the reader detailed notes on the reconstruction of the film, a preface by Ray Bradbury, a forward by Mary Philbin (who played the part of Christine Daae) and an introduction by Ron Chaney (Lon Chaney’s great-grandson). Then Mr. Philips goes on with a written description of how the film came into production including some of the trial and tribulations of bringing it to the screen in the 1920’s – before CGI and today’s special effects masters. This section of the book contains photographs and sketches as well as tidbits about the behind the scenes production of silent movies in general. For instance, did you know that “Silent films were often tinted various colors to represent moods: red = fire, desert blue = night and mystery, green = underwater, dark emotions and yellow = happy scenes”? There is even a reproduced page including the signatures (autographs?) of all the principals involved in the film.
There are so many gems in this book that if I continued on in this vein this review would be as long as the book itself. Suffice it to say that it also contains:
- Step by step pictures of the construction of the elaborate film set
- Secrets behind Mr. Chaney’s make-up complete with transformation photos
- The shooting script complete with annotations
- Stills from the film
- A complete publicity section with reviews, newspaper articles and promotional materials and,
- A “Liberty” article about Mr. Chaney (A Portrait of the Man Behind a Thousand Faces) written by Adela Martin St. Johns
Although I do not suggest it – even if you were to skim over every typed word in this book it would be worth picking it up just to flip through pages and enjoy the marvelous vintage pictures and artwork.
This book will definitely be on the gift list for two people in my life. My BFF who covets all things “Phantom” and my daughter who, by hobby as well as profession, is enamored of all things “film”. Of course I received the ebook version and have seen it listed as a paperback on Amazon.com. I think it would be a brilliant “coffee table” book.
The popularity of the stage production of “The Phantom of the Opera” has definitely introduced the classic story to many people who may otherwise not have bothered with Gaston Leroux and his “little book”. I know I would not have picked it up years ago had I not gone to a production of “The Phantom” at the theater. Probably even lesser known is the 1925 film version starring Lon Chaney.
This book is the history of that film and it does not miss a step. If you are left with a question after reading through this I cannot imagine what it might be.
This book gives the reader detailed notes on the reconstruction of the film, a preface by Ray Bradbury, a forward by Mary Philbin (who played the part of Christine Daae) and an introduction by Ron Chaney (Lon Chaney’s great-grandson). Then Mr. Philips goes on with a written description of how the film came into production including some of the trial and tribulations of bringing it to the screen in the 1920’s – before CGI and today’s special effects masters. This section of the book contains photographs and sketches as well as tidbits about the behind the scenes production of silent movies in general. For instance, did you know that “Silent films were often tinted various colors to represent moods: red = fire, desert blue = night and mystery, green = underwater, dark emotions and yellow = happy scenes”? There is even a reproduced page including the signatures (autographs?) of all the principals involved in the film.
There are so many gems in this book that if I continued on in this vein this review would be as long as the book itself. Suffice it to say that it also contains:
- Step by step pictures of the construction of the elaborate film set
- Secrets behind Mr. Chaney’s make-up complete with transformation photos
- The shooting script complete with annotations
- Stills from the film
- A complete publicity section with reviews, newspaper articles and promotional materials and,
- A “Liberty” article about Mr. Chaney (A Portrait of the Man Behind a Thousand Faces) written by Adela Martin St. Johns
Although I do not suggest it – even if you were to skim over every typed word in this book it would be worth picking it up just to flip through pages and enjoy the marvelous vintage pictures and artwork.
This book will definitely be on the gift list for two people in my life. My BFF who covets all things “Phantom” and my daughter who, by hobby as well as profession, is enamored of all things “film”. Of course I received the ebook version and have seen it listed as a paperback on Amazon.com. I think it would be a brilliant “coffee table” book.
December 2, 2019
Is there anything you've ever wanted to know about Universal's silent Phantom of the Opera? It's in this book.
Think you know just about everything about said movie? There's something in here you don't.
This book is ridiculous. There is so much information in here you will learn something. About the film, about Gaston Leroux, about Lon Chaney, about the early movie business. There are also multiple facsimile copies of old press materials (including a kind of press book with pre-written articles theater owners can give to newspapers) and magazine articles.
That said, if you want to know about the legends surrounding this film and Lon Chaney's life, that is something you won't find here. The author is careful to keep the book to things that are documented and proven.
I really can't recommend this book enough.
Think you know just about everything about said movie? There's something in here you don't.
This book is ridiculous. There is so much information in here you will learn something. About the film, about Gaston Leroux, about Lon Chaney, about the early movie business. There are also multiple facsimile copies of old press materials (including a kind of press book with pre-written articles theater owners can give to newspapers) and magazine articles.
That said, if you want to know about the legends surrounding this film and Lon Chaney's life, that is something you won't find here. The author is careful to keep the book to things that are documented and proven.
I really can't recommend this book enough.
May 30, 2020
One of my most treasured movie making-of books, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVES) goes into detail about the great mess that was the production and post-production of one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. I love the silent POTO, but I will not deny the troubled production is apparent even in existing prints of the movie. Firstly, Rupert Julian was a hack director and the movie often works in spite of his blundering (it is said Lon Chaney directed some of the key scenes, like the unmasking). Secondly, the studio seemed unnerved by the fright potential of the story, hoping to mellow it out with comic relief and additional romantic scenes-- remember, the horror genre wasn't really big business in the US until the 1930s, so they were likely nervous the movie might repulse audiences away from the box office rather than delight them with thrills and chills.
Two cuts of the movie currently exist: there is the better-preserved 1929 re-edit and a 1925 print closer to the original cut, though the first cut no longer exists. It's a fascinating story, so much so that it's shocking the final product is as watchable as it is.
This book is packed with great material in addition to the story of production: there's an introduction by author Ray Bradbury, who saw the film on first-run as a boy, and a piece from Mary Philbin who starred as Christine and was charmed by the film's enduring popularity long after the silent era ended. The photo stills are a treasure too, with many I had never seen before.
Two cuts of the movie currently exist: there is the better-preserved 1929 re-edit and a 1925 print closer to the original cut, though the first cut no longer exists. It's a fascinating story, so much so that it's shocking the final product is as watchable as it is.
This book is packed with great material in addition to the story of production: there's an introduction by author Ray Bradbury, who saw the film on first-run as a boy, and a piece from Mary Philbin who starred as Christine and was charmed by the film's enduring popularity long after the silent era ended. The photo stills are a treasure too, with many I had never seen before.
January 12, 2016
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.75 of 5
This "Making of" book about "The Phantom of the Opera" is a tremendous resource and clearly a work of love by author Philip J. Riley.
The term 'classic' is much over-used today, which possibly takes away from the importance of the meaning. To say that the 1925 film, The Phantom of the Opera, is a classic is an understatement, even its truest meaning. It is, quite possibly, the classic film defining the early form of the film medium and the wizardry initiative that film began.
In this book, Riley has dug deep to unearth some great information and interviews with those who have a connection to the film. What is unknown to most people is that there is almost as much a mystery surrounding the original film as there is in the story. What most people think of as the original 1925 silent film, starring Lon Chaney, is actually a modified, re-edited version. Riley takes us through all the variations of the film, what is known about the different versions, and what is unknown. I found it fascinating that in this silent film era, some (though not all) of this film was filmed in Technicolor alongside the standard black and white.
This information and research alone is valuable to anyone interested in the film and the changing era of silent to talkies and black and white to Technicolor. But this book offers so much more.
I've been a fan of films and film-making and done a fair amount of research of screenwriting but I've never had the opportunity to read a script as it was written for the silent film era. I personally may have been most excited to read through the original silent film script for Phantom of the Opera than any other aspect of this book.
There are a lot of stills included here, as well as press releases and reviews and articles by other magazines. The book ends with a very long article (or series of articles) from Liberty magazine, detailing Chaney's career. Much of this extra, included material is in the form of reproduction straight from the original source (in the case of newspaper or magazine articles often including period ads). While it is so nice to see these things exactly as they appeared originally, it was sometimes very hard to read these, especially in the digital format that I was using.
I truly can't believe how much valuable information was included in this volume and I think that this should be a required textbook for anyone interested in film.
Looking for a good book? Philip J. Riley's The Phantom of the Opera is a well-researched examination of one of the most critical films in Hollywood's history.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This "Making of" book about "The Phantom of the Opera" is a tremendous resource and clearly a work of love by author Philip J. Riley.
The term 'classic' is much over-used today, which possibly takes away from the importance of the meaning. To say that the 1925 film, The Phantom of the Opera, is a classic is an understatement, even its truest meaning. It is, quite possibly, the classic film defining the early form of the film medium and the wizardry initiative that film began.
In this book, Riley has dug deep to unearth some great information and interviews with those who have a connection to the film. What is unknown to most people is that there is almost as much a mystery surrounding the original film as there is in the story. What most people think of as the original 1925 silent film, starring Lon Chaney, is actually a modified, re-edited version. Riley takes us through all the variations of the film, what is known about the different versions, and what is unknown. I found it fascinating that in this silent film era, some (though not all) of this film was filmed in Technicolor alongside the standard black and white.
This information and research alone is valuable to anyone interested in the film and the changing era of silent to talkies and black and white to Technicolor. But this book offers so much more.
I've been a fan of films and film-making and done a fair amount of research of screenwriting but I've never had the opportunity to read a script as it was written for the silent film era. I personally may have been most excited to read through the original silent film script for Phantom of the Opera than any other aspect of this book.
There are a lot of stills included here, as well as press releases and reviews and articles by other magazines. The book ends with a very long article (or series of articles) from Liberty magazine, detailing Chaney's career. Much of this extra, included material is in the form of reproduction straight from the original source (in the case of newspaper or magazine articles often including period ads). While it is so nice to see these things exactly as they appeared originally, it was sometimes very hard to read these, especially in the digital format that I was using.
I truly can't believe how much valuable information was included in this volume and I think that this should be a required textbook for anyone interested in film.
Looking for a good book? Philip J. Riley's The Phantom of the Opera is a well-researched examination of one of the most critical films in Hollywood's history.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2015
This is a phenomenal book about not just the making of the silent film The Phantom of the Opera but about the background of the book and the machinations of the silent film industry of the time.
The information within the text of the book would alone warrant recommendation, for there is a wealth of information within that narrative. The wealth of photographs, drawings, news clippings as well as a copy of the 1925 shooting script makes this as valuable as it is entertaining.
This is obviously a must read for fans of the film, horror films in general and film history (especially the silent era). Due to the rich resources included it is also valuable for Chaney fans and readers who love the original novel. I also think that even though the making of the film was almost a century ago current filmmakers could gain some insight to aspects of filmmaking that perhaps get overlooked with today's technical advances but are still essential to good storytelling in a visual form.
Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
The information within the text of the book would alone warrant recommendation, for there is a wealth of information within that narrative. The wealth of photographs, drawings, news clippings as well as a copy of the 1925 shooting script makes this as valuable as it is entertaining.
This is obviously a must read for fans of the film, horror films in general and film history (especially the silent era). Due to the rich resources included it is also valuable for Chaney fans and readers who love the original novel. I also think that even though the making of the film was almost a century ago current filmmakers could gain some insight to aspects of filmmaking that perhaps get overlooked with today's technical advances but are still essential to good storytelling in a visual form.
Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 27, 2015
What a treasure trove this book is in regards to the making of the 1925 Phantom of the Opera. In addition to detailed text about the film, the book contains many film stills, scripts to various versions of the film and publicity for the film. Definitely a great read if you've seen and enjoyed the 1925 Phantom of the Opera and you wish to learn a lot more about it.
June 9, 2015
Such amazing background information, not just about the origins of Phantom of the Opera, but also about Lon Chaney, Jr and the production of the silent film! The tales and pictures give so much more to the story! Anyone who likes old Hollywood or the Phantom of the Opera should read this book!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews