At the London theatre where the first night of the obnoxious Lord Ambrose D’Arcy’s new opera “Joan of Arc” is taking place, there is talk that the place is haunted by a mysterious phantom. Then, during the performance, the hanged body of a stagehand rips through a backdrop and swings out on to the stage in full view of the horrified house. Later that night, Christine, a rising young singer, hears a weird, disembodied voice in her dressing room….
Production Details
A Hammer film production released by Universal Pictures
Copyright MCMLXII Universal Pictures Company Incorporated – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate
The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional
Based on the composition by Gaston Leroux
Opera Scenes staged by Dennis Maunder by permission of the General Administrator, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
RCA Sound Recording
Produced at Bray Studios, England
Eastmancolor by Pathe 84 mins
Filming Began: 19th April 1960
UK Release: 29th September 1961
Studio:
Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire
Location:
New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, Wimbledon, London – Theatre auditorium interiors
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Art Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-mingaye/# | 33 | 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 28 | 15 | 43 | |
Assistant Director | John Peverall | 31 | 1931 | 3 Oct 2009 | 78 | 21 | 21 | ||
Assistant Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/chris-barnes/# | 24 | 1938 | 5 Jun 2009 | 71 | 21 | 12 | 33 | |
Associate Producer | Basil Keys | 45 | 1917 | 2009 | 92 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
Camera Operator | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/len-harris/# | 46 | 19 May 1916 | 21 Feb 1995 | 78 | 53 | 2 | 55 | |
Construction Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-banks/# | 19 | 29 | 48 | |||||
Continuity | Tilly Day | 59 | 1903 | 1994 | 91 | 14 | 1 | 15 | |
Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/terence-fisher/# | 58 | 23 Feb 1904 | 18 Jun 1980 | 76 | 31 | 31 | ||
Director of Photography | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/arthur-grant/# | 47 | 1915 | 1972 | 57 | 33 | 33 | ||
Editor | Alfred Cox | 37 | 1925 | 2005 | 80 | 21 | 4 | 25 | |
Focus Puller | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harry-oakes/# | 41 | 16 Jan 1921 | 11 Dec 2012 | 91 | 53 | 53 | ||
Hair Stylist | Frieda Steiger | 58 | 29 Dec 1903 | 19 Aug 1993 | 89 | 28 | 28 | ||
Make-up Artist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-ashton/# | 53 | 16 Apr 1909 | 10 Jan 1995 | 85 | 36 | 4 | 40 | |
Music Composed & Conducted by | Edwin Astley | 40 | 12 Apr 1922 | 19 May 1998 | 76 | 4 | 4 | ||
Opera Scenes | Dennis Maunder | 39 | 1923 | 2012 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-hinds/# | 39 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 88 | 1 | 89 | |
Production Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/bernard-robinson/# | 49 | 28 Jul 1912 | 2 Mar 1970 | 57 | 45 | 4 | 49 | |
Production Manager | Clifford Parkes | 34 | 10 Jul 1928 | 20.11.2014 | 87 | 12 | 12 | ||
Publicity Director | Dennison Thornton | 52 | 23 Aug 1909 | 1977 | 67 | 9 | 9 | ||
Screenplay | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/anthony-hinds/# | 39 | 18 Sep 1922 | 30 Sep 2013 | 91 | 88 | 1 | 89 | |
Second Assistant Director | Peter Medak | 24 | 23 Dec 1937 | 23.12.1937 | 86 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Singing Voice: Heather Sears | Patricia Clark | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Sound Camera Operator | Alan Lavender | 20 | 30 Sep 1941 | 30.09.1941 | 83 | 3 | 3 | ||
Sound Editor | James Groom | 37 | 1925 | 17 May 2016 | 91 | 13 | 2 | 15 | |
Sound Recordist | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/jock-may/# | 57 | 1905 | 8 Jan 1991 | 86 | 30 | 1 | 31 | |
Special Effects | Brian Johnson | 22 | 29 Jun 1939 | 29.06.1939 | 85 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 29 | 29 | |||||
Still Photographer | Tom Edwards | 1999 | 29 | 29 | |||||
Stunt Double | Jack Cooper | 39 | 1923 | 2010 | 87 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
Supervising Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 42 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 110 | 1 | 111 | |
Wardrobe Mistress | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/rosemary-burrows/# | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/molly-arbuthnot/# | 53 | 19 Dec 1908 | 31 Oct 2001 | 92 | 48 | 5 | 53 | |
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
1st Cabby | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-ripper/# | 49 | 27 Jan 1913 | 28 Jun 2000 | 87 | 34 | 2 | 36 | |
2nd Cabby | Miles Malleson | 74 | 25 May 1888 | 15 Mar 1969 | 80 | 4 | 4 | ||
Bill | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/harold-goodwin/# | 44 | 22 Oct 1917 | 3 Jun 2004 | 86 | 4 | 3 | 7 | |
Charwoman | Miriam Karlin | 37 | 23 Jun 1925 | 3 Jun 2011 | 85 | 2 | 2 | ||
Chorus Girl | Waveney Lee | 17 | 1945 | 01.01.1945 | 79 | 1 | 1 | ||
Chorus Girl | Jane Merrow | 20 | 26 Aug 1941 | 26.08.1941 | 83 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Christine | Heather Sears | 26 | 28 Sep 1935 | 3 Jan 1994 | 58 | 1 | 1 | ||
Cleaner in Theatre | Lucy Griffiths | 43 | 24 Apr 1919 | 29 Sep 1982 | 63 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Forbes | Laurie Main | 39 | 29 Nov 1922 | 8 Feb 2012 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Frenchman | Geoff LCise | 26 | 4 Apr 1936 | 13 Feb 2014 | 77 | 1 | 1 | ||
Harry | Edward De Souza | 29 | 4 Sep 1932 | 4.09.1932 | 92 | 2 | 2 | ||
Lattimer | Thorley Walters | 49 | 12 May 1913 | 6 Jul 1991 | 78 | 6 | 6 | ||
Lord Ambrose DArcy | Michael Gough | 45 | 23 Nov 1916 | 17 Mar 2011 | 94 | 3 | 3 | ||
Maria | Liane Aukin | 25 | 17 Aug 1936 | 18 Aug 2016 | 80 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Minor Role | Emille Stemmler | 51 | 1911 | 2001 | 6 | 6 | |||
Mrs Tucker | Renee Houston | 59 | 24 Jul 1902 | 9 Feb 1980 | 77 | 2 | 2 | ||
Murdered Stagehands Wife | Cicely Walper | 63 | 6 Feb 1899 | 18 Jan 1981 | 81 | 1 | 1 | ||
Police Insp. Dawson | John Maddison | 50 | 5 Feb 1912 | 24 Dec 2000 | 88 | 1 | 1 | ||
Police Insp. Ward | Liam Redmond | 48 | 27 Jul 1913 | 28 Oct 1989 | 76 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Ratcatcher | Patrick Troughton | 42 | 25 Mar 1920 | 28 Mar 1987 | 67 | 5 | 5 | ||
Rossi | Martin Miller | 62 | 2 Sep 1899 | 26 Aug 1969 | 69 | 1 | 1 | ||
Sait Joan Cast | Patrick Halpin | 61 | 4 Mar 1901 | 21 May 1971 | 70 | 6 | 6 | ||
Sergeant Vickers | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/john-harvey/# | 50 | 27 Sep 1911 | 19 Jul 1982 | 70 | 12 | 1 | 13 | |
Shocked Tympanist | Ray Cooper | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Stagehand | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/fred-wood/# | 40 | 26 Oct 1921 | 25 Jan 2003 | 81 | 19 | 19 | ||
Teresa | Leila Forde | 1 | 1 | ||||||
The Dwarf | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ian-wilson/# | 60 | 2 Jul 1901 | Dec 1987 | 86 | 5 | 3 | 8 | |
The Phantom/Professor Petrie | Herbert Lom | 44 | 11 Sep 1917 | 27 Sep 2012 | 95 | 3 | 3 | ||
Weaver | Keith Pyott | 60 | 9 Mar 1902 | 6 Apr 1968 | 66 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Xavier | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/marne-maitland/# | 47 | 18 Dec 1914 | Mar 1992 | 77 | 9 | 9 | ||
Yvonne | Sonya Cordeau | 29 | 5 Jun 1933 | 5.06.1933 | 91 | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
This was the third time that Universal had taken on The Phantom of the Opera, the other versions having been made in 1925 and 1943. The famous scene in which Lon Chaney’s horrific make-up is unmasked in the silent 1925 film remains one of the classic moments of screen terror.
English-born Hollywood star Cary Grant was originally intended for the title role in this film, but eventually decided against it and was replaced by Herbert Lom. Lom himself later became best known for his performances as Peter Sellers’ increasingly demented boss Commissioner Dreyfuss in the “Clouseau/Pink Panther” series of films.
Character actor Thorley Walters also appeared for Hammer in Dracula – Prince of Darkness (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1966), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) and Vampire Circus (1971).
BBC TV’s second Doctor Who, Patrick Troughton, has a small part here as a rat-catcher, his other films for Hammer are The Gorgon (1964), The Viking Queen (1967), Scars of Dracula (1969) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973).