The Phantom of the Opera

Directed by Rupert Julian
Starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry
Year 1925

Northern Silents returns to Storyhouse to score the lavish 1925 silent film adaptation of Gaston Laroux’s The Phantom of the Opera for it’s 100th anniversary.

The film:
Beneath the opulence of the Paris Opera House, in the darkness of the catacombs, lurks the Phantom – a lonely creature whose only comfort is the sound of the music which drifts down to him from the stage above. When a new soprano arrives, he becomes enraptured by her voice and swears to possess her at any cost…

Both a dark love story and a horror classic, The Phantom of the Opera is one of silent cinema’s most lavish achievements. Its vast sets and innovative experiments with film colour are the background for one of early horror cinema’s most striking character creations – Lon Chaney’s Phantom. Chaney experimented for two years with metal hooks, wax, putty, and paint to create the skull-like appearance which terrified audiences a century ago.

The music:
Silent film pianist Jonny Best will bring the film alive with a brand new improvised score. Join us for a hauntingly unforgettable evening and celebrate the 100th birthday of one of silent cinema’s most beautiful creations.

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