The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)

The Phantom of the Opera
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rupert Julian Uncredited: Lon Chaney Ernst Laemmle Edward Sedgwick
Screenplay by	Uncredited: Walter Anthony Elliott J. Clawson Bernard McConville Frank M. McCormack Tom Reed Raymond L. Schrock Jasper Spearing Richard Wallace
Based on	The Phantom of the Opera 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux
Produced by	Carl Laemmle
Starring	Lon Chaney Norman Kerry Mary Philbin Arthur Edmund Carewe Gibson Gowland Snitz Edwards Bernard Seigel
Cinematography	Charles Van Enger Uncredited additional photography: Milton Bridenbecker Virgil Miller
Edited by	Edward Curtiss Maurice Pivar Gilmore Walker Lois Weber
Music by	Gustav Hinrichs
Production company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release dates	September 6, 1925 (1925-09-06) (New York, premiere) November 15, 1925 (1925-11-15) (USA) December 15, 1929 (1929-12-15) (Sound re-release)
Running time	107 minutes (original cut) 94 minutes (1929 sound re-release) 92 minutes (Eastman House print, 20 fps) 78 minutes (Eastman House print, 24 fps)
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)
Box office	$2 million $1 million (1929 sound re-release)

The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 American Universal Classic Monster silent horror film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name directed by Rupert Julian and starring Lon Chaney in the title role of the deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House,^[1] causing murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star. The film remains most famous for Chaney's ghastly, self-devised make-up, which was kept a studio secret until the film's premiere. The picture also features Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis and Snitz Edwards. The last surviving cast member was Carla Laemmle (1909–2014), niece of producer Carl Laemmle, who played a small role as a "prima ballerina" in the film when she was about 15 years old. The first cut of the film was previewed in Los Angeles on January 26, 1925. The film was released on September 6, 1925, premiering at the Astor Theatre in New York. Vaudeville stars Broderick & Felsen created a live prologue for the film's Broadway presentation at the B.S. Moss Colony Theater beginning on November 28, 1925. The film's final budget was $632,357.^[2]

In 1953, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the film's distributor Universal Pictures did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.