The Phantom of the Opera (1925): watch the full film free, legally

An opera house under threat

Set in the 1890s at the Paris Opera House, The Phantom of the Opera adapts Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel. Rupert Julian directed the 1925 American silent horror film, with Lon Chaney playing the deformed Phantom who haunts the building. Mary Philbin plays Christine Daaé, while Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis and Snitz Edwards also appear.

Comte Philippe de Chagny and his brother Raoul attend a performance of Faust, hoping Christine may sing. Raoul wants her to leave the opera and marry him, but Christine places her career first. As the house changes management, its departing managers warn of the Opera Ghost, said to occupy Box No. 5.

Carlotta, the prima donna, receives a demand from the Phantom: Christine must replace her or there will be consequences. Christine has heard a mysterious voice she calls the Spirit of Music, and believes it has trained her. When Carlotta refuses to yield, danger follows at a performance. Christine then discovers a secret door behind her dressing-room mirror and descends into the lower reaches of the Opera House.

Chaney behind the Phantom’s mask

The film is particularly known for Chaney’s self-devised make-up for the Phantom, kept secret by the studio until the premiere. In the underground rooms, the Phantom identifies himself as Erik and declares his love for Christine. He has prepared an underground suite for her, but orders her never to look behind his mask. Christine disobeys while he plays his organ, revealing his deformed face and provoking his anger.

Chaney and director Julian had strained relations during production, according to cinematographer Charles Van Enger. Van Enger said the two eventually stopped communicating, leaving him to pass Julian’s directions to Chaney. He recalled Chaney’s response: “Tell him to go to hell.” Van Enger also said Julian wanted the screen to go black after the opera-house chandelier fell, but he instead lit the set with a soft glow so the aftermath could be seen.

Production began in mid-October 1924 and principal photography ended shortly before that year closed. By mid-November, most of Chaney’s scenes had been shot. The production exposed 350,000 feet of negative, and editor Gilmore Walker assembled a rough cut running nearly four hours. The studio required a version of no more than 12 reels.

Reworking a troubled production

Universal president Carl Laemmle acquired the novel after meeting Leroux in Paris in 1922. Leroux gave him a copy, which Laemmle read in one night, and Laemmle bought it as a vehicle for Chaney. The filmmakers consulted French art director Ben Carré about the Paris Opera House. Carré made 24 charcoal sketches of its backstage and below-stage spaces, which the production replicated, although he had no further involvement once shooting began.

Elliot J. Clawson wrote the screenplay and initially adapted the novel closely. His early scripts included scenes and an extended Persian flashback that did not reach the released film. Several endings were considered and filmed. One version had Christine’s kiss redeeming Erik, but a January 26, 1925 Los Angeles preview brought an extremely negative audience reaction. Viewers objected to excessive melodrama and suggested comic material to relieve the tension.

After further changes, Edward Sedgwick directed extensive reshoots, with new scenes written by Raymond L. Schrock and Clawson. A San Francisco preview on April 26 also received a strongly negative reaction, including one reviewer’s statement that “The story drags to the point of nauseam.” Maurice Pivar and Lois Weber cut the film to nine reels. The final version premiered at New York’s Astor Theatre on September 6, 1925, with a score by Eugene Conte composed mainly of French airs and Faust cues. Carla Laemmle, producer Carl Laemmle’s niece, played a small role as a prima ballerina at about age 15.

Film details from the Wikipedia article “The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)”. Text adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.