The 1962 Herbert Lom version

I'm about to watch the 1962 Herbert Lom version now... I can't remember if I've seen it or not, but I found a hilariously cheap DVD of it in Copenhagen - we're talking DKK 25, app. $4,5 - so of course I bought it.

Any thoughts of this version? i'll contribute a lot more when I've actually SEEN it...

First observation: So Carlotta is more or less replaced by a Maria Callas blueprint in the beginning? My initial reaction was that "boy, her profile is similar to Maria Callas", and then they called her Maria... Interesting.

Hanging of Buquet was quite well solved.

Christine looks so 60s! With a dash of Mary Poppins, especially in that bright blue skirt, white blouse and hairdo.

Halfway through the movie: darn, I HAVE seen it before!

The Phantom slapping Christine seemed so unmotivated, ha-ha.

Because this thread just ASKED for it, and I use this anytime I feel the need to show some Phantom hatred (on other sites, trust me):

Hahaha, what's UP with that slapping? So random.

To be honest, I'm glad I didn't pay more for this movie. Whereas it's always enjoyable to see a Phantom movie, this one is far from Leroux's story, I'm surprised they could call it Phantom at all. And the ending seemed just as unmotivated as "Love Never Dies".

That said, I was entertained when I watched it.

operafantomet wrote:Hahaha, what's UP with that slapping? So random.

To be honest, I'm glad I didn't pay more for this movie. Whereas it's always enjoyable to see a Phantom movie, this one is far from Leroux's story, I'm surprised they could call it Phantom at all. And the ending seemed just as unmotivated as "Love Never Dies".

That said, I was entertained when I watched it.

They've called worse things "Phantom".

Post the water scene! That totally had me in stitches. Petrie asks that dwarf guy for some water, and I thought it was going to be a nice gesture in that he thought Christine needed a drink. But no, instead the dwarf gets yucky water from the lake and gives it to Petrie, who then pours it over Christine's face! Love it!

BTW, in his bio back when he played Firmin in the Lloyd Webber version, Bruce Montague said he played some part in this film...but last time I checked he wasn't in the credits (at least on IMDb...)...can anyone solve the mystery?

Scorp wrote:BTW, in his bio back when he played Firmin in the Lloyd Webber version, Bruce Montague said he played some part in this film...but last time I checked he wasn't in the credits (at least on IMDb...)...can anyone solve the mystery?

I didn't know (or notice)! Wouldn't he have been a child back then? Or at least very young.

That water thing had me giggle too. And I thought Christine was to drink that water even after the dwarf filled the cup in the lake. I was like "eeeeew!". But then.... SPLASH!

OMG, it's been so long since I saw this version, reading all these posts made me smile with fond memories. Back in the day, before ALW wrote his show, I had to satisfy my love for the story by watching third rate Phantoms like this and the one with Max. Schell.

Herbert Lom's long been a favorite actor of mine, but this movie did him no credit at all. And I couldn't even enjoy his voice because of that full-faced mask.

As far as I was concerned, the only interesting character was Michael Gough's Lord D'Arcy. He was delightfully sleazy.

As for the dwarf? Ugh! Hammer made some great horror films in its hey day...but this one was a bit of a stinker.

HDKingsbury wrote:As far as I was concerned, the only interesting character was Michael Gough's Lord D'Arcy. He was delightfully sleazy.

I also ended up liking him the most, which felt a bit odd.

LOL! I'm glad I wasn't the only one. Prof. Petrie was almost too kind, too innocent to be attractive. But Lord D'Arcy? He was wicked, he knew it and he loved it! There's nothing like a rake and a scoundrel to make a girl's heart beat a little quicker...or have I been reading too many Regency romances?!

Haha! I'm guilty of that too, so who knows...

But thing is that when people manage to play a twisted character believable it's so intriguing to watch. I guess it's a sort of "I could - and would - never be that mean, but I find it intriguing to watch someone who can - and is". Probably some Freudian emotions playing up.

Okay, because all of you asked for the water scene. I'm going to create a gif of it. It'll be up later!

YAY!!! Can't wait!!

BECAUSE YOU GUYS WANTED IT (I shamelessly had to rip it from the Phantom Reviewer's video, they took down the other ones):

"Splish, spash, I was taking a bath...
'Long about Saturday night..."

That damned dwarf thing just creepily staring from the side is what bugs me. He was getting a kick out of it.

The Phantom is slapping her and throwing water at her, ha-ha-ha! Gives a whole new dimension to "SIIING!! For MEEEEE!"

If they didn't take down all the other parts, I would have made an amazing gif of the chandelier falling on him and crushing him. The look on his face and his 'heroic jump' from the box is so wtf-worthy.

operafantomet wrote:The Phantom is slapping her and throwing water at her, ha-ha-ha! Gives a whole new dimension to "SIIING!! For MEEEEE!"

LOL, what the hell man? I'm tempted to see this, but since everyone says its not that great...

From what I gather, this Erik is not afraid to tell Christine she's a twit when she's being a twit.

PhantomAngel777 wrote:

operafantomet wrote:The Phantom is slapping her and throwing water at her, ha-ha-ha! Gives a whole new dimension to "SIIING!! For MEEEEE!"

LOL, what the hell man? I'm tempted to see this, but since everyone says its not that great...

From what I gather, this Erik is not afraid to tell Christine she's a twit when she's being a twit.

Basically, you nailed it. I find Herbert Lom so... oddly casted. I don't know why he was chosen. All I know is that he must have had a light schedule between him playing Chief Inspector Dreyfus... lol

PhantomAngel777 wrote:

operafantomet wrote:The Phantom is slapping her and throwing water at her, ha-ha-ha! Gives a whole new dimension to "SIIING!! For MEEEEE!"

LOL, what the hell man? I'm tempted to see this, but since everyone says its not that great...

From what I gather, this Erik is not afraid to tell Christine she's a twit when she's being a twit.

It's definitely a different take on their relationship than we're usually exposed to

R.

I have mixed feelings about this version. I liked the scenes that Erik is in, but I hate the rest of it. I like his mask in this version the best, but it is a little much for the "deformity" he has.

I love Hammer movies and I think this was good version, with photography and some of the set design showing typically gorgeous work of Jack Asher and Bernard Robinson.

RIP Michael Gough, who played Lord Ambrose D'Arcy in the Hammer production of "Phantom." He was 94 years old.

R.

operafantomet wrote:The Phantom is slapping her and throwing water at her, ha-ha-ha! Gives a whole new dimension to "SIIING!! For MEEEEE!"

Lol, yeah I thought the same thing when I first watched it many moons ago...it's a good version but not my fav...

Herbert Lom dies at 95.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/09/27/herbert-lom-died/

Very sad news

R.