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DVD: The Phantom of Hollywood
Rating: Not Rated
Starring: Skye Aubrey, Jack Cassidy, Jackie Coogan, Peter Haskell
Written By: George Schenck (teleplay), Robert Thom (story)
Directed By: Gene Levitt
Distibutor: Warner Archive
Original Year of Release: 1974
Extras: None
Series:

The Phantom of Hollywood DVD Review

A Loveless Phantom?

By Robert T. Trate October 05, 2011

The Phantom of Hollywood arrives from the Warner Archive (1974).
© Warner Archive/Robert Trate

World Wide Studios cannot ignore the price of real estate any longer. Their backlots are sucking up profits and becoming a thing of the past. After all, why create New York when you can just go there and film? The executives and studio heads want the extra cash and, despite the memories and magic, the backlot has to go. The only problem is one man claims these backlots as his own. That man is the Phantom of the Hollywood (Jack Cassidy).

The Phantom of the Hollywood (1974) is a forgotten modernization of Gaston Leroux’s novel “The Phantom of the Opera”. With the mid eighties Phantom craze brought on by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, one would think this Phantom would have seen some play. Yet, where does a forgotten TV movie go (at 74 minutes) even in the eighties?

The parallels to the various film incarnations are ever present here. There are the greedy owners, the disfigured madman, and even a chandelier scene. Everything is here except the most important element to a Phantom of the Opera story. There is no love story. A key element to Leroux’s story is the relationship of the Phantom to the young starlet. Here, the starlet is missing. There is a damsel in distress (Skye Aubrey), the studio owner’s daughter, but the Phantom has no interest in her at all. This missing key element creates a huge hole in not only the story, but the audience’s compassion for the character. There is no connection to our anti-hero. No love unrequited. In short, it makes the Phantom truly a madman.

There are a few new tricks added to this Phantom story. A particular relation is added that, with an interesting make-up job, allows the audience to second guess themselves. The backlot of a giant studio also provides and interesting setting for this Phantom. One moment he is atop a castle and the next he is in a swamp. Multiple genre settings create an unsettling mood and truly allow the Phantom to appear anywhere.

With any TV movie, there have to be some constraints to the story. The love story being removed obviously hurt The Phantom of the Hollywood. The lack of police procedure is another one. Studio members, police officers, and even maintenance men are easily served up as victims. There is also a huge mood swing as there are little to no night scenes. Obviously, this was a budgetary move because this Phantom only attacks during the day (in his full, unchanging, executioner ensemble, mind you).

One of the great cinematic Phantom moments is when his face is revealed. The best example of which is clearly Lon Chaney’s 1925 classic. It’s big, shocking, and resides with you long after it happens. Here, in The Phantom of the Hollywood, it had little to no impact. The Phantom is simply a madman and a soulless victim of a tragic accident. That accident being this ill conceived TV movie.

Robert Trate writes two weekly columns for Mania the DVD Shopping Bag and the Toy Maniac. Follow Robert on Twitter for his for Geek ramblings, Cosplay photos and film criticisms.

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