WARNING!: As always, this page may be extremely spoiler heavy... If you didn't want to know, then don't blame me that you looked!
A much wider tradition of Phantom of The Opera, made for tv films exist than was ever previously expected. Appearing all over the world, some of these tv movies are perhaps the very best Phantom of the Opera films ever made, and among the most beloved by Phan and fan alike. A number of these are extremely rare, one even perhaps lost forever. Information may be sparse for some, though I'll try and dig up what ever I can.
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(1960) El Fantasma de la Opera
Dir: Narciso Ibáñez Menta, Beatriz Día Quiroga, José María Langlais Wri: Chicho Ibanez-Serrador, Gaston Leroux. Cast: Narciso Ibáñez Menta, Beatriz Dia Quiroga, Juan Jose Edelman.
More information at: IMDB
More info at: http://www.cinefania.com & http://www.cinefantastico.com/terroruniversal/index.php?id=120
Sadly so little is known about what looks like an amazing mini series from Argentina, and at this time it is believed to be a lost film. Sources on the film have revealed that this was a much anticipated TV special when it aired in Argentina, and then the streets where literally empty when it premiered... Or so goes the story.
Narciso Ibáñez Menta, who was the director and star of the show, was a man obsessed with Lon Chaney, and did recreations of several of his other great film roles, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame. His obsession with Phantom seems to go back to even the 1930's where he apparently had his own Phantom of The Opera stage show. (A picture of the make up from that version can be seen below.) He is the one responsible for that amazing makeup job. As far as I'm concerned, that is one of the most accurate depictions of the Leroux Phantom I have ever seen in my life.
The 3 pictures you see in this description are all I have ever seen from this mini series.
Where to Buy: If anyone out there knows where to find this movie, or has any other information about it, please contact me at Oldphan@hotmail.com
Speshal thanks to Dario Lavia for the generous use of these photographs from his site.
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(1974) Phantom of Hollywood
More information at: IMDB
Dir: Gene Levitt. Wri: George Scherk, Robert Thom. Cast: Skye Aubrey, Jack Cassidy, Jackie Coogan, Broderick Crawford.
Speshail thanks to The Khanum of Persia for the screen shots!
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(1983) Phantom of The Opera
More information at: IMDB
Dir: Robert Markowitz. Wri: Sherman Yellen. Cast: Maximillian Schell, Jane Seymour, Michael York.
FROM THE VAULTS: I found the poster below on E-bay some time ago. Though this was a TV movie, and TV movies generally do not have posters done, this one luckily had one, and its a beauty! I had some trouble taking a photo in my dark, dark, dark bedroom, so for now I'm using the photo of it that I originally saw when I bought it on Ebay. Check him out!
Where to Buy: There are several VHS and DVD editions of this movie, and new update I'll go through describing them all to the best of my ability.
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(1990) The Phantom of The Opera
More information at: IMDB
Dir: Tony Richardson, Wri: Arthur L. Kopit. Cast: Charles Dance, Teri Polo, Burt Landcaster, Adam Stroke.
Where to Buy: Amazon.com
Speshal thanks to Cat for the photos!
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(1990) The Secret Phantom of The Opera David Copperfield.
Not a movie, but a television special. Unfortunately the only copy of this that I have seen is missing the last 5 to 15 minuets, so I really have no idea what happens. A pity to, because I think we were starting to get to the good parts.
Part fuax documentary, part mystery, yes zero parts magical spectacular. David Copperfild tells us that The Phantom had been an extremely important character to him growing up, yet he makes many huge errors that almost makes one wonder if he had ever heard of The phantom before shooting began. Much footage from the Chaney and Claude Rains version are shown. Going off of the theory that the Phantom of the opera really existed, David Copperfield takes us on a journey through the paris opera house to try and find clues to prove the case. Sound incredible on paper, but the end result was pretty disappointing. One would have also hoped that Copperfield would actually done a little magic every once and a while, but unfortunately he doesn't do a lick. He calls Christine, Christine Day, theorizes that the Phantom probably in all likely hood killed Christine, and never once called The Phantom Erik.
The best things about tv speshil is that fact that it is shot from within the real Paris Opera house, and the guy dressed up as Leroux is a serious treat, even if the portrayal may be a little insulting to some. Also it actually goes into an explanation about The Comminards which was actually kind of refreshing.
Where to Buy: Not Available
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(1991) O Fantasma da Opera
More information at: IMDB
Dir: Del Rangel, Alvero Fugulin. Wri: Jael Coaracy, Gaston Leroux. Cast: Daniela Aguiar, Gesio Amadeu, Isaac Bardavid.
1.The Following review of this mini series was written by, Matheus Marchetti. Thanks Matheus for the review and video clip (Below)!:
The story is set in modern days, Rio de Janeiro. Christina Andreatti got the lead role in "Marilia de Dirceu" an never-before-seen opera by Maestro Carlos Ribeiro. Series of murders strike the production, threatning the premiere. The happenings are caused by a legendary "Phantom". In fact,"the Phantom is really Alfredo do Vale, the actual author of "Marilia de Dirceu" who hides his disfigured face in a mask (Same as in ALW's) and lives underground. He falls in love with Christina and that, in fact, someone else is doing the murders at the Opera.
2. The Following information was provided by, Nanda. She found and translated the followig material from these sites: http://www.thephantom.chumhost.com/versoes.php & http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Fantasma_da_%C3%93pera_%28miniss%C3%A9rie%2 Thank you to Nanda for collecting all this information, and bringing it to my attention! :
"O Fantasma da Ópera"
Broadcasted by: Rede Manchete de televisão (no longer exists in Brazil =/)
From 15/10/91 to 29/11/91
Hour: 09:30pm
Writers: Paulo Afonso de Lima and Jael Coaracy
Cast: Cláudio Marzo, Carolina Ferraz, Tarcísio Filho, Rosamaria Murtinho, Sérgio Brito, Edwin Luisi, Marcos Caruso, Andréia Richa, Monique Lafond, Maria Helena Dias, Ângela Vieira, Jece Valadão, Ronaldo Ciambroni, Jandira Martini, Mário Cardoso, Hélio Souto, Isaac Bardavid, Gésio Amadeu, Fafy Siqueira, Ernesto Piccolo, Joyce de Oliveira, Sonia Guedes, Tótia Meireles, Rebeca Bueno.
Plot: Many crimes have been happening at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, when Cristina Andreati (Carolina Ferraz) is preparing herself to be the star of the opera 'Marília de Dirceu', an unpublished work that Antônio Medeiros (Sérgio Brito) claims to be his. But the masterpiece belongs to the musician Alfredo do Vale (Cláudio Marzo), who died many years ago. In fact, Alfredo is alive, hiding in the theatre underground. A ghost. He falls in love with Cristina and at the same time, he must prove he is not the serial killer responsible for all the crimes happening at the theatre.
Comments: Brazilian TV series based on Leroux's classic. Not very successful. Everything was made in a hurry, those series were only a filler to buy time for the channel to finish the difficult (and also unsuccessful) first chapters of the soap opera "Amazônia". The result was a sad disaster. A very good idea, wasted. Directed by Déo Rangel and supervised by Geraldo Vietri.
See more photos from this version here: http://operaghost.ru/index.htm
See video footage of the show here!: http://www.redemanchete.net/portal/Videos/videos.asp?id=96&aid=2
Where to Buy: If anyone out there knows where to find this movie, or has any other information about it, please contact me at Oldphan@hotmail.com
Extremely especially thanks to Elena for the permission to these images! And another extremely special thanks to Matheus, for the review and link to the video clip, and to Nanda for the new info! Thank guys!
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(2000) The Phantom of the Megaplex
More information at: IMDB
Dir: Blair Treu. Wri: Stu Krieger. Cast: Taylor Handley, Corinne Bohrer, Caitlin Wachs, Mickey Rooney ( A Disney Channel Original.)
Includes some footage from the 1925 Phantom. It's frightening to consider that this Disney Channel Original may actualy be one of the most seen Phantom movies of the last 20 years. And even funnier,I still have never seen it myself. Yet again another film to include footage from the Lon Chaney classic. I be live the scene used is the unmasking.
Where to Buy: Believe it or not, this actually never got a DVD release, despite the fact that its a rather popular Disney original. I know that at one point I found a petition to get it released on DVD, though I'm having a little trouble finding it at the moment. I will add a link to it as soon as I can locate it again.
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All photos © their respective owners-no infringement is intended. This is simply a fan site dedicated to Phantom of The Opera. If you feel that your images have been used unfairly, please contact me at Oldphan@hotmail.com, and changes will be made immediately.