Phantom of the Paradise is a 1974 American rock musical comedy horror film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and scored by and starring Paul Williams.
The film follows a naïve young singer-songwriter, Winslow Leach (William Finley), who is tricked by legendary but unscrupulous music producer Swan (Williams) into sacrificing his life's work. In revenge, the songwriter dons a menacing new persona and proceeds to terrorize Swan's new concert hall, insisting his music be performed by his most adored singer, Phoenix (Jessica Harper).
The plot loosely adapts several classic works: the 16th-century Faust legend, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera.
The film was a box-office failure and received mixed-to-negative reviews contemporaneously, while earning praise for its music and receiving Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. However, over the years, the film has received much more positive reviews and has become a cult classic.
Plot Following a run-through by the 1950s-style nostalgia band the Juicy Fruits, star record producer Swan overhears singer-songwriter Winslow Leach perform an original composition: a song from the cantata based on the legend of Faust. Swan believes Winslow's music is ideal for the opening of The Paradise—Swan's highly anticipated new concert hall—and has his right-hand man Arnold Philbin steal it.
One month later, Winslow goes to Swan's Death Records headquarters to follow up about his music but is thrown out. He sneaks into Swan's private mansion, where auditions for female singers are being held. There, he meets Phoenix, an aspiring singer Winslow deems perfect for his music. After repeated attempts to contact Swan, Winslow is beaten and framed for drug dealing and given a life sentence in Sing Sing prison. His teeth are extracted and replaced with metal ones.
Six months later, at Sing Sing, Winslow breaks down upon hearing of the Juicy Fruits' success and news that the band will open The Paradise performing Faust. He escapes prison in a delivery box and enters the Death Records building. A guard startles Winslow as he destroys the records and presses, causing him to slip and fall face-first into a record press, which burns the right half of his face and destroys his vocal cords. He escapes the studio and falls into the East River.
A disfigured Winslow sneaks into The Paradise's costume department and dons a black cape and silver, owl-like mask, transforming into the Phantom of the Paradise. He terrorizes Swan and his musicians, nearly killing the Beach Bums (formerly the Juicy Fruits, who have traded doo-wop for surf music) with a bomb while they play a reworked version of Winslow's Faust. The Phantom confronts Swan, who recognizes him as Winslow and offers him a chance to have his music produced his way. Swan provides Winslow with an electronic voice box, enabling him to speak and sing. Swan asks Winslow to rewrite his Faust cantata with Phoenix in mind for the lead. Although Winslow agrees and signs a blood contract, Swan breaks the deal.
Winslow completes Faust, but Swan replaces Phoenix with a male glam rock prima donna named Beef. Swan steals the completed cantata and seals Winslow inside the recording studio with a brick wall. He escapes and confronts Beef in the shower, threatening to kill Beef if he ever performs Winslow's music again. Beef tries to flee, but Philbin forces him to perform. While hiding in the rafters, Winslow fatally electrocutes Beef with a stage prop lightning bolt. Horrified, Philbin orders Phoenix onstage, where her performance receives rapturous applause.
After the show, Swan promises Phoenix stardom. She is then confronted by Winslow, who implores her to leave The Paradise. However, Phoenix does not heed his warning. Winslow observes Swan and Phoenix in a tight embrace at Swan's mansion. Heartbroken, he stabs himself through the heart. Swan explains that Winslow cannot die until Swan himself has died. Winslow attempts to stab Swan, but he is unharmed, claiming he is "also under contract".
Rolling Stone announces the wedding between Swan and Phoenix during the finale of Faust. Winslow learns that Swan made a pact with the Devil in 1953: Swan will remain youthful forever, and the videotaped recording of his contract will age and fester in his place. The only way to break the spell is to destroy the video. Winslow realizes Swan is planning to have Phoenix assassinated during the ceremony. He destroys all the recordings and heads to the wedding.
During the wedding, Winslow stops the assassin from hitting Phoenix, with the bullet fatally wounding Philbin instead. Winslow swings onto the stage and rips off Swan's mask, exposing him as a decaying monster on live television. A crazed Swan attempts to strangle Phoenix, but Winslow intervenes and stabs him repeatedly, reopening his own wound in the process. Swan dies, and Winslow soon follows. As Winslow dies, Phoenix finally recognizes and embraces him.
Cast
Paul Williams as Swan William Finley as Winslow Leach / the Phantom Archie Hahn, Jeffrey Comanor and Harold Oblong as the Juicy Fruits / the Beach Bums / the Undeads George Memmoli as Arnold Philbin Gerrit Graham as Beef Jessica Harper as Phoenix
In addition, Raymond Louis Kennedy provides the singing voice of Beef, Williams provides the singing voice of the Phantom, and Rod Serling, uncredited, provides the introductory narration.
Musical numbers The film's soundtrack album features all songs excluding "Never Thought I'd Get to Meet the Devil" and "Faust" (1st Reprise). All words and music are by Paul Williams. George Tipton is given credit for additional scoring.
"Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye" – The Juicy Fruits – 3:32 "Faust" – Winslow – 3:28 "Never Thought I'd Get to Meet the Devil" – Winslow "Faust" (1st Reprise) – Winslow, Phoenix "Upholstery" – The Beach Bums – 2:41 "Special to Me" – Phoenix – 2:47 "Faust" (2nd Reprise) – The Phantom – 5:08 "The Phantom's Theme (Beauty and the Beast)" – The Phantom – 4:40 "Somebody Super Like You" (Beef construction song) – The Undead – 4:38 "Life at Last" – Beef – 2:15 "Old Souls" – Phoenix – 2:43 "The Hell of It" (plays over end credits) – Swan – 2:57
Although the soundtrack album only charted for one week in March 1975, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-2016 indicates that it is a platinum album (over one million sold).
Charts Chart (1975)PositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)94
Production The root for making the film was a recollection that Brian De Palma had hearing a Beatles song in an elevator played as "muzak" to go along with experiences trying to pitch material to indifferent executives and an idea from his friends Mark Stone and John Weiser about a Phantom of the Fillmore. The script was written in tandem with Sisters (1972), although that film was done first because of its perceived commercial viability. Difficulty came with trying to get financing before real estate developer named Gustave Berne provided a majority of the funding; during the trips around studios trying to get funding, De Palma was introduced to Paul Williams, who had a handful of small roles on film but was mostly known for songwriting. While De Palma felt Williams was suited to play the character of Winslow Leach, Williams felt he wasn't scary enough for the role and suggested playing Swan, once named Spectre in the script as a play on the famed producer Phil Spector, instead.
The record press in which William Finley's character Winslow was disfigured was a real injection-molding press at Pressman Toys. Finley was worried about whether the machine would be safe, and the crew assured that it was. The press was fitted with foam pads (which resemble the casting molds in the press), and there were chocks put in the center to stop it from closing completely. However, the machine was powerful enough to crush the chocks and it gradually kept closing. Finley was pulled out in time to avoid injury. Contrary to urban legends that Finley's reaction was genuine fear, the scene was filmed MOS (without sound) due to the noise of the hydraulic press; the scream heard in the film was dubbed in post-production.
The electronic room in which Winslow composes his cantata, and where Swan restores his voice, is in fact the real-life recording studio The Record Plant. The walls covered with knobs are in reality an oversize custom-built electronic synthesizer dubbed TONTO. The City Center concert hall in New York City provided the exterior for The Paradise; interior concert scenes were filmed at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas. The extras in the audience had responded to an open call for locals interested in being in the film.
Sissy Spacek was the film's set dresser, assisting Jack Fisk, the film's production designer, whom she later married. She later starred in De Palma's Carrie in 1976. The film was financed independently. Producer Edward R. Pressman then screened the movie to studios and sold it to 20th Century Fox for $2 million plus a percentage.'Phantom' Sold to Highest Bidder: Fox Kilday, Gregg. Los Angeles Times July 20, 1974: a7. As originally filmed, the name of Swan's media conglomerate Swan Song Enterprises had to be deleted from the film prior to release due to the existence of Led Zeppelin's label Swan Song Records. Although most references were removed, Swan Song remains visible in several scenes.
Release and reception Phantom of the Paradise opened at the National Theater in Los Angeles on October 31, 1974, and grossed $18,455 in its first weekend, increasing its gross the following weekend with $19,506, with a total gross of $53,000 in two weeks. In two months, Variety tracked it grossing $250,000 from the major markets it covered. The film was successful during its theatrical release in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It opened there on Boxing Day 1974, playing for eighteen weeks at the Garrick Theatre until May 2, 1975, followed by brief runs at the North Main Drive-In and the Park Theatre; it did not run continuously for over a year as is often rumored. The soundtrack album sold 20,000 copies in Winnipeg alone, and was certified Gold in Canada.Carlson, Doug. "Why Winnipeg? The 1975 Phantom Phenomenon" www.phantomoftheparadise.ca. p. 1. Retrieved August 13, 2012. The film played occasionally in Winnipeg theaters in the 1990s and at the Winnipeg IMAX theater in 2000, drawing a "dedicated audience".Carlson, Doug. "Why Winnipeg?" . p. 4. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
Williams performed the song "The Hell of It" on a 1977 episode of The Brady Bunch Hour, and also performed it on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries episode "The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Meet Dracula" the same year.
Critical response