| Phantom of the Opera The 1925 film version of The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney, Sr., and directed by Rupert Julian, is one of the more influential adaptations of Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera, in which a disfigured phantom haunts the Paris Opera House, trying to force the people who run it to make the woman he loves a star. It is most famous for Lon Chaney's intentionally horrific, self-applied makeup which was kept a studio secret until the film's premier. In addition to Chaney, the film also stars Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis and Snitz Edwards. The only surviving cast member is Carla Laemmle (born in 1909), niece of producer Carl Laemmle, who played a small role as "prima ballerina" in the film when she was about 15. The movie was adapted by Elliott J. Clawson, Frank M. McCormack (uncredited), Tom Reed (titles) and Raymond L. Schrock. It was directed by Rupert Julian, with supplimental direction by Edward Sedgwick, and Lon Chaney (unconfirmed). Universal Studios' soundstage #23, where the movie was filmed, is said to be haunted. Some people believe that Lon Chaney, Sr.'s ghost haunts the soundstage. A long standing urban legend has that the Opera House set from the 1925 film has never been torn down and still stands, and is used today. This is partially true. On Set 28 part of the opera house set continues to stand to the side where it was used some 8 decades ago, although time has taken its toll so it is no longer used. Another urban legend says that the set remains because when workers have attempted to take it down in the past there have been fatal accidents, said to be caused by the ghost of Lon Chaney. [1] The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In the United States, the film is in the public domain, and can be freely downloaded from the Internet Archive. Courtroom Theater Friday, October 26, 2007 at 8:00 PM McKinney Performing Arts Center at the Historic Collin County Courthouse 111 N. Tennessee McKinney, TX 75069 Phone: (214) 544-4630 Website: http://www.mckinneyperformingartscenter.org/ E-Mail: info@mckinneyperformingartscenter.org Map & Directions |
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The blog details Historical Homes in general and specific homes in McKinney, Texas. Also shown are events that may be entertaining or informational about the Historical Neighborhood Homeowners association.
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