Phantom of the Paradise: Singing, Music, and a Crazed, Disfigured Composer on the Loose

Following his Hitchcock-inspired 1973 thriller, Sisters, Brian De Palma may have predictably directed another movie in the same vein. Instead, the director surprised critics and audiences with a film that was evidently a retelling of both the legend of Faust and Gaston Leroux' Phantom of the Opera. Incorporating elements of the thriller genre with a fantastic storyline, De Palma presented to the world Phantom of the Paradise (1974), a rock musical in only the way that he could tell it.

Winslow Leach (William Finley) is an aspiring musician/singer/composer, having nearly completed his masterpiece: a cantata based on the story of Faust. Things seem to be looking up when Swan (Paul Williams), a lucrative record producer who is never photographed, expresses interest in Winslow's work. Unfortunately, Swan wants the man's music, not the man himself. When Winslow realizes that Swan is stealing his music, he attempts to infiltrate the "Swanage" (Swan's monumental estate) and is consequently framed for pushing heroin and tossed in prison (quite appropriately in Sing Sing). The defamed composer escapes and, while sabotaging one of Swan's buildings for his label, Death Records, is disfigured when his face is caught in a record press.

Meanwhile, Swan is planning on opening his new concert hall, the Paradise, utilizing Winslow's cantata. Winslow slips into the Paradise, dons a costume and mask and becomes a menacing presence, terrifying the performers. Despite Winslow's deformity and the loss of his voice, Swan recognizes him and convinces him to rewrite his composition, to be sung by Phoenix (Jessica Harper), a woman whom Winslow met at an audition and with whom he has become enamored. The Phantom is doubtful but agrees to the terms and signs a contract (and is given his voice back electronically by Swan). However, upon completion of the cantata, Swan has Winslow locked away, and the Phantom swears vengeance.

Phantom of the Paradise is first and foremost a musical, with words and music handled by Williams, who also provided the Phantom's singing voice. Williams' music is terrific, a skillful intermingling of rock and pop music, with upbeat numbers as impressive as the ballads. Williams gives a strong showing as Swan, making the character believable with his aggressive mannerisms and his persuasive techniques, an antithesis to Williams' bright smile and short stature. Finley, having played the eerie and quaint Emil in De Palma's Sisters, ups the ante in Phantom with a performance that is gleefully theatrical. Although partially hidden behind makeup and mask, it is still Finley as the Phantom, and one of his best scenes is when he practices speaking with his new electronic box, methodically repeating Phoenix' name (and exposing his metal teeth -- a result of his "volunteering" at Sing Sing).

The highlight of Phantom of the Paradise is Jessica Harper, in her feature film debut. She is an exceptional actress, but she also has a sublime singing voice, deep and alluringly smoky, not unlike Karen Carpenter (and, as it happens, two of The Carpenters' hits, "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "We've Only Just Begun", were co-written by Williams). It's not surprising that, when Phoenix sings two solo numbers, "Special to Me" and "Old Souls", De Palma showcases Harper's performances. In fact, during the latter song, the inordinately rowdy audience at the Paradise is quiet and attentive (the only time in the course of the film). Actress Harper has appeared in a number of notable films, including Dario Argento's classic Suspiria (1977), Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980), and the pseudo-sequel to the cult 1975 musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shock Treatment (1981). More recently, Harper has written books and released albums aimed at children. She has two daughters of her own who are featured in her books and music. Harper's husband and father to her children is Tom Rothman, co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment and founder of one of its subsidiaries, Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Gerrit Graham is delightfully droll as Beef, the goth rocker hired by Swan to perform Winslow's cantata. Beef is obnoxious and boisterous onstage, but flamboyant and a tad wispy when not performing. When he is explicitly threatened by the Phantom, he has his bags packed and is out the door while a line of people are waiting to see the show! (His suitcases, of course, are adorned with glitter.) George Memmoli, as Philbin, Swan's crony, is likewise humorous.

De Palma employs an abundance of style and ingenuity to Phantom of the Paradise. While there is no Hitchcockian plot, he does include a parody of the shower scene from Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). While Beef is singing in the shower, the Phantom slowly approaches and uses a toilet plunger to silence the rocker, telling him that only Phoenix will be singing his songs. De Palma's trademark split screen is used during a sequence in which the Phantom plants a ticking time bomb in a prop car, which is then rolled onto the stage in the midst of an ongoing performance. One small but very clever method that the director used was the way in which he censored a curse from Philbin (likely to retain a PG rating). The character is speaking to Swan as a stage is being cleared of instruments in the background. But when Philbin reaches an apparent expletive, feedback from an amp prevents it from being heard.

When released in the U.S. in October 1974, Phantom of the Paradise performed poorly. However, two months later, it was released in Winnipeg, Canada, where it was hugely successful and played in theatres for four months. Likewise, the film's soundtrack sold very well, and the stores had trouble keeping it in stock. In June 1975, Paul Williams held a concert in Winnipeg, performing two sold-out shows, with ads referencing the film and Phantom of the Paradise playing in theatres again. Phantom would occasionally play theatrically through the '90s and was even shown in IMAX. In 2005, the movie was celebrated at the Phantompalooza, with a concert and a cast reunion. A Phantompalooza 2 was held the following year.

Originally, Swan's label, Death Records, was a subsidiary of parent company, Swan Song Enterprises. Unfortunately, prior to the film's release, Led Zeppelin created its own label with the very same moniker. While De Palma was able to cut or hide most signs of "Swan Song," there are instances of the original name. In one case, during an impromptu press conference (as Swan introduces Beef to reporters and photographers), a podium has clearly been matted with the Death Records logo (which is simply a bird turned upside down, apparently dead). Throughout the movie, there are occasional glimpses of the Swan Song name, usually on buildings or equipment.

Actress Sissy Spacek was credited as Set Dresser on Phantom of the Paradise, and Jack Fisk, whom she married in 1974, was Production Designer. Spacek would star in her breakout role two years later, in another De Palma film, Carrie.

At least one of the movie posters for Phantom of the Paradise defined the film as such: "The most highly acclaimed horror phantasy of our time." The same poster had the Phantom pictured as a monster, seeming to pull along a reluctant, scantily clad woman. To market the film, the horror and fantasy (or, perhaps, otherworldly) aspects were being used to draw an audience. But more than anything else, De Palma's 1974 film is a musical. It is music that drives the narrative, motivates the characters, and entertains the viewers. And it is the music that has helped Phantom of the Paradise, over 35 years after its release, remain a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable experience.