HOW THE PHANTOM STARTED...THE HISTORY OF THE CLASSIC TALE.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA BOOK BY: GASTON LEROUX EMERGED IN 1911. ELEVEN YEARS LATER, FIVE YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH, BROUGHT HOS STORY BACK INTO PROMINENCE AND SET IT ON THE ROAD TO IMMORTALITY.

CARL LAMMLE MEET LEROUX IN 1922 THROUGH A SMALL FRENCH FILM INDRUSTRY. THE PRIESIDENT OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES READ THE BOOK THROUGH IN ONE SINGLE NIGHT AFTER RECEVING IT FROM LEROUX. LAMMLE LOVED IT SO MUCH AFTER READING IT. CARL LAMMLE HAD LON CHANEY WHO PLAYED THE DEFORMED AND IMPRESSIVELY UGLY QUASIMODO. THAN STARTED AS THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. IT WAS THE FILM RATHER THAN LEROUX'S OVER LOOKED AND LARGLEY FORGOTTEN BOOK THAT CREATED THE BIRTH OF THE PHANTOM.

After the slient classic film became a hit,the Phantom became more and more famous with many differnt remakes about the famous opera ghost.

In 1943, Universal did a remake of there 20 property starring Claude Rains and in 1962, Hammer films of London tired it again staring Herbert Lom. A tv version in 1983 with maximilian Schell succeeded a filmed "rock" version by Brian de Palma in 1974. Than in 1984 there was a camp version of the story done at a small theatre in East London, but as a  stage musical.

The story has not fared much better on the stage. In France, strangely, it has scarcely appealed to dramatists at all, and there have only been two notable productions in England. The first was a much abridged version performed as part of a Grand Guignol season at the Little Theatre in London in 1935 and then, in 1975, the Actors Company mounted a performance with Edward Petherbridge in the title role and Sharon Duce as Christine. It is also a sad fact that the image of the Phantom has obscured Gaston Leroux himself - for few people knew his name and even fewer have read his books. Yet, just as this new production will further ensure the continuation of the legend, it might perhaps help rescue his creator from the wings of literary acclaim where he has stood for so long.

Than in 1983, , Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit were approached to write a musical based on Leroux's novel too as Geoffery Holder had obtained the rights from the estate, unfortunallly Andrew Llyod Webbers version came out and became such a hit before the stage debut, that  they had to change the title to "The Phantom" instead of the Phantom of the Opera. They wanted to show Erik as a good person rather than evil and breaking a couple up. They also wanted to show how they meet and how Christnee feel in love with Erik too. They did just that and it was aired on NBC as a mini series.
(Check out Phantom Things to learn more about this musical.)

Than The musical by Andrew Llyod Webber opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the leading roles and there have been more than twenty productions world-wide since then.

notes from: The Phantom of Manhattan by: Frederick Frosyth

also notes from www.thephantomoftheopera.com

Have any other notes to add?e-mail me: phantomlover_forever@yahoo.com