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Phantom of the Paradise Did You Know:
The Undead were based on the classic German movie, "Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari".
The proof can be seen in the backdrop of the "Somebody Super Like You", which is
painted in the same style as the backdrops from "Das Cabinet", and in the way that
the lead singer's makeup resembles that of the movie's main character, Cesare.
Submitted By: F. E. Schneider
The movie's actual first title was simply "The Phantom," but there was
a threat of a lawsuit from King Features Syndicate, which distributed a
comic with that same title. DePalma then changed the title to "The
Phantom of the Fillmore" and again faced possible legal action from Bill
Graham, owner of the Fillmore.
Not only was Sissy Spacek the set dresser, she auditioned for the role
of Phoenix. Her husband, Jack Fisk, was the movie's production
designer. Though she didn't get the role of Phoenix, Spacek did wind up
playing the lead role in Brian DePalma's "Carrie." Fisk and Spacek
would work on several films together (including "Raggedy Man"), and
their daughter Schuyler is now an actress herself.
Speaking of "Carrie," the cast of that movie includes Betty Buckley --
who also auditioned for the role of Phoenix. Obviously, she didn't get
the part, but DePalma liked her so much that he brought her in to dub
the voices for several of the movies minor characters. When it was time
to direct "Carrie," he thought of Buckley and cast her as the gym coach.
Early drafts of the script refer to Swan as "Spectre," a pun on Phil
Spector, the legendary pop producer. Beef is referred to as "Captain
Beef," a reference to avant-garde rock singer Captain Beefheart.
The song "The Hell of It" was intended for a scene showing Beef's
funeral. DePalma didn't film the funeral scene because he had run out
of money... but he liked the song too much to just throw it out. So
that's why there's that "highlight reel" at the end of the movie.
The beginning of the movie was supposed to be a "Citizen Kane"-style
newsreel about the life of Swan. But, again, DePalma was out of money
and couldn't film it.
Supposedly, the reason Sha Na Na wouldn't do the film is that they
couldn't decide amongst themselves who would be lead singer.
There was a "novelization" of Phantom of the Paradise that was
released around the time the movie came out. It is _very_ different
from the finished film. In the book, we learn a great deal about
Winslow's troubled teen years. We also learn that Phoenix's real name
is "Ellen Rado."
Winslow Leach was named after Wilford Leach, DePalma's beloved drama
teacher. DePalma and Leach had made a movie together, "The Wedding
Part," whose cast featured Robert DeNiro *and* William Finley.
Before landing the role of Philbin, George Memmoli was best known as a
member of a comedy troupe called The Ace Trucking Company.
Before "Phantom," DePalma had made a wonderful thriller called
"Sisters" starring William Finley (a.k.a. Winslow Leach) and Margot
Kidder. Kidder and DePalma were lovers at the time but had a bitter
break-up soon afterwards. DePalma got his revenge, though. One of the
actesses in the "audition" scene is made up to look like Margot Kidder
and even utters the line, "Do I look like a kidder?"
CONTINUITY ERROR ALERT: Look for the inside of the Phantom's cape to
change color. When DePalma started filming, he had the character wear a
cape with a silver lining. But he found this lining was too reflective
and he changed it. But there are still some shots in the movie with the
silver-lined cape.
CONTINUITY ERROR ALERT: Watch when Swan's outfit miraculously changes
during one of the scenes in which he ducks into a side room to watch
videotapes of himself.
You know that scene in which one of Swan's high school classmates
shows up at the Paradise and says that Swan hasn't aged at all? Well,
it's all that's left of an abandoned subplot about Swan's unhappy high
school years. In an early draft of the script, there's a flashback in
which we see Swan as a teenager being rejected by this very same girl.
Peter Boyle was considered for the role of Beef. Gerrit Graham almost
wound up playing the role of Swan. Gerrit Graham had previously worked
with DePalma in "Greetings" alongside Robert DeNiro.
There's a scene in which Swan adjusts the controls on the recording
panel to fix Winslow's voice. Eventually, Swan gets the voice the way
he wants it and says, "Pefect!" The singing voice we're hearing from
Winslow is actually the dubbed voice of Paul Williams. Swan has made
Winslow sound exactly like him!
When Swan is auditioning singers for his cantata, look for the country
and western singer. He's played by Keith Allison -- who was a member of
Paul Revere and the Raiders. Allison would later appear in the
ill-fated movie version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Listen for the voice of the radio deejay during the prison scene.
That same deejay is heard in several DePalma films, including
"Sisters." Incidentally, the toys coming down the conveyer belt in that
scene are Tiddly Winks.
The plots of "Shock Treatment" and "Phantom of the Paradise" are
remarkably similar. Both films have Jessica Harper involved in a love
triangle with two very different men. In both films, the two men vying
for her affections are a bespectacled nerd (Brad or Winslow) and a
mysterious but powerful tycoon (Farley or Swan). Both films begin with
an offscreen narrator telling us about the tycoon and how each one is
rich but still looking for *something* to make his life complete. Both
Swan and Farley begin the movie by sitting in a secluded private booth
and watching a musical number being performed on a stage below. In both
movies, the tycoon arranges for the nerd to be unfairly locked away,
and both movies climax with the tycoon putting on a big, expensive and
highly-publicized show, which is interrupted when the nerd manages to
escape. In both movies, Jessica Harper is intially attracted to the
tycoon -- and is drugged or intoxicated by the villains and coerced into
performing -- but eventually her character has a change of heart and
sees that it is the nerd who really loves her. In "Phantom," of course,
it's too late.
Gerrit wrote the lyrics of the Grateful Dead song "Victim or The Crime"
based on a tune by Bob Weir.
William Finley and writer/director Brian De Palma were friends
from Sarah Lawrence College.
Famous actress Sissy Specek was the set dresser for the movie.
The studio owner (Mary Philbin) was named after the star of
Phantom of the Opera, The (1925).
The "Death Records" secretary's card index includes files on
Alice Cooper, David Geffen, Bette Midler, Peter Fonda, Dick Clark and
Kris Kristofferson.
On Phoenix's mirror after the concert in which she becomes a star is
a magazine ad with the headline "I'm a Harper's Freak".
Phoenix was played by Jessica Harper.
At the airport when Beef is introduced, the "Death Records" logo on the
podium was superimposed over the original logo for "Swan Song" records
to avoid conflict with Led Zeppelin's record label.
Rod Serling does the introductory voiceover.
Phantom of the Paradise was originally called Phantom of the Fillmore
All the singing was done by the actual actors in the movie.
The only actor who did not do his own singing was Beef,
All of his songs were sung by Ray Kennedy.
The Phantom role was written specifically for William Finley,
who has been in many of Depalma's movies including Dionysus and Sisters.
Brian Depalma originally wanted to use Sha-Na-Na as the band,
but Paul Williams wanted to create a group himself,
he later convinced Brian to go with it.
About 150 people were found to make up the rock concert audience
off the streets of downtown Dallas. The extras, who filled up
Majestic theater (The Paradise) stayed all day and were given
a five-dollar bill at the door as they left.
In the pre-release (or press) prints of the movie, the scene where Winslow
was disfigured by the record press was longer; His disfigured face was
briefly seen steaming with smoke from the press, and Winslow then killed
the cop that surprised him. The scene was removed from subsequent
versions, since Winslow's face was not to be revealed until the
end of the film.
Some info composed by Cosmo's Cult Movies while some info was gathered from various places on the Internet
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