The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film) The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film) The Phantom of the Opera is a 1989 American horror film directed by Dwight H. Little and based on Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name. The film is an updated and gorier version of the classic 1910 tale, and stars Robert Englund as the Phantom. Christine Day (Jill Schoelen), a young opera singer in modern-day Manhattan, is searching for a unique piece to sing at her next audition. Her friend and manager Meg (Molly Shannon) discovers an old opera piece called "Don Juan Triumphant", written by a composer named Erik Destler. Curious,
The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film) to loop Chaney's dialogue, but voiceovers by the Phantom were looped over shots of his shadow. (The voiceovers are uncredited, but were probably done by Phillips Smalley.) Because Chaney's talkie debut was eagerly anticipated by filmgoers, advertisements emphasized, "Lon Chaney's portrayal is a silent one!" The sound version of "Phantom" opened on February 16, 1930, and grossed another million dollars. This version of the film is lost, although the soundtrack discs survive. The success of "The Phantom of the Opera" inspired Universal to finance the production of a long string of horror films such as "Dracula", "Frankenstein", "The Wolf Man",