The Phantom of the Opera 1962 Ultimate Guide Magazine

Product Description

Step back into Hammer’s most heartbreaking horror

In 1962, Hammer gave Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera a home all of its own – moving the story from Paris to the catacombs beneath a London opera house, and reimagining its masked anti-hero as a figure of genuine tragedy. Our Phantom of the Opera 1962 Ultimate Guide is the beautiful, full-colour celebration this underrated Hammer classic has always deserved.

Richly designed and packed with carefully restored images from the film, this magazine guide takes you right back into Professor Petrie’s shadowy world. It’s the stylish, collectable companion that puts you in touch with the drama, tenderness and quiet horror that make Terence Fisher’s version so affecting – and so different from every other Phantom on screen.

The Hammer Phantom – a tragic hero, very nearly played by Cary Grant

Few Hammer films have a backstory as intriguing as this one. The production was shaped around Cary Grant, who’d told the studio he longed to make a Hammer horror – so the script softened Leroux’s murderous villain into a gentle, lovelorn tragic hero, with a sinister dwarf carrying out the violence in his place. Grant never returned the call, and the role passed to Herbert Lom, who brought to it a humanity that lingers long after the credits roll. Inside the guide, you’ll discover how the film came together, why distributor Rank’s last-minute demands blunted its UK release, and how it went on to triumph in America.

Expert articles on the making of the film

This guide features a series of engaging, professionally written articles that examine how the movie was made. You’ll learn about the production and casting, director Terence Fisher’s decision to lead with the love story rather than the horror, and the film’s place in the wider Hammer canon – including the famous tale of the Phantom’s mask, improvised by make-up artist Roy Ashton in about five minutes from rag, tape, string and rubber. A wealth of trivia and insight throughout enriches every viewing.

Meet the cast and crew behind the mask

Beyond the film itself, the guide explores the lives and careers of the people who made it. Informative biography features introduce the key cast and crew, from stars Herbert Lom, Heather Sears, Edward de Souza and Michael Gough to director Terence Fisher and the team at Hammer who brought this new vision of Leroux’s novel to the screen. It’s the perfect way to deepen your appreciation of a film that rewards a closer look.

Luxury production values, page after page

Presented in A4 format, this guide has a sturdy front cover with a luxury gloss laminate that underlines our focus on quality. The full-colour pages are designed to keep the focus on the film, with timeless, uncluttered layouts that make every page a pleasure to read. Our full-colour print processes give even the black-and-white stills a depth and richness that ordinary monochrome printing simply can’t match.

A must-have for every Hammer collector

No fan of Hammer’s The Phantom of the Opera should be without our Ultimate Guide. Whether you’re revisiting an old favourite or discovering Lom’s broken, beautiful Phantom for the first time, it’s an essential and endlessly re-readable addition to any classic horror collection – and another must-have from Classic Monsters.

• 36 pages
• A4 (210mm x 297mm)
• Full colour throughout
• Luxury gloss laminated cover

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Read more on this film in our Phantom of the Opera 1962 encyclopaedia entry.