The Phantom of the Opera

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The film opens on a darkened, empty auditorium. There is the distant sound of a pipe organ being played. Fade to a chamber in the sewers below where the music is coming from. A figure, PROFESSOR PETRIE, is playing a large pipe organ. Nearby a DWARF sits on a table listening. Closeup on PETRIE's hands at the keyboard, and then the camera pulls up to show his masked face and single glaring eye. There is a staggered zoom on PETRIE's eye as the opening credits are shown. Fade to black. Fade in to the outside of the opera house where a crowd is gathered. We see a poster that reads: "Albany Theatre, Monday 27th November 1900, First performance of a new opera, Saint Joan: The Tragedy of Joan of Arc by Lord Ambrose D'Arcy". Cut to the foyer of the opera house, where D'ARCY himself is seen. The manager of the opera, LATTIMER, meets him at the foot of the stairs.

LATTIMER:

The house is sold out, my lord.

D'ARCY

No further incidents, I trust?

LATTIMER:

No, nothing. Everything seems quite normal.

There is a sudden cut to a woman's wide-open mouth as she sings a high note. The lead soprano, MARIA, is vocalizing in her dressing room. Her maid, TERESA, enters and hands her a bouquet of flowers.

TERESA:

From his Lordship, Madam.

MARIA:

Is this all?

TERESA:

Yes, Madam.

MARIA:

Last time there were diamonds. Put them with the others, Teresa.

MARIA continues to vocalize. Cut to backstage, where a chandelier is being lifted to the top of the stage. A hand of someone perched high above ominously appears onscreen. The orchestra members are tuning their instruments. As one MAN lifts the cover off a drum, he is shocked to find it has been smashed. Back in MARIA's dressing room, she is putting on her dress. The door can be heard opening.

MARIA:

Teresa, is that you? Teresa, come and help me button my dress.

MARIA receives no response. The unseen figure proceeds through the room. A man's hand turns down the light in the gas lamp. MARIA whirls around, surprised. Cut to an orchestra member's cymbal clanging. Outside, the poster has been ripped. A young man, HARRY HUNTER, approaches and glances at the ruined poster. He proceeds to enter the opera house, and finds a group of concerned cast members outside MARIA's dressing room door.

HARRY:

What is it now?

BILL:

It's Maria. She said she's seen something.

HARRY knocks on the door.

MARIA:

Leave me alone. Go away!

HARRY:

Maria?

MARIA:

Harry!

(she opens the door and leaves him in)

Harry. It was here, in the room. It was terrible.

HARRY:

Now, Maria...

MARIA:

"Now, Maria," nothing. I saw him, I tell you. Standing... standing just over here. Just here. Black. All over, black. And his eye, staring at me.

HARRY:

His eye?

MARIA:

Eye. One eye in the middle of his forehead. And his face, Harry. It was horrible.

HARRY:

Maria, I'm sure you saw something. Exactly what it was...

MARIA:

It was him!

HARRY:

After the show, we'll try and find out.

MARIA:

Harry, I... I can't go on tonight.

HARRY:

Of course you can. You're an artist. You're not going to let a little thing like a ghost upset you.

MARIA:

So, you do believe me?

HARRY:

Of course, I believe you. After the show, I promise we'll find out all about it. Now you lie down and have a little rest.

MARIA:

Oh, Harry, you're so good for me.

STAGEHAND:

(knocking on the door)

Five minutes, please.

HARRY:

Put your feet up for a minute or two, and I'll come and see you before you go on.

MARIA:

Oh, Harry.

HARRY:

I'll send Teresa. Now, shut your eyes and rest.

(he opens the door and leaves TERESA in)

Teresa, stay with her, won't you?

(he exits the room)

BILL:

Is she all right?

HARRY:

Yes.

(thoughtfully) She saw something, Bill.

ROSSI:

My music, Mr. Hunter! Some of my music is missing!

HARRY:

You don't need it, Rossi. You know it backwards.

ROSSI:

I know, but who could have done such a thing?

BILL:

Someone's playing a joke.

ROSSI:

We've had too many jokes.

BILL:

He's right.

HARRY:

Oh, come on now. This is a first night, not a funeral.

ROSSI drops some music and BILL picks it up for him.

ROSSI:

Thank you. Thank you, Bill.

ROSSI enters the orchestra pit. The audience applauds, and then the overture begins. HARRY enters one of the boxes, where LATTIMER is sitting. Without looking around, LATTIMER rises expectantly.

HARRY:

All right, Lattimer, it's only me.

LATTIMER:

I thought it was Lord D'Arcy.

HARRY:

He'll come in late. You know that.

LATTIMER:

But on the first night of his own opera?

HARRY:

All the more reason for making a good entrance.

LATTIMER:

I don't understand it. I really don't understand it.

HARRY:

Don't you? I understand it all right. What I don't understand is how Ambrose D'Arcy can write so much excellent music in the last few years when he has so little musical taste.

D'ARCY

(entering)

Thank you, Mr. Hunter.

HARRY:

You're welcome.

LATTIMER:

A full house, my lord

D'ARCY

So you keep telling me. They seem to sense good music, don't they?

HARRY:

Yes. They like a good tune. (he leaves the box)

D'ARCY

If he wasn't the best producer in London...

LATTIMER:

I'm quite sure he meant no disrespect, my lord. (he indicates the crowd applauding at D'ARCY's entrance)

The overture ends and ROSSI turns his music book to the beginning of Act 1. The curtain rises and onstage we see a group of medieval SOLDIERS, led by a CAPTAIN, surrounding French TOWNSPEOPLE.

CAPTAIN:

Silence

Silence

SOLDIERS:

Silence

Silence

TOWNSPEOPLE:

These Englishmen they have

The manners of the pigs

And no sense of decency

CAPTAIN:

Silence

Silence

(reading a decree) By order of the town Burgher

MAN:

(mockingly) By order of the town Burgher

CAPTAIN:

Who speaks in the name

Of the Earl of Warwick

MAN:

Who speaks in the name

Of the Earl of Warwick

The TOWNSPEOPLE erupt into laughter.

CAPTAIN:

(pointing at the MAN)

Seize him

Seize him

SOLDIERS:

Seize him

(The SOLDIERS grab the MAN and throw him down a set of steps.)

CAPTAIN:

You lousy Frenchie

You think this is a joke

I'll tell you something now

To take your smile away

From this day forward

There is to be

An increase in the taxes

TOWNSPEOPLE:

Taxes, taxes, taxes...

Cut back to D'ARCY and LATTIMER in the box.

D'ARCY

I thought you said the house was sold out.

LATTIMER:

So it is, my lord.

D'ARCY

Then why is that box empty over there?

LATTIMER:

There have been complaints, my lord.

D'ARCY

Complaints? Complaints of what?

LATTIMER:

Of noises, my lord.

D'ARCY

What?

LATTIMER:

Voices. People do not like to sit there, my lord.

D'ARCY

Are you trying to tell me it's haunted?

LATTIMER:

That's what they say, my lord.

D'ARCY

Oh no, this is too much. I shall speak to your directors in the morning. A perfectly good box going to waste.

Onstage, the TOWNSPEOPLE are struggling with the SOLDIERS.

SOLDIERS:

Get to your beds

To your beds

Get to your beds

To your beds

The DWARF is shown watching from above the stage.

SOLDIERS:

Get to your beds

Get to your beds

TOWNSPEOPLE:

No!

SOLDIERS:

Away!

TOWNSPEOPLE:

No!

SOLDIERS:

Away!

The curtain falls and the audience applauds. MARIA is backstage in costume, accompanied by HARRY who appears to be encouraging her. ROSSI turns the page of the music book and the next page has been torn. MARIA walks out to the front of the stage. The music rises dramatically and a thunder sound effect is heard. The DWARF is still watching from above. As MARIA begins to sing, a small curtain rolls up in the empty box, revealing the eye of PETRIE.

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