Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Editor's Note Brian De Palma's great, overlooked 1970s glitter-rock comedy-musical spectacle is a memorable combination of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and FAUST. Winslow Leach (William Finley) is a talented young rock composer/janitor whose music is stolen and whose life is destroyed by a ruthless record tycoon named Swan (Paul Williams)--who just happens to have sold his soul in exchange for rock-n-roll success and eternal youth! The ruined and disfigured Leach becomes the Phantom, an imposing leather-clad creature who is hell-bent on demolishing Swan as the diabolical music mogul prepares to open his biggest venture yet-- a rock-and-roll palace called The Paradise. Eerily prescient in it's depiction of yet-to-exist musical genres, this stunningly original and darkly comic rock nightmare features voice over narration by Rod Serling, and memorable original songs by the multi-talented Williams. Academy Award Nominations: Best Original Song Score (Paul Williams/George Aliceson Tipton).

	Gene Gross
	George Memmoli
	Jessica Harper
	Gerrit Graham
	Ken Carpenter
	Archie Hahn
	Paul Williams
	William Finley
	Paul Williams - Composer
	Edward R. Pressman - Producer
	George Tipton - Composer
	Larry Pizer - Director of Photography
	Jack Fisk - Production Designer
	Paul Hirsch - Editor
	Brian De Palma - Screenwriter
	Brian De Palma - Director

An updated version of "Phantom of the Opera", with a rock-music score.| A disfigured rock singer has two missions in life: to turn the woman he loves from afar into a star, and to wreak vengeance on the producer who destroyed his face and his career.