The Phantom of Hollywood

TV Movie
1974
1h 14m

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

305

YOUR RATING

Drama Horror Thriller

The internationally famous Worldwide Studios (really MGM) has hit hard times and is forced to sell it's back lot to Hollywood property developers. The trouble is someone keeps killing off th... Read allThe internationally famous Worldwide Studios (really MGM) has hit hard times and is forced to sell it's back lot to Hollywood property developers. The trouble is someone keeps killing off the site surveyors. The studio chiefs then learn of the legend of a masked man who lives on ... Read allThe internationally famous Worldwide Studios (really MGM) has hit hard times and is forced to sell it's back lot to Hollywood property developers. The trouble is someone keeps killing off the site surveyors. The studio chiefs then learn of the legend of a masked man who lives on the lot and is sworn to protect it from harm.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

305

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 nomination total

Soundtracks
You Were Meant for Me
(uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Played as the car is pulling into the studio lot

User reviews11

Review

Featured review

Fun For What It Is

The Phantom of Hollywood (1974)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Worldwide Studio has fallen on some hard times so a decision is to made to sell its back lot to some developers, which will bring in some much needed cash but at the same time it would take away from historic nature. This doesn't sit well with a mysterious figure who starts murdering people on the lot.

This here is basically a remake of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with the main interest being that "Worldwide Studio" is actually MGM. Yes, MGM is the back lot that is used here and some of the most interesting moments happen early on when we see how some of the sets currently look and then we get a clip of the movie that they were once featured in. We get some pretty fascinating scenes doing this and there's another section where some of the MGM classics like SAN FRANCISCO, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and GRAND HOTEL are paid tribute to.

As far as the rest of the film goes, it's a pretty routine murder-mystery but at the same time there's a nice cast that helps keep the film moving even if its 74-minute running time seems a bit longer. I actually really liked the look of the killer as well as his choice of weapon. They really did seem like a costume from the 1930s and as I said we also get a nice cast. Jack Cassidy, Jackie Coogan, Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Peter Lawford and Kent Taylor are all fun to watch here and certainly add to the entertainment.