Earlier this week, you were introduced to The Phantom of The Paradise – or reacquainted with the rock opera directed by Brian De Palma with music written and performed by actor/singer Paul Williams before his career hit its stride.
His first major film, it was a flop upon release, but became the breakout Williams needed. In his own words, Phantom led to the varied career he’s had, and he was not the only one to leave an imprint on pop culture because of the movie.
Notwithstanding De Palma and his success, another aspect of this flamboyant gothic piece of cinema that can be considered of lasting influence isn’t a person so much as a sort of archetype. Winslow Leach played by William Finley took on a unique appearance as The Phantom that’s earned a meme-like status.
The unforgettable costume has become so legendary in certain artistic circles where it’s been riffed and homaged many times throughout the years. We’re talking about comic artists working in the big leagues of illustrated media around the globe influenced by the owl-like visage.
Parallels clear to those looking include Kentauro Miura using Winslow as a template for Charlotte in the manga Berserk, and a late-90s update of the obscure Alpha Flight foe The Master of the World echoes the Faustian virtuoso’s helmet and scars.
But there is one more mysterious case pointing to a more well-known IP in the Disney family. Paradise and De Palma superfan Ari Kahan, who was alongside Williams when he spoke to MovieMaker, believes in an interesting but unspoken connection between The Phantom and Darth Vader.
Losing his voice in the accident that scarred him, the former talks with the aid of electronics in a menacing robotic tone. Add to that his heartbreaking origin out of a Greek tragedy and you have a few telling similarities to Anakin going to the Dark Side. For Kahan, they aren’t mere coincidence. “No question,” he said when MovieMaker brought this up.
“Nobody that I know of has asked Lucas to his face, but I do know that there was a preview screening of Phantom on the Fox lot in July of 1974, so, four or five months before the film was released. Lucas was at that screening and was sufficiently impressed by Paul Hirsch’s editing – and I assume that based on Brian’s recommendation of Hirsch, that Lucas brought him on to edit Star Wars,” Kahan continued.
“I can’t imagine that between the voice box and the heavy breathing and the black outfit that some of the Phantom didn’t creep into Darth Vader. But I have no hard evidence and nobody that I know has ever admitted to it,” he added.
Kahan and the rest of us might never know the truth but Disney could have some ‘splaining to do down the road if more people catch on. After the purchase of 20th Century Fox, Phantom of The Paradise fell under the studio’s umbrella like Star Wars and Marvel.
It sadly resided in their vault for a time but the dubious contract with Swan was eventually renewed so the film could have an encore on Hulu.