Line #119 Characters/PhantomOfTheParadise


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6	Character sheet for the film ''Film/PhantomOfTheParadise''.
7	----
8	[[foldercontrol]]
9
10	[[folder:Winslow Leach / The Phantom]]
11	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/12_2.png]]
12	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Never sing my music again! My music is for Phoenix; only she can sing it. Anyone else who tries dies!"'']]
13	-->'''Played by:''' William Finley
14
15	A struggling young musician/songwriter, Winslow is introduced making a futile attempt to advertise his talents by playing at one of Swan's clubs... during the intermission. Doubly unfortunately, Swan overhears him playing, and orders his music stolen so that he can use it to open the Paradise; when Winslow tries to protest this, he's promptly framed for drug dealing and given a life sentence in Sing Sing, where he remains -- up until he happens to hear his cantata playing on the radio. Following a rage-fueled escape and a traumatic scarring, Winslow finally makes his way to the Paradise, taking on the identity of the Phantom to take revenge on Swan.
16	----
17	* AmbidextrousSprite: Winslow loses his right eye in the record-press accident that disfigures him, and the right eye on his Phantom mask is covered with smoked glass while his remaining eye is often pointedly shown through the left eyehole. This is consistent in the movie itself, but promotional materials often show the Phantom glaring at the viewer through the right eye-hole in his mask.
18	* AndIMustScream: Swan's would-be fate for Winslow. He bricks Winslow into his tiny basement studio and because Winslow signed the contract and cannot die he would be trapped there forever.
19	* AnimalMotifs:
20	** Winslow Leach's name is ironic considering that the success of the Paradise is dependent on Swan leeching from Leach's work.
21	** The Phantom's mask is also reminiscent of a stylized [[OminousOwl owl]], or similar bird of prey, making the LoveTriangle very avian themed.
22	* AntiHero: Unscrupulous, at least once he becomes the Phantom. Quite apart from his various attacks on the Juicy Fruits and Beef, he also garrotes an innocent spotlight operator so that Phoenix will be properly lit.
23	* ArtisticStimulation: Swan gets him hooked on all kinds of drugs after they work out their agreement, mainly to make him more compliant and easier to manipulate.
24	* BerserkButton: He flies into a rage at even the ''suggestion'' that the Juicy Fruits should sing ''Faust'' instead of him; he eventually decides that Phoenix is perfect for the role - and escalates to killing anyone who tries to stop her.
25	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Winslow was generally pretty shy and retiring before becoming the Phantom-- with the possible exception of his BerserkButton. After his imprisonment and disfiguration, though...
26	* BreakTheCutie: The music business is so nasty that it turns innocent, wide-eyed Winslow into the murderous Phantom.
27	%%* ButtMonkey
28	* CheapCostume: Most of Winslow's costume was stolen from the Paradise's wardrobe.
29	* DeathlyUnmasking: [[spoiler: Because his own MagicallyBindingContract was due to terminate with Swan, Winslow's self-inflicted wounds immediately re-open as soon as he's finished killing Swan, causing him to swiftly bleed out. He has just enough time to remove his mask and bid an attempted farewell to Phoenix before dying in the chaos onstage.]]
30	* DisguisedInDrag: In a particularly desperate attempt to interview Swan regarding his music, Winslow dresses up as one of the auditioning actresses and sneaks into Swanage. It doesn't work, and only nets Winslow a thrashing from Swan's bodyguards.
31	* DisproportionateRetribution: The quote his his threat to Swan, and he proves it when he kills the innocent Beef after Swan replaces Phoenix with him.
32	* DumbStruck: Due to the injuries to his throat, Winslow can only communicate in short, gasping noises-- until Swan fits him with a portable voice synthesizer.
33	* EnemyMine: More than prepared to cooperate with Swan if his music is played to his specifications. [[spoiler: Not that Swan's interested in upholding his end of the bargain.]]
34	* EyeScream: The accident that disfigures him also deprives him of the sight in his right eye.
35	* ImmortalityInducer: [[spoiler: His contract and his life will continue for as long as Swan lives.]]
36	* IronicName: His last name sounds like "leech", but he's a victim of Swan's bloodsucking parasitism.
37	* LovableNerd: At the beginning of the film, he's a shy and geeky fellow with a gentle voice. Sadly, it doesn't last.
38	* LoveAtFirstNote: With Phoenix.
39	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: He's able to tell immediately when Beef starts altering his cantata, and he has a few opinions about it.
40	* NeverFoundTheBody: After tumbling into the river, Winslow is presumed dead, which is why Phoenix doesn't believe he's the Phantom when he talks to her.
41	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: His whole motivation towards Swan.
42	* StalkerWithACrush: To Phoenix.
43	* StrongerThanTheyLook: Although he looks like a scrawny, nebbish young man, even before signing Swan's contract he demonstrated impressive strength if sufficiently angered, manhandling Philbin and beating a prison guard severely.
44	* SuperStrength: Can tear through a brick wall and solid steel at once.
45	* SympatheticMurderer: You couldn't blame him for going after Swan.
46	* TookALevelInBadass: Starts the movie as a soft-voiced dork and becomes a monstrous looking and sounding murderer and saboteur capable of breaking through a brick wall backed by a steel door.
47	* TraumaCongaLine: In the first half-hour of the film alone, he's ripped off by Swan, beaten up by Swan's bodyguards, framed for drug dealing, imprisoned at Sing Sing, where his teeth are pulled and replaced with steel prosthetics. Oh, and his escape ends with his face and vocal chords being ''crushed'' by a record press... which was set up to produce his own music. After that, getting shot in the leg and falling into the East River seems positively gentle by comparison.
48	* TwoFaced: After his face gets caught in a record press, half of it looks normal while the other half is horrifically disfigured.
49	* VaderBreath: Four years before the TropeNamer.
50	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: There's no denying that this actions are brutal, but in between the above mentioned TraumaCongaLine, Swan screwing with him and the fact that he dies with no one barring Phoenix caring, you'll feel sorry for him all the same.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Swan]]
54	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/12_22.png]]
55	[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know how I abhor perfection in anyone but myself."'']]
56	-->'''Played by:''' Music/PaulWilliams
57
58	Evil CEO and producer of Death Records, Swan is an expert at making hit records and exploiting his musicians for all they're worth. Arrogant, narcissistic, and always looking for a chance to drum up publicity, Swan has recently finished building the monumental Paradise concert hall, and is looking for the right music to open it with.
59	----
60	* AnimalMotifs: Swan is as regal and luxurious as the cultural implications of his name would suggest. It also resembles an inversion of the ugly duckling tale seeing as he becomes more and more monstrous from a personality perspective as the movie goes on. Swans are also known to be much more vicious than their appearance lets on.
61	* BadBoss: The Juicy Fruits, his own personal band who've been working with him for years, are rightfully terrified of disappointing him due to his habit of routinely ruins the lives of clients that don't follow his plan and having them killed for the sake of profiting from the publicity of their deaths.
62	* BeenThereShapedHistory: The opening narration states that "He brought the blues to England. He brought Liverpool to America. His band, the Juicy Fruits, single-handedly kicked off the nostalgia wave of the Seventies."
63	* BeneathTheMask: Swan is presented indirectly as a corrupt and ruthless CEO who has his clients' lives ruined, but when he appears in person, he seems to be a pragmatic yet reasonable man to work with. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear he's a depraved man who [[spoiler:sold his soul to the Devil]], loves to inflict mental torment on others, and would kill his clients on a whim in order to profit from the publicity.
64	* BigFancyHouse: Swanage.
65	* BizarreDreamRationalization: A variation. Swan initially belives that he must stoned upon being visited by the Devil.
66	* TheCaligula: Swan ''loves'' making spur-of-the-moment decisions, often having stars hired, fired, reassigned, assassinated or subjected to [[FateWorseThanDeath Fates Worse Than Death]] on the briefest of whims.
67	* CastingCouch: Swan has orgies with auditioning actresses; however, it seems that the girls don't end up getting hired this way, and are only asked to come back for the sex.
68	* CompleteImmortality: [[spoiler: Is indestructible and immortal as long as he fulfills his contract.]]
69	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He rips off other artists, takes advantage of his position for sex, and is even willing to [[spoiler:have his clients murdered for his own selfish ends]].
70	* DealWithTheDevil: Talks both Winslow and Phoenix into accepting these kinds of bargains: Winslow's contract [[spoiler: keeps him immortal for as long as Swan lives, so he can continue writing music for Death Records without being put on a suicide watch]]; Phoenix's contract [[spoiler: gives Swan full ownership of her voice upon her demise.]] It's also revealed that [[spoiler: Swan himself accepted a literal deal with the Devil when he was younger, giving up his soul in exchange for eternal youth]].
71	* DeathlyUnmasking: [[spoiler:Wears a fancy silver mask for his wedding in order to ensure that his inner corruption won't be revealed to the cameras. Halfway through the ceremony, the Phantom knocks Swan's mask off in the process, revealing that his face has begun to melt as his contract burns, then deals Swan a fatal stabbing wound with the metal tip of a hat stolen from one of the dancers.]]
72	* FauxAffablyEvil: Charming, well-mannered, and repugnant in every sense of the word.
73	* GlamourFailure: [[spoiler: Swan's eternal youth doesn't extend to photographs and recordings; as a result, he keeps up TheMasquerade and his own reputation for mystery by having visiting journalists deprived of their cameras. His plan for the live wedding is to wear a silver mask and gloves, and have Phoenix shot on the words "til death" -- not only because it's most dramatic that way, but because it means he won't have to broadcast himself saying "I do".]]
74	* GreenEyedMonster: He is covetous of his self-image of perfection, and will resort to sabotaging his own productions and even resort to murder so that no one can encroach upon his perceived level of excellence.
75	* {{Hypocrite}}: Despite his implied homophobia, he's perfectly willing to take advantage of [[MachoCamp Beef]]'s talents because he'll bring in the green. Moreover, his prejudices only seem to extend to gay ''men''; [[GirlOnGirlIsHot he finds sapphic women a delight to watch]].
76	* ImmortalityInducer: [[spoiler: As long as the tape of his Faustian Bargain remains intact, he cannot die.]]
77	* LackOfEmpathy: Swan seems more annoyed than horrified by the Phantom's car bomb, and pays little attention to the screams of people killed or injured in the explosion. Furthermore, he regards the on-stage assassinations of [[spoiler: Beef]] and [[spoiler: Phoenix]] as an ideal means of drumming up publicity.
78	* LivingForeverIsNoBigDeal: [[spoiler:Swan's deal with the Devil didn't grant him any special powers beyond eternal youth and the ability to make Faustian bargains; he was already a cunning young man with an ear for hits, he just now happens to have a lot more time and vitality to enjoy the senseless hedonism that being a cruel, depraved record exec offers. The one downside is that he has to film himself every day, confiscate any independent footage, and play it all back at night to see what a rotten, putrid husk he's become inside, but Swan seems to treat this as an obligation, like exercise, and does so in a very detached way.]]
79	* MadArtist: Behind his suave demeanor, he's a deeply disturbed man who [[spoiler:literally sold his soul]].
80	* MagicallyBindingContract: [[spoiler: The contracts that he, Winslow and Phoenix sign.]]
81	* ManipulativeBastard: He lays the charm on thick and heavy to get the Phantom and Phoenix on his side, but he's just using them for his own selfish aims.
82	%%* MeanCharacterNiceActor
83	* TheNapoleon: He's played by the rather short Paul Williams and is a cruel, manipulative narcissist.
84	* {{Narcissist}}: There's no denying that Swan adores himself, recording his every move on film and spending hours reviewing the footage. In an especially JustForFun/{{egregious}} case, the synthesized singing voice he gives Winslow is modeled on his own. [[spoiler: Plus, his DealWithTheDevil was sparked by his fear of his face being ruined by old age.]]
85	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: His appearance, musical reputation, and control over his bands make him a thinly-veiled dark parody of Music/PhilSpector.
86	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: "Get this fag out of here", and also "You can sing it better then any bitch."
87	** Also, HypocriticalHumor: he's homophobic about gay guys, but he thinks GirlOnGirlIsHot.
88	** [[ValuesDissonance All of which is pretty standard for the time]].
89	* RecordProducer: He's one of the most prominent and successful music producers in the world, but also thoroughly corrupt and twisted.
90	* RichReclusesRealm: Well-known for rarely appearing in public, and even when he does, it's usually behind a two-way mirror or at press conferences where all cameras are confiscated in advance. At all other times, he's cloistered in his heavily-guarded mansion or at the eponymous concert hall; at both locations, his word is law, nobody dares refuse his orders (least of all the police) and the place is clustered with security cameras under Swan's direct control. For good measure, the Paradise is even referred to as "his Xanadu".
91	* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Enjoys copious amounts of all of these.
92	* SharpDressedMan: He dresses in refined [[LightIsNotGood whites or light colors]] to showcase his image as a wealthy CEO and man of strong artistic taste.
93	* TheSociopath: Swan is a high-functioning sociopath, able to charm others into doing what he wants while casually disposing them for the sake of publicity profiteering and hiding that he's truly a crazed man [[spoiler: who sold his soul to the devil for eternal youth]]. He has no guilt for the lives he's ruined, has a subtle narcissism- reflect in his decision to have Winslow's voice box match his own when he sings, and lives a hedonistic lifestyle of drugs and sex to bask his youth [[spoiler: enhanced by his DealWithTheDevil]].
94	* SoulJar: [[spoiler: The original film recording of his DealWithTheDevil, which secures his immortality.]]
95	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: To the extent that prisons accept his funding for allegedly charitable projects.
96	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: When Winslow destroys the film, he loses both his charm and his cool, ultimately attempting to murder Phoenix on stage.]]
97	* VocalDissonance: On tape, Swan's normally mellifluous voice sounds warped and aged -- [[spoiler: an early hint as to his true nature]].
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Phoenix]]
101	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6_8.jpg]]
102	[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'll do anything you want; I owe you everything. Just give me that crowd again."'']]
103	-->'''Played by:''' Creator/JessicaHarper
104
105	A young singer with hopes of becoming a star. Prior to his imprisonment, Winslow met her at the auditions for ''Faust'' and realized she would be perfect for the lead in his cantata- ultimately going so far as to kill anybody who opposed her rise to stardom. Unfortunately Swan, despising her perfection, has her demoted to back up singer. However, she finally gets her chance to sing after [[spoiler: Beef dies]]... and finds that she's prepared to do anything to earn the crowd's applause once again.
106	----
107	* AnimalMotifs: Phoenix's name highlights her character arc. This comes to the fore with [[spoiler:Beef being burnt to a crisp before she symbolically rises from the ashes of his failure. She's also the only named character who survives, mirroring the phoenix's status as immortal]].
108	* AsideGlance: While singing "Special To Me", Phoenix repeatedly stares into the camera, holding her gaze even when turning away. One almost gets the feeling she's flirting with it.
109	* CastingCouch: Phoenix refuses to take part in Swan's audition orgies, which gets her thrown out.
110	* CorruptTheCutie: Once he realises her potential, Swan gleefully seduces her [[spoiler: in the hope of taking her voice for his own]] after the opening concert.
111	* DealWithTheDevil: Phoenix, still riding the high from the crowd's adoration after her first show, says she'll do anything for Swan if he can only give her a crowd like that again.
112	* DoingItForTheArt: Phoenix wants to be a singer, and she's particularly enamored of Winslow's songs. It's implied that one of the reasons she came back after her first [[CastingCouch disastrous]] audition was to keep singing them, even if it was only as a backup singer. And when she actually does a show, the feeling is so great she wants to keep on going, even in the face of the Phantom's seeming threats.
113	* TheIngenue: The character doesn't have much agency, only her desire to sing and her role as a motivator for Winslow.
114	%%* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy
115	* NaiveEverygirl: Generally doesn't seem to be too savvy about how the music business works. She's totally shocked to learn that she's expected to submit to CastingCouch tactics, compared to other auditionees, who know the drill and are jaded about the whole process.
116	* PluckyGirl: Although she was nearly forced onto the CastingCouch by Philbin in her first audition, she went back a second time--and floors everyone with her singing.
117	* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Justified? Her hookup with Swan appears to have been out of a sense of genuine gratitude and attraction toward someone she had no idea was evil--and her behavior afterwards seems to indicate that Swan got her on drugs to help pacify and control her (as he did with Winslow).
118	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female protagonist in the film.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Beef]]
122	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6_1.jpg]]
123	[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have been in this business a long time, and if I don't wanna do the show it's not because I've got stage fright. It's cause some creature from beyond doesn't want me to do the show!"'']]
124	-->'''Played by:''' Gerrit Graham, Raymond Louis Kennedy (singing voice)
125
126	A musician brought in to sing Winslow's cantata, after Phoenix was deemed "too perfect". Like most of Swan's musicians, Beef is hooked on drugs, although it seems that this time they didn't have to get him addicted themselves. He is narcissistic, superstitious and has the ability to turn either his manliness or girliness up to eleven at will.
127	----
128	* AmbiguouslyBi: While his flamboyant manner, queenly speaking voice and flirtation (with Philbin, of all people) assert him as firmly gay, he also pinches the butt of the dancing girl onstage (although that might have been a part of the performance).
129	* AnimalMotifs: Beef's name stands out among these; [[spoiler:he's the only one named after a dead animal and the first one to die]].
130	* ArtisticStimulation: Takes basically any substance you can name. His first instinct when he gets scared is to snort huge amounts of cocaine.
131	* BunnyEarsLawyer: He's an addict, and a bit dense, but knows how to work a performance.
132	* BuryYourGays: Has the most spectacular death in the film.
133	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: The audience sure thought so, as he belts out one last power chord as [[spoiler:he's being electrocuted to death.]]
134	* EveryoneHasStandards: At least when it comes to music--when Beef's concerned that altering a song meant for someone else and making it his own would change the meaning Philbin says nobody cares about music or lyrics having any meaning anymore and Beef (who's been in the industry awhile) is genuinely offended, telling the consigliore to dry up and calling him "tubbo".
135	* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: First time we see him he is wearing practically pure sparkles, and then during "Life At Last" he has a [[GemEncrusted silver rhinestone belt]] and is covered in gold flakes.
136	** His makeup is also pretty sparkly at times.
137	* FrankensteinsMonster: His debut show in The Paradise has The Juicy Fruits pretending to collect body parts from the crowd and building Beef in this way.
138	* FunctionalAddict: A speed freak. Has a memorable line when being gaslighted.
139	* GoldMakesEverythingShiny: His gold jacket, matching pants and matching shoes.
140	* HighVoltageDeath: [[spoiler:During what turns out to be his final performance, Winslow fatally electrocutes him in a scene referencing the famous ChandelierDrop from ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''.]]
141	* MachoCamp: While he certainly lives up to his name in terms of physique, he comes off as campy and somewhat effeminate when it comes to mannerisms and personality.
142	* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Phoenix isn't manly, but standing next to Beef, she practically has stubble.
143	* MeaningfulName: "Beef" is a reference to the product of a dead animal, fitting for [[spoiler:the first major character to die]].
144	* RightForTheWrongReasons: He's uncomfortable with altering a dead guy's music, and it ''is'' a bad idea, but not because of something as simple as a ghost.
145	%%* TheRockStar
146	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Beef attempts to ditch the show after Winslow threatens to kill him if he performs, which ended up avoided thanks to Philbin.
147	* SingingVoiceDissonance: Beef's deep rough singing voice is very different from his effeminate speaking voice.
148	* SingingInTheShower: Winslow stalks Beef while the latter is in the washroom, singing one of his songs.
149	%%* SmallNameBigEgo
150	%%* VanityIsFeminine
151	* WalkingShirtlessScene: He doesn't wear a shirt in any of his scenes, just a little jacket.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:The Juicy Fruits / The Beach Bums / The Undeads]]
155	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4_6.jpg]]
156	[[caption-width-right:350:''"I've gotta get out of here!"'']]
157	-->'''Played by:''' Archie Hahn, Jeffrey Comanor and Peter Elbling
158
159	Swan's band, answering to the names of Archie, Jeffrey and Harold. Swan constantly reforms their band's look and name to match current trends, reusing them as leads and backup singers wherever necessary - partly to save money, but mainly to capitalize on their sheer malleability, as "Upholstery" demonstrated.
160	----
161	* BreakTheCutie: All of them to some degree, but mostly Harold.
162	* ButtMonkey: Out of all the characters, only Winslow outdoes them in terms of sheer bad luck. Not only does Harold end up getting strongarmed by Philbin during "Upholstery," the three of them only ''narrowly'' escape death when the Phantom detonates a bomb on the Paradise stage -- narrowly, in that Archie's later seen wearing a cast on his arm, Jeffrey sports a fingersplint and Harold has a neck brace and arm cast. Then Swan demotes them to backup singers, publicly denouncing them as "a reflection of the past"; then [[spoiler: Beef]] gets murdered right in front of them, causing Archie to faint in terror; finally, Phoenix upstages the entire production, leaving them apparently out of work.
163	* DopeSlap: Harold gets one of these from Archie after trying to leave the "Upholstery" dress rehearsal.
164	* ForceFeeding: Harold is force-fed a handful of uppers by Philbin after being caught trying the back out of a rehearsal.
165	* GreaserDelinquents: As the Juicy Fruits, they have a greaser aesthetic to capitalize on nostalgia for the 1950s.
166	* HypocriticalHumor: ''Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye'' has them admit midway through that it's "hard to applaud suicide" despite having written and performed an entire song about the titular artist killing himself live on-stage to boost his record sales for a noble cause. They then proceed to act out Eddie's death in a facetious manner during the climax of the track.
167	* LooksLikeCesare: Their makeup as The Undeads is half-way between GermanExpressionism and Music/{{Kiss}}.
168	* MetalScream: During his stint as the leader of the Undeads in "Somebody Super Like You", Harold lets rip a few of these.
169	* MinorCharacterMajorSong: They don't have much do with the story, but sing three songs, including the opening number, "Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye", which lays out the film's themes.
170	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Harold attempts to back out of a rehearsal after sensing something wrong about the performance, though he eventually admits that his nervousness was due to a "ticking" he heard from somewhere nearby.
171	* NostalgiaFilter: Their first two bands are built on this.
172	* RockTrio: The specifics of their act change throughout the film, though.
173	* SpokenWordInMusic: In the Juicy Fruits number "Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye".
174	* SurferDude: The "Beach Bums" persona.
175	* VocalTagTeam: Each member sings lead on one of their three songs, while the other two provide backup.
176	[[/folder]]
177
178	[[folder:Philbin]]
179	[[quoteright:303:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/george_memmoli_c83ffec7_98bf_4b12_9802_d60f4a77704_resize_750.jpeg]]
180	[[caption-width-right:303:''"You see Swan sittin' in that box up there? Well he doesn't show it or anything, but right now he's thinking "Why isn't Harold in the car?" Now, if he comes down here, do you ''really'' want me to tell him that it's not in the stars for you to ride off the stage in this car, Harold?"'']]
181	-->'''Played by:''' George Memmoli
182
183	Swan's right hand man, Philbin's job encompasses a number of fields, including scounting for talent, managing bands, directing the actors and singers on the Paradise set, and enforcing Swan's orders.
184	----
185	* TheAggressiveDrugDealer: Justified; Philbin enforces drug use among Swan's musicians, both to keep them going during long performances, and to keep them from getting too rebellious.
186	* AttemptedRape: Philbin to Phoenix during her "audition." Thankfully, she gets away.
187	%%* BadBoss
188	* BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler: Due to Winslow's intervention, the sniper accidentally shoots Philbin right in the forehead instead of Phoenix.]]
189	* DisproportionateRetribution: Has one of his former students "broken" by Swan-- all because she tried to take her career in a different direction. Ironically, Swan considers this treatment practically gentle.
190	* TheDragon: Anyone wanting to deal with Swan has to go through Philbin first, and he's also the one Swan sends out to make deals, like with Winslow at the start of the film.
191	* FatBastard: Rotund, and totally lacking any moral standards, other than doing what Swan wants him to.
192	%%* JerkAss
193	* IronicNickname: Beef calls him "Bones" when his physique is [[FatBastard anything but bony]].
194	* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: His name was inspired by Mary Philbin, who played Christine in ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925''
195	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: His rant about a singer early into the movie has him casually drop anti-Asian and misogynist slurs, on top of what he and Swan did to her for [[DisproportionateRetribution taking her career in a new direction]].
196	* TheSvengali: As Swan's talent scout, he spends a lot of time acting as this kind of mentor to up-and-coming stars. At the beginning of the film, he's introduced by complaining to Swan about how one of these stars has slipped the leash.
197	--> You know, it just seems like yesterday I found Annette in that church choir. I got her singin' lessons, I taught her how to dress, I got her her first club job, and I paid of a columnist-- he did a beautiful story on her; I told her who to be nice to, who to [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]], fed her the drugs to get her through the road tours... ''I'' made her record a hit! Then I sold her to you; you made her the biggest thing in rock. So ''now'' what does she do? She fires us, cancels her Vegas date, and she wants to give free concerts to starving Gook orphans. She was more than a piece to me! She was the light of my life! Now she's gone. {{Beat}} We sued her. We couldn't lose, we had her in an ironclad contract; it was a lock, it was over, it was closed. I even bribed the judge! He ruled against us, said we couldn't sign anyone to a life contract. He said we were a disgrace to the profession. A disgrace, he said! ''I'' was the one who made her the money-grubbing whore that she was, and he calls ''me'' a disgrace!
198	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / PhantomOfTheParadise