Film Snail

7.3

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

NR·1939·117m

Drama

Romance

Horror

Drama

Romance

Horror

Summary

Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.

Cast

Charles Laughton

The Hunchback Quasimodo

Cedric Hardwicke

Frollo

Thomas Mitchell

Clopin

Maureen O'Hara

Esmeralda

Edmond O'Brien

Gringoire

Alan Marshal

Phoebus

Walter Hampden

Archdeacon

Harry Davenport

King Louis XI

Katharine Alexander

Madame de Lys

George Zucco

Procurator

Fritz Leiber

Old Nobleman

Etienne Girardot

Doctor

Helene Reynolds

Fleur de Lys

Minna Gombell

Queen of Beggars

Arthur Hohl

Olivier

Curt Bois

Student

George Tobias

Beggar

Rod La Rocque

Phillippe

Spencer Charters

Court Clerk

Kathryn Adams

Fleur's Companion #1

Diane Hunter

Fleur's Companion #2

Sig Arno

Tailor

Frank Mills

Beggar (uncredited)

Dewey Robinson

Butcher (uncredited)

Frank Mazzola

Child (uncredited)

Alan Copeland

Choirboy (uncredited)

Arthur Millett

Count Graville (uncredited)

Ferdinand Munier

Defense Attorney (uncredited)

Barlowe Borland

Dubois (uncredited)

Victor Kilian

Esmeralda's Hangman (uncredited)

James Fawcett

Festival Ball-Walker (uncredited)

Alan Spear

Festival Contortionist (uncredited)

Ward Shattuck

Festival Juggler (uncredited)

Ray Long

Festival Skeleton Dancer (uncredited)

Lillian Nicholson

Fleur's Servant (uncredited)

Gisela Werbisek

Grandmother (uncredited)

Harry Cording

Guard (uncredited)

Angela Mulinos

Helene (uncredited)

Lionel Belmore

Judge at Esmeralda's Trial (uncredited)

Earl Clyde

Juggler (uncredited)

Thom Fox

Jupiter (uncredited)

Gretl Dupont

Lissy (uncredited)

Tempe Pigott

Madeleine (uncredited)

Nestor Paiva

Man in Street When Gypsies Arrive (uncredited)

Arthur Dulac

Mars (uncredited)

Vallejo Gantner

Merchant (uncredited)

Charlie Hall

Mercury (uncredited)

George Barrows

Minor Role (uncredited)

Peter Godfrey

Monk (uncredited)

Edward Groag

Moon (uncredited)

J. C. Fowler

Nobleman (uncredited)

Cy Kendall

Nobleman Signing Petition (uncredited)

Charles Halton

Printer (uncredited)

Norbert Schiller

Saturn (uncredited)

Eddie Abdo

Singer (uncredited)

Alexander Granach

Soldier (uncredited)

Edmund Cobb

Soldier (uncredited)

Ralph Dunn

Soldier (uncredited)

Eddie Bracken

Soldier at Festival of Fools (uncredited)

Harold DeGarro

Stilt Walker (uncredited)

Louis Zamperini

Street Urchin (uncredited)

John George

Townsman (uncredited)

Kenner G. Kemp

Townsman (uncredited)

Rondo Hatton

Ugly Man (uncredited)

Vangie Beilby

'Ugly Man' Contestant #1 (uncredited)

Russ Powell

'Ugly Man' Contestant #2 (uncredited)

Louis Adlon

Venus (uncredited)

Paul Newlan

Whipper (uncredited)

Dick Dickinson

Wooden-Leg Man (uncredited)

Joseph P. Mack

Workman in Play (uncredited)

Charles Drake

Young Priest (uncredited)

Richard Clayton

Young Priest at Cathedral (uncredited)

Billy Jones

(uncredited)

Theodore Lorch

Minor Role (uncredited)

Eddie Dew

Minor Role (uncredited)

Margaret McWade

Younger Sister (uncredited)

Jack Perrin

Minor Role (uncredited)

Hector V. Sarno

Knight (uncredited)

Margaret Seddon

Older Sister (uncredited)

Crew

Director

William Dieterle

Adaptation

Bruno Frank

Novel

Victor Hugo

Screenplay

Sonya Levien

Reviews

John Chard

August 28, 2014

Incredible film-making, bravo for real classics.

What a truly lavish and gorgeous film this is, thematically it pulls the emotions in different directions, and as a story it's as sharp as a tack. Boasting a quite incredible performance from Charles Laughton as the tragic bell ringer Quasimodo (no nomination Academy, are you flipping sure?), and sets that are simply out of this world, this film to me defines classic cinema.

Into the mix we get a radiant Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda who lights up the screen in every scene she is in, it's a very special performance in view of it being her first lead US turn. However, really the film's triumph lies with its script, a very aware piece of writing encompassing political goings on and the corruption of the church set around the hunchback's tragic love. The make up of Laughton leaves an indelible image when brought into focus with the great detail of the surroundings, and the score is mightily appropriate.

All in all this film cost 2 Million Dollars for RKO Studios, one of their most expensive outlays, but they were rewarded in spades as the film was a monster success and here in the modern day age of cinema the film still stands up as a benchmark for great movie making. 9/10