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The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
29 December 1939 (USA)
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Tagline:
Impact ! Power ! Pathos ! Drama ! See more »
Plot:
In 15th century France, a gypsy girl is framed for murder by the infatuated Chief Justice, and only the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral can save her. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
King
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Court
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Bellringer
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Chief Justice
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Gypsy
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Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
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NewsDesk:
(12 articles)
Ten silent super-stars facing the advent of 'talkies'
(From Shadowlocked. 7 March 2012, 7:02 AM, PST)
My favourite film: The Night of the Hunter
(From The Guardian - Film News. 8 December 2011, 7:37 AM, PST)
Orson Welles on TCM: The Lady From Shanghai, The Third Man, Touch Of Evil
(From Alt Film Guide. 8 August 2011, 2:15 PM, PDT)
(From Shadowlocked. 7 March 2012, 7:02 AM, PST)
My favourite film: The Night of the Hunter
(From The Guardian - Film News. 8 December 2011, 7:37 AM, PST)
Orson Welles on TCM: The Lady From Shanghai, The Third Man, Touch Of Evil
(From Alt Film Guide. 8 August 2011, 2:15 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
The best of the myriad different film versions of a most excellent novel
See more (63 total) »
US TV Schedule:
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete) | Charles Laughton | ... | Quasimodo |
 | Cedric Hardwicke | ... | Frollo (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke) |
| 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 Whitney | ... | Fleur de Lys |
| Minna Gombell | ... | Queen of Beggars (as Mina Gombell) |
| Arthur Hohl | ... | Olivier |
| Curt Bois | ... | Student |
 | George Tobias | ... | Beggar |
 | Rod La Rocque | ... | Phillippe (as Rod LaRocque) |
| Spencer Charters | ... | Court Clerk |
| Kathryn Adams | ... | Fleur's Companion |
| Diane Hunter | ... | Fleur's Companion (as Dianne Hunter) |
| Sig Arno | ... | Tailor (as Siegfried Arno) |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Eddie Abdo | ... | Singer (uncredited) |
| Louis Adlon | ... | Venus (uncredited) |
| George Barrows | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Vangie Beilby | ... | Contestant (uncredited) |
| Lionel Belmore | ... | Judge at Esmeralda's Trial (uncredited) |
| Barlowe Borland | ... | Dubois (uncredited) |
| Gene Clark | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Richard Clayton | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Earl Clyde | ... | Juggler (uncredited) |
| Edmund Cobb | ... | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Alan Copeland | ... | Choirboy (uncredited) |
| Harry Cording | ... | Guard (uncredited) |
| Laura Hope Crews | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Jack Curtis | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Harold DeGarro | ... | Stilt Walker (uncredited) |
| Eddie Dew | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Dick Dickinson | ... | Wooden-Leg Man (uncredited) |
| Charles Drake | ... | Young Priest (uncredited) |
| Arthur Dulac | ... | Mars (uncredited) |
| Ralph Dunn | ... | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Gretl Dupont | ... | Lissy (uncredited) |
| James Fawcett | ... | Festival Ball-Walker (uncredited) |
| Budd Fine | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Harry Fleischmann | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| J.C. Fowler | ... | Nobleman (uncredited) |
| Thom Fox | ... | Jupiter (uncredited) |
| Vallejo Gantner | ... | Merchant (uncredited) |
| Peter Godfrey | ... | Monk (uncredited) |
| Alexander Granach | ... | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Edward Groag | ... | Moon (uncredited) |
| Laurie Hale | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Charlie Hall | ... | Mercury (uncredited) |
| Charles Halton | ... | Printer (uncredited) |
| Rondo Hatton | ... | Ugly Man (uncredited) |
| Al Herman | ... | Short Fat Soldier (uncredited) |
| Louis Jean Heydt | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Otto Hoffman | ... | Deaf Judge (uncredited) |
| Billy Jones | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Kenner G. Kemp | ... | Townsman (uncredited) |
| Cy Kendall | ... | Nobleman Signing Petition (uncredited) |
| Victor Kilian | ... | Esmeralda's Hangman (uncredited) |
| Louis King | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| John Laird | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Mike Lally | ... | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Jack Lawrence | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Elmo Lincoln | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Ray Long | ... | Festival Skeleton Dancer (uncredited) |
| Theodore Lorch | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Joseph P. Mack | ... | Workman in Play (uncredited) |
| Margaret McWade | ... | Younger Sister (uncredited) |
| Consuelo Melendez | ... | Singer (uncredited) |
| Frederic Mellinger | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Victor Metzetti | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Arthur Millett | ... | Count Graville (uncredited) |
| Frank Mills | ... | Beggar (uncredited) |
| Angela Mulinos | ... | Helene (uncredited) |
| Ferdinand Munier | ... | Defense Attorney (uncredited) |
| Paul Newlan | ... | Whipper (uncredited) |
| Lillian Nicholson | ... | DeLys' Servant (uncredited) |
| Nestor Paiva | ... | Man in Street When Gypsies Arrive (uncredited) |
| Gail Patrick | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Eleanor Pellapreau | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Jack Perrin | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Tempe Pigott | ... | Madeleine (uncredited) |
| Antonio Pina | ... | Ladder Man (uncredited) |
| Russ Powell | ... | Second 'Ugly Man' Contestant (uncredited) |
| Elsie Prescott | ... | Contestant (uncredited) |
| Dewey Robinson | ... | Butcher (uncredited) |
| Hector Sarno | ... | Knight (uncredited) |
| Charles Schaeffer | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Norbert Schiller | ... | Saturn (uncredited) |
| Margaret Seddon | ... | Older Sister (uncredited) |
| Ward Shattuck | ... | Festival Juggler (uncredited) |
| Alan Spear | ... | Festival Contortionist (uncredited) |
| Walter O. Stahl | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Rudolf Steinboeck | ... | Peasant in Play (uncredited) |
 | George Suzanne | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Louis Valaris | ... | Tightrope Man (uncredited) |
| Harry J. Vejar | ... | Noble (uncredited) |
| Harry Weil | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Mary Lou Wentz | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Gisela Werbisek | ... | Grandmother (uncredited) |
| Cecil Weston | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Louis Williams | ... | Minor Role (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| William Dieterle | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Victor Hugo | (novel "Notre-Dame de Paris") | |
| Sonya Levien | (screen play) | |
| Bruno Frank | (adaptation) | |
Produced by | |||
| Pandro S. Berman | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Alfred Newman | (original composition by) | ||
Cinematography by | |||
| Joseph H. August | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| William Hamilton | (edited by) | ||
| Robert Wise | (edited by) | ||
Art Direction by | |||
| Van Nest Polglase | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Darrell Silvera | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Walter Plunkett | (costumes by) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| George Bau | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Mel Berns | .... | makeup department head (uncredited) | |
| Robert J. Schiffer | .... | makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Perc Westmore | .... | special makeup effects artist: Charles Laughton's Quasimodo makeup (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| J.R. Crone | .... | production manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Edward Killy | .... | assistant director | |
| Argyle Nelson | .... | assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Alfred Herman | .... | associate art director (as Al Herman) | |
| Chesley Bonestell | .... | background paintings (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| John E. Tribby | .... | recordist | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Vernon L. Walker | .... | special effects | |
Stunts | |||
| Marie Bodie | .... | stunt double: Maureen O'Hara (uncredited) | |
| Joe Bonomo | .... | stunt double: Lon Chaney (uncredited) | |
| Archie Butler | .... | stunt double: Alan Marshal (uncredited) | |
| Dick Crockett | .... | stunt double: Quasimodo (uncredited) | |
| George DeNormand | .... | stunt double: Rod La Rocque (uncredited) | |
| Jack Perrin | .... | stunt double: Rod La Rocque (uncredited) | |
| Ione Reed | .... | stunt double: Maureen O'Hara (uncredited) | |
| David Sharpe | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| George Suzanne | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Sailor Vincent | .... | stunt double: Quasimodo (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Eugene Joseff | .... | costume jeweller (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Alfred Newman | .... | musical adaptation | |
| Robert Russell Bennett | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
Production Companies
- RKO Radio Pictures (presents) (as RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (as An RKO Radio Picture)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
- C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Nostalgia Merchant, The (1987) (USA) (VHS)
- Turner Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
- Ciné Vog Films (19??) (Belgium) (theatrical) (reissue)
- RKO Radio Films (1949) (Germany) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Pictures Argentina (1940) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- RKO Radio Pictures (1947) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
- RKO Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
- VidAmerica (????) (USA) (VHS)
Additional Details
Also Known As:
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
117 min (Turner library print) (copyright length)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Victor System)
Certification:
UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1985) | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (Ontario) | Canada:PG (video rating) | West Germany:16 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #5504) | Australia:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Producer Pandro S. Berman offered Basil Rathbone a principal part in this film but Universal refused to release him.See more »
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Quasimodo's misplaced eye never moves or blinks, belying the fact that it is a prosthetic.See more »
Quotes:
Quasimodo, the bell-ringer:Sanctuary! Sanctuary!See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Crush (#5.14)" (2001)See more »
Soundtrack:
Ave MariaSee more »
FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?How does it end?
How closely does the movie follow the novel?
See more »
See more (63 total) »
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) See more »Recommendations
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The best of the many versions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, for my money, is this one, although Lon Chaney's is a close second. Despite a Hollywood tendancy to change the novel's ending so as not to depress the cash customers (although, pray tell, if you're going to change the ending, why does no one ever see Quasimodo sailing off to Tahiti with the girl? Rule # 1: strong, handsome poets beat out disfigured cripples every time, even if they're heroes. This is more true in real life than in the movies. Take my word for this, I know from painful experience *sigh*)
Charles Laughton is exceptional and Maureen O'Hara would make any man swoon and is perfect for the part of Esmerelda. The support includes the usual suspects-Thomas Mitchell, Harry Davenport and many other familiar character actors. Strike up the band and start the parade. Thunderous applause. Most highly recommended.