The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) (TV)

Director:

Michael Tuchner

Writers:

John Gay (written for television by)
Victor Hugo (novel)

Release Date:

4 February 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

Evil Is The Eye Of The Beholder

Plot:

Quasimodo, the hunchback bellringer of Notre Dame's cathedral meets a beautiful gypsy dancer, Esmeralda...

Plot Keywords:

Cathedral | Love | Poet | Soldier | Dancer

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Anthony Hopkins	...	Quasimodo
Derek Jacobi	...	Dom Claude Frollo
David Suchet	...	Clopin Trouillefou
Gerry Sundquist	...	Pierre Gringoire
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Philippe
John Gielgud	...	Charmolue
Robert Powell	...	Phoebus
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Esmeralda
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Magistrate at Esmeralda's trial
Roland Culver	...	Bishop of Paris
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Simone
David Kelly	...	Tavernkeeper
Joseph Blatchley	...	Albert
Dave Hill	...	Coppenhole
Donald Eccles	...	Judge
Timothy Bateson	...	Commerce
Jack Klaff	...	Officer
Timothy Morand	...	Maurice
Martin Carroll	...	Herald
Hugo De Vernier	...	Nobility
Eunice Black	...	Clergy
Kenny Baker	...	Pick Pocket
Michael Burrell	...	Clerical Aide
Antony Carrick	...	Auditor
John Kidd	...	1st Physician
Stanley Lebor	...	Torturer
Norman Lumsden	...	King's Attorney
John Rutland	...	2nd Old Man
Wally Thomas	...	1st Old Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
June Brown	...	Woman in cathedral (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Peasant (uncredited)
James Payne	...	Villager (uncredited)
Pam St. Clement	...	Woman in cathedral (uncredited)
Alan Webb	...	Judge at Quasimodo's trial (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Tuchner

Writing credits
John Gay		(written for television by)
Victor Hugo		(novel "Notre Dame de Paris")

Produced by
Malcolm J. Christopher	....	associate producer (as Malcolm Christopher)
Norman Rosemont	....	producer

Original Music by
Ken Thorne		(as Kenneth Thorne)

Cinematography by
Alan Hume

Film Editing by
Keith Palmer

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
John Stoll

Art Direction by
Bill Dennison		(as Bill Bennison)

Set Decoration by
Harry Cordwell

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Beryl Lerman	....	makeup artist
Nick Maley	....	makeup creator: Mr. Hopkins
Michael Morris	....	makeup artist
Barbara Ritchie	....	chief hairdresser
Bobbie Smith	....	hair stylist
Gloria Maley	....	special makeup effects crew (uncredited)
Marian Nicholson	....	special makeup effects crew (uncredited)

Production Management
Donald Toms	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ken Baker	....	assistant director
Jack Lowin	....	second unit director

Art Department
Bill MacLaren	....	construction manager

Sound Department
John Ireland	....	sound editor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound mixer (as John Mitchell)
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
John Morris	....	special effects supervisor
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Cliff Culley	....	optical effects

Stunts
Alf Joint	....	stunt arranger
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Neil Binney	....	camera operator
Joe Finn	....	supervising electrician
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
Frank Watts	....	camera operator: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norman Dickens	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Bob Mullen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ken Thorne	....	conductor (as Kenneth Thorne)

Other crew
Jeffrey Broom	....	production accountant
Eleanor Fazan	....	choreographer
Geoff Freeman	....	unit publicist (as Geoffrey Freeman)
Pat Pennelegion	....	production assistant
June Randall	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Rosemont Productions
• Columbia Pictures Television

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1982) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001) (USA) (TV)
• Esselte Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Vidmark Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Berman's and Nathan's  costumes
• G.S.E.  titles
• Lee Lighting  lighting (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (#31.2)" - USA (anthology series)

Runtime:

150 min | USA:102 min | UK:98 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Iceland:L | UK:PG | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988)

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Rosemont Productions

Trivia:

Anthony Hopkins and Derek Jacobi both played Adolf Hitler ( The Bunker (1981) (TV) and Inside the Third Reich (1982) (TV)) and Claudius ( Hamlet (1969) and Hamlet (1996) ) in two different version of Hamlet films.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Quasimodo:Why?
[the word reverbs while Quasimodo falls to his death]

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1951)

fine, but could have been better

With every different version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" that I have ever seen, I hope again that I will one day see a film that copies the novel exactly. Victor Hugo's novel is a tragedy all the way, and it does NOT have a happy ending, or even a semi-happy one! The only version that is most like "Notre Dame de Paris" is the 1977 film described elsewhere in this site. However, the 1982 version comes closer than the earlier ones, which, because of censorship, could not have an Archbishop feverishly pursuing a heathen gypsy female through the dark streets of Paris, laying aside his priestly vows to lust after her to the death. This dark, Gothic romance cries out for black and white--it just doesn't work in color, and the color here is gorgeous. See the 1939 Laughton version to see what I mean. And speaking of the Laughton version, Anthony Hopkins is obviously copying Charles Laughton's legendary performance, and does it quite well--one great actor's nod to another. Has Anthony Hopkins ever given a bad performance? Or has Derek Jacobi, for that matter? He succeeds in making Dom Claude what I have always considered this character to be--not a villain, but a pathetic, pitiable character torn between his holy vows and his forbidden lust for a beautiful gypsy dancer. Lesley-Ann Down is lovely, to say the least, as Esmeralda, and the supporting cast is solid. David Suchet as Clopin is fine in his own way, but it was a thankless task to try to follow Thomas Mitchell's great, over-the-top turn as the King of the Beggars in the 1939 version. Though this version is not as good as it could have been, it still is one of the best, and well worth your time.