The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

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.

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Sonya Levien (screen play), Bruno Frank (adaptation)

Stars:

Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Cedric Hardwicke

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Laughton	...	The Hunchback 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 Reynolds	...	Fleur de Lys (as Helene Whitney)
Minna Gombell	...	Queen of Beggars (as Mina Gombell)
Arthur Hohl	...	Olivier

Storyline

King Louis XI is a wise and old king and Frollo is the Chief Justice. Frollo gazes on the gypsy girl, Esmeralda, in the church during Fool's Day and sends Quasimodo to catch her. Quasimodo, with the girl, is captured by Phoebus, Captain of the Guards, who frees the girl. The courts sentence Quasimodo to be flogged, and the only one who will give him water while he is tied in the square is Esmeralda. Later, at a party of nobles, Esmeralda again meets both Frollo, who is bewitched by her, and Phoebus. When Phoebus is stabbed to death, Esmeralda is accused of the murder, convicted by the court and sentenced to hang. Clopin, King of the Beggars; Gringoire, Esmeralda's husband; and Quasimodo, the bellringer, all try different ways to save her from the gallows.

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Plot Keywords:

disability | fool's day | beggar | 15th century | cathedral | 

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Taglines:

BIG beyond words!...Wondrous beyond belief!...Magnificent beyond compare! (Title lobby card).

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

King Louis XI, the monarch depicted in the film, is historically credited with unifying France under royal authority, as he managed to defeat France's semi-independent feudal lords and to annex most of Burgundy and the entire Picardy to the Kingdom of France. Due to achieving victory in part through diplomacy and intrigue, he has been nicknamed as "Louis the Prudent", "Louis the Cunning", and "Louis the Universal Spider".

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Goofs

The cathedral is shown as having a full flight of steps up to the front doors. Notre Dame has always been more or less level with the square (le Parvis).

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Quotes

Clopin: Try to take a purse out of that pocket, but if one single bell jingles, you fail.
Gringoire: And then?
Clopin: And then you hang!
Gringoire: [pondering for a moment] Can you do it?
Clopin: I'm above that sort of thing. I cut throats. I don't cut purses.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Referenced in The Murders: Toxic (2019)

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Soundtracks

Ave Maria
(1572) (uncredited)
Music by Tomás Luis de Victoria
Sung by mixed chorus during opening credits

User Reviews

I wish Hugo could have seen it.

The ending differs from Hugo's novel,but I guess it was necessary to bestow on the audiences a de rigueur happy end when the world situation was getting worse and worse.It' s also dubious that king Louis XI -who died in 1483- might have been aware of Christophe Colomb's plans ,because the latter only informed the king of Portugal-who refused to put up the money for his expedition- in ...1484!

These are minor squabbles.Because this movie is definitely the finest version of Hugo's classic ,much superior to the French one ,directed by Jean Delannoy(1956) with Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida.Dieterle's work is a feast for the eyes with numerous classic scenes ,very clever dialogue,superlative performances and complete mastery of the camera.

The opening-Louis XI visiting a printing house-sums up the turning of history:Gutenberg's invention will allow the knowledge and as the King watches the cathedrals ,he makes us feel that these books of stone are fast becoming a thing of the past.The Middle Ages are coming to an end,but a lot of people ,particularly the clergy do not want to lose the power they have on the populace.When Frollo sentences Esmeralda to death,because of his sexual desire,he puts the blame on the devil.He's a man of the past,diametrically opposite to Gringoire,who epitomizes modernity,and who understands the power of the pamphlet which the printing increases tenfold.

Charles Laughton is by far the best Quasimodo that can be seen on a screen:he's so extraordinary that he almost turns the happy end into a tragedy!He gets good support from a moving and extremely beautiful O'Hara as Esmeralda and from Harwicke as Frollo.

Peaks:the fools day,the cour des miracles -maybe showing some influence by Browning's "freaks"-,all the scenes in the cathedral.Dieterle is on par with the most demanding directors all along his movie:the movements in the crowd are stunning,breathtaking,often filmed from the church towers.Humor is not absent either:Gregoire's eventful night in the cour des Miracles is colorful and funny and scary all at once.

A monument,like the cathedral itself.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Victor Hugo's Immortal Classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min (Turner library print) (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1