The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Theatrical poster
Directed by	William Dieterle
Produced by	Pandro S. Berman
Screenplay by	Bruno Frank
Based on	The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Starring	Charles Laughton Maureen O'Hara Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Music by	Alfred Newman
Cinematography	Joseph H. August
Editing by	William Hamilton Robert Wise
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date(s)	December 31, 1939 (1939-12-31)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1939 American monochrome film starring Charles Laughton as Quasimodo and Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda. It was directed by William Dieterle and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The film is considered by some reviewers to be the best of the many film versions of Victor Hugo's classic novel.

Differences between the film and the novel

The plot differs considerably from that of the original novel. The main differences are that Esmeralda and Quasimodo remain alive at the end, unlike in the novel, in which Esmeralda is hanged and Quasimodo is presumed dead, but two years later a hunchback skeleton is found at her grave site.

The character of Frollo was heavily changed. Instead of being an archdeacon, he is a judge and a close advisor of King Louis XI, while in the novel they do not meet each other. Frollo's death was portrayed close to the original one, but a major difference is that in the novel he was watching Esmeralda's execution when Quasimodo killed him.

Phoebus, who is only wounded by Frollo in the novel, is killed by him in this film version; therefore, as in the novel, Esmeralda is wrongly accused for the crime, but her attraction for Phoebus is not explored by the film after the incident.

The personal history of Esmeralda is ignored by the film. In the novel, it is revealed that she was not born as a gypsy and her mother is a recluse in Paris. In the film, her mother is not portrayed and neither is her background.

At the end of the film, Esmeralda is pardoned and is freed from hanging and then leaves with Gringoire and a huge crowd out of the public square. In the novel, Gringoire left Esmeralda with Frollo capturing her and saves her goat instead, resulting in Esmeralda's death. The film also makes it clear that Esmeralda eventually comes to love Gringoire, whereas in the novel, she merely tolerates him.

Legacy

The film later strongly influenced the 1996 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation.

Cast

• Charles Laughton as Quasimodo
• Cedric Hardwicke as Frollo
• Thomas Mitchell as Clopin
• Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda
• Edmond O'Brien as Gringoire
• Alan Marshal as Phoebus
• Walter Hampden as Archdeacon
• Harry Davenport as King Louis XI
• Katharine Alexander as Madame de Lys
• George Zucco as Procurator
• Fritz Leiber as Old Nobleman
• Etienne Girardot as Doctor
• Helene Whitney as Fleur de Lys
• Mina Gombell as Queen of Beggars
• Arthur Hohl as Olivier
• Curt Bois as Student
• George Tobias as Beggar
• Rod La Rocque as Phillippe
• Spencer Charters as Court Clerk
• Kathryn Adams as Fleur's Companion
• Dianne Hunter as Fleur's Companion
• Sig Arno as Tailor

Award nominations

The film was nominated for two Academy Awards:

• Academy Award for Best Original Music Score (Alfred Newman)
• Academy Award for Best Sound (John Aalberg)

Reception

E. H. Harvey of The Harvard Crimson said that the film "in all is more than entertaining." He said that "the mediocre effects offer a forceful contrast to the great moments" in the film.

External links

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Internet Movie Database
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame at AllRovi
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Turner Classic Movies