The Hunchback of Notre Dame( 1939)

TV-MADramaRomanceHorror

72%

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Score

Impact! Power! Fire! Pathos! Drama!

Overview

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.

Top Billed 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)

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Review 2Discussion

A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on Thu Aug 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 fir...