The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Directed by	William Dieterle
Produced by	Pandro S. Berman
Written by	Victor Hugo (novel) Bruno Frank (screenplay)
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)	September 1, 1939
Running time	116 min.
Language	English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1939 American monochrome motion picture. It is considered by some reviewers to be the best of the many film versions of Victor Hugo's classic novel, and perhaps the one that sticks closest to Hugo's plot and intention, although the ending differs. As in most adaptions, most of the main characters, including Esmeralda and Quasimodo, are alive at the end, unlike in the book, where they die.

The film is set in medieval Paris, France, and tells the tragic tale of a disfigured cathedral bell ringer who falls for the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. The film provides the stage for one of Charles Laughton's greatest portrayals, as the tragic title figure. Backed up by Maureen O'Hara's sweet but fiery Esmeralda, and Cedric Hardwicke's chilling judge, Frollo. Atmospheric direction, and stark yet lavish sets, combine with the fine performances to create a very notable film.

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

Primary cast

• Charles Laughton as Quasimodo
• Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Frollo
• Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda
• Thomas Mitchell as Clopin
• 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
• Helene Whitney as Fleur de Lys

Award nominations

• Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring (Alfred Newman)
• Best Sound, Recording (John Aalberg)

External links

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo Characters Esmeralda • Esmeralda (Disney) • Claude Frollo • Claude Frollo (Disney) •Quasimodo • Captain Phoebus • Clopin Trouillefou • Pierre Gringore Films Esmeralda (1905) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1911) • The Darling of Paris (1917) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) • Notre Dame de Paris (1956) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) •Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) • The Hunchback (1997) • Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002) Other Adaptations La Esmeralda (1844 ballet) • Notre Dame de Paris (1998 musical) • Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (1999 musical)

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