The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923/I)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Wallace Worsley

Writers:

Victor Hugo (novel)
Perley Poore Sheehan (adaptation)

Release Date:

6 September 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

In fifteenth century Paris, the brother of the archdeacon plots with the gypsy king to foment a peasant revolt. Meanwhile, a freakish hunchback falls in love with the gypsy queen.

Plot Keywords:

Gypsy | Festival | Dancing | King | Gypsy King

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Lon Chaney	...	Quasimodo
Patsy Ruth Miller	...	Esmeralda
Norman Kerry	...	Phoebus de Chateaupers
Kate Lester	...	Madame de Condelaurier
Winifred Bryson	...	Fleur de Lys
Nigel De Brulier	...	Don Claudio (as Nigel de Brulier)
Brandon Hurst	...	Jehan
Ernest Torrence	...	Clopin
Tully Marshall	...	El Rey Luis XI
Harry von Meter	...	Mons. Neufchatel (as Harry Van Meter)
Raymond Hatton	...	Gringoire
Nick De Ruiz	...	Mons. Le Torteru (as Nick de Ruiz)
Eulalie Jensen	...	Marie
Roy Laidlaw	...	Charmolu
Ray Myers	...	Charmolu's Assistant (as W. Ray Meyers)

Runtime:

Canada:95 min (Ontario) | USA:98 min (TCM Print) | USA:117 min (2006 alternate version) | 133 min (24 fps)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White | Color (tinted)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Canada:G (Ontario) | Spain:T | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

European Village set, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Wallace Worsley Jr., son of the film's director, said that many of the extras for the massive crowd scenes were recruited in downtown Los Angeles for $1.00 a night and meals. Among them, he said, were a good number of prostitutes, who did a "considerable sideline business" on the sets. Universal also hired 50 Pinkerton detectives and put them among the crowd, and their job was to catch pickpockets and various other thieves among the extras.

Goofs:

Continuity: The hair on the back of the Hunchback's hands appears early in the film and later disappears.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Dream Slashers (2007) (V)

A Memorable Atmospheric Version With a Fine Performance By Chaney

This classic silent version of the often-filmed story of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" features good atmosphere and one of Lon Chaney's many fine renderings of an unusual character. Between Chaney and the ponderous medieval settings, it really seems like a strange and unusual world. The rest of the cast helps out as well, and makes this version well worth seeing despite the many newer adaptations that have had the advantages of later technologies.

Chaney is ideal for this kind of role, since he not only creates an interesting and suitable look for the character, but also conceives of the right gestures and expressions to make the character come alive. On the silent screen, Chaney was able to portray characters like Quasimodo and the Phantom with a believability and humanity that few of today's actors can even approach, much less surpass, despite all of their advantages.

While Chaney is the main highlight, the rest of this production works well also. The portrayal of the Parisian underworld, the atmosphere in the great cathedral, and the portrayals of most of the main characters are also strengths. Among the supporting cast, Patsy Ann Miller as Esmerelda and Ernest Torrance as Clopin are particularly good. It fits together well, and creates a satisfying version of the classic story.