The Hunchback of Notre Dame main backdrop
The Hunchback of Notre Dame main poster

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Visit website

7.2/10 • 186

1939-12-291h 57m

DramaRomanceHorror

Impact! Power! Fire! Pathos! Drama!

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.

Directors
William Dieterle
Editors
William Hamilton

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Charles Laughton

    Charles Laughton

    The Hunchback Quasimodo

  2. Cedric Hardwicke

    Cedric Hardwicke

    Frollo

  3. Thomas Mitchell

    Thomas Mitchell

    Clopin

  4. Maureen O'Hara

    Maureen O'Hara

    Esmeralda

  5. Edmond O'Brien

    Edmond O'Brien

    Gringoire

  6. Alan Marshal

    Alan Marshal

    Phoebus

  7. Walter Hampden

    Walter Hampden

    Archdeacon

  8. Harry Davenport

    Harry Davenport

    King Louis XI

  9. Katharine Alexander

    Katharine Alexander

    Madame de Lys

Reviews2

View Reviews
John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Aug 28, 2014

9/10

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 first lead US turn. However, really the film's triumph lies with its script, a very aware piece of writing encompassing political goings on and the corruption of the church set around the hunchback's tragic love. The make up of Laughton leaves an indelible image when brought into focus with the great detail of the surroundings, and the score is mightily appropriate. All in all this film cost 2 Million Dollars for RKO Studios, one of their most expensive outlays, but they were rewarded in spades as the film was a monster success and here in the modern day age of cinema the film still stands up as a benchmark for great movie making. 9/10

Media

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame backdrop
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame backdrop
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame backdrop
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame backdrop
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame backdrop
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame backdrop

Recommendations

  • Witchfinder General main backdrop

    Witchfinder General

    6.4

  • Son of Frankenstein main backdrop

    Son of Frankenstein

    6.7

  • Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man main backdrop

    Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

    6.2

  • Boogeyman 3 main backdrop

    Boogeyman 3

    5.1

  • Vitalina Varela main backdrop

    Vitalina Varela

    6.8

  • The New Land main backdrop

    The New Land

    7.7

  • Son of Dracula main backdrop

    Son of Dracula

    5.8

  • Notre Dame de Paris main backdrop

    Notre Dame de Paris

    8.2

  • Duran Duran: Unstaged main backdrop

    Duran Duran: Unstaged

    7.4

  • No Backdrop

    Das Glöcklein unterm Himmelbett

    10

  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon main backdrop

    She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

    6.8

  • Saboteur main backdrop

    Saboteur

    6.9

  • To Have and Have Not main backdrop

    To Have and Have Not

    7.5

  • In Her Hands main backdrop

    In Her Hands

    6.6

  • Scarface main backdrop

    Scarface

    7.5

  • On the Wandering Paths main backdrop

    On the Wandering Paths

    6.4

  • Hair main backdrop

    Hair

    7.3

  • Bringing Up Baby main backdrop

    Bringing Up Baby

    7.5

  • Dead Man main backdrop

    Dead Man

    7.3

  • Cool Runnings main backdrop

    Cool Runnings

    7.0

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$1,800,000.00
Revenue
$6,877,900.00
Keywords
sibling relationshipparis, francebased on novel or bookunrequited loveracismkindnesshunchbacknotre dame cathedralbell ringingbeggar clanphysical deformitysanctuarybell ringer15th centurygypsy womanchurch asylum