The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | William Dieterle |
| Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
| Screenplay by | Sonya Levien Bruno Frank (adaptation) |
| Starring | Charles Laughton Sir Cedric Hardwicke Thomas Mitchell Maureen O'Hara Edmond O'Brien Alan Marshal Walter Hampden |
| Music by | Alfred Newman (musical adaptation and original composition) |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August A.S.C. |
| Editing by | William Hamilton Robert Wise |
| Studio | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 29, 1939 |
| Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,826,000 |
| Money made | $3,155,000 |
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1939 American romantic drama film. It stars Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara. William Dieterle directed the movie, and Pandro S. Berman produced it. The film is based on Victor Hugo's famous 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This movie was also the first film ever shown at the Cannes Film Festival. However, the festival was put on hold because of World War II.
Contents
The Story of the Hunchback
The film takes place in Paris during the late Middle Ages. King Louis XI and his Chief Justice, Jehan Frollo, visit a printing shop. Frollo wants to protect Paris from anything he sees as bad. This includes new inventions like the printing press and also gypsies.
It is the day of Paris's yearly party, the Feast of Fools. Pierre Gringoire, a poor poet, performs a play. But Clopin, the King of the Beggars, interrupts it. Esmeralda, a young gypsy girl, dances for the crowd. Quasimodo, the deaf hunchback who rings the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral, is crowned the King of Fools. Frollo finds him and takes him back to the church.
Esmeralda is caught by a guard and runs into Notre Dame for safety. She prays for her fellow gypsies. Frollo confronts her, calling her a "heathen." He takes her to the bell tower where they meet Quasimodo. As Esmeralda tries to escape, Frollo tells Quasimodo to chase and kidnap her. Gringoire sees this and calls for Captain Phoebus and his guards. They capture Quasimodo and save Esmeralda.
Quasimodo is punished in the town square. He is whipped and publicly shamed. He asks the people for water, and Esmeralda kindly gives it to him.
Later, Frollo goes to a party where Esmeralda is performing. He tells her he admires her. Afterward, Frollo sees Esmeralda and Phoebus together. Out of jealousy, Frollo kills Phoebus. He then blames Esmeralda for the crime, saying she used magic. Just as she is about to be hanged, Quasimodo saves her. He takes her to the cathedral and claims the right of sanctuary for her. This means she is safe inside the church.
Gringoire and Clopin learn that the nobles plan to end Notre Dame's right of sanctuary. They both try to save Esmeralda. Gringoire writes a pamphlet (a small book). Clopin leads the beggars to storm the cathedral. At the Palace of Justice, King Louis realizes Gringoire's pamphlet is changing public opinion. This can influence kings' decisions.
The Archbishop arrives and tells Louis about the attack on Notre Dame. He also says Esmeralda is innocent. Louis demands to know the real killer. Frollo then admits his crime and leaves, shocking Louis. Louis orders Frollo's arrest. He then talks to Gringoire after reading his pamphlet.
Quasimodo and the Paris guards fight off Clopin and the beggars. Frollo tries to kill Quasimodo with a dagger. But Quasimodo stops him and throws Frollo off the cathedral, leading to his death.
The next morning, King Louis pardons Esmeralda and the other Romani people. She leaves the square with Gringoire, her true love, and a cheering crowd. Quasimodo watches from the cathedral. He asks a gargoyle, "Why was I not made of stone, like thee?"
Meet the Cast
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played:
- Charles Laughton as Quasimodo
- Sir 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 Archbishop
- 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
- Siegfried Arno as Tailor
Making the Movie
In 1932, there were talks about remaking the 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame film. Actor Boris Karloff was even considered for the role of Quasimodo.
Later, a fan poll helped Universal Pictures decide to make the film. Many famous actors were considered for Quasimodo, including Ronald Colman and Peter Lorre.
Eventually, the rights to make the film were sold to RKO Pictures. Pandro S. Berman became the producer, and William Dieterle became the director.
Building the Sets
For this movie, RKO Radio Pictures built a huge medieval city of Paris and Notre Dame Cathedral. They built it on their movie ranch in the San Fernando Valley. This was one of the biggest and most amazing sets ever made for a film.
The screenwriter, Sonya Levien, made the story feel important for the time the film was made. She showed how the persecution of gypsies in Paris was similar to how Germany was treating Jews before World War II.
Choosing the Actors
When RKO decided to remake the film, Lon Chaney Jr. wanted to play Quasimodo. He even did screen tests. But Charles Laughton was eventually chosen for the part.
Charles Laughton was very impressed with Maureen O'Hara after working with her on another film. He brought the 18-year-old actress to Hollywood to play Esmeralda. This was O'Hara's first American movie role.
The director, Dieterle, wanted Claude Rains to play Frollo. But Rains decided not to take the role. Instead, Cedric Hardwicke played Frollo.
Filming Challenges
Hunchback was a very expensive movie for the studio, costing $1.8 million. It was filmed at the RKO Encino Ranch. The inside scenes of the bell tower were shot at the University of Southern California.
The sets of Paris and Notre Dame Cathedral cost $250,000 to build. This would be about $5 million today. Walter Plunkett designed the costumes, and Joseph H. August was in charge of the camera work.
Filming was hard because of the hot weather. This was especially true for Laughton, who had to wear a lot of heavy makeup. Maureen O'Hara remembered one day when the director's assistant misunderstood him. He wanted monks on set, but because of his accent, the assistant brought monkeys instead!
The makeup artist, Perc Westmore, and Charles Laughton did not get along well. Laughton wanted a very heavy hump for his costume to help him stay in character.
When Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, the cast and crew were worried. Laughton helped lighten the mood by reciting the Gettysburg Address. Another emotional moment happened when Laughton filmed the scene where Quasimodo rings the bells for Esmeralda. Feeling sad because his home country, Britain, had declared war on Germany, Laughton rang the bells over and over until he was exhausted. This deeply moved the film crew.
Changes to the Story
The characters of Claude Frollo and Jehan Frollo were changed from the original novel. This was also done in the 1923 film. These changes were made because filmmakers had rules about how priests could be shown.
In the book, Claude is a villainous priest. In the film, he is a good character and much older. His younger brother, Jehan, is a troublemaking student in the book. In the film, he is a middle-aged villain and a close advisor to King Louis XI.
Awards and Recognition
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was nominated for two Academy Awards:
- Academy Award for Best Original Music Score for Alfred Newman
- Academy Award for Best Sound for John Aalberg
The film is also recognized by the American Film Institute on this list:
- 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions - #98
See also
In Spanish: Esmeralda, la zíngara para niños
