The hunchback of Notre Dame

Language and/or Subtitles: English
Spanish
French
Format: DVD 2015
Availability: Unavailable 0 copies
Summary
Few will argue with the contention that RKO Radio's 1939 adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the best of the many screen versions of the Hugo classic. We say this even allowing for certain liberties taken with the source material-liberties calculated by scenarists Sonya Levien and Bruno Frank to draw parallels between 15th century Paris and 20th century Europe. Thus, Claude Frollo (Cedric Hardwicke), the villain of the piece, is no longer merely a religious hypocrite unable to control his own carnal desires. Instead, Frollo is a bush-league Hitler, warning that the invention of the printing press is dangerous in that it will encourage the rabble to think for themselves, and plotting the persecution and destruction of the "undesirable" gypsies. In the same vein, Gringoire the Poet (Edmond O'Brien in his film debut) has been transformed into an agit-prop "Group Theatre" activist, bent on bringing the unvarnished truth to the ignorant Parisians. Many of Hugo's subplots have been dispensed with, the better to concentrate on the grotesquely deformed Quasimodo (Charles Laughton), bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and his puppylike loyalty towards imperiled gypsy dancer Esmerelda (Maureen O'Hara, in her first American film appearance). The schism between the haves and have-nots in the walled city of Paris is illustrated in broad, visually dynamic strokes by director William Dieterle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Additional Information
Series Turner classic movies.
Subjects Quasimodo -- (Fictitious character) -- Drama.
Notre-Dame de Paris (Cathedral) -- Drama.
Paris (France) -- History -- To 1515 -- Drama.
Fiction films.
Feature films.
Video recordings for the hearing impaired.
Publisher Burbank, CA :Warner Home Video,2015
Edition Full screen.
Other Titles Notre-Dame de Paris.
Contributors Berman, Pandro S., 1905-1996, film producer.
Levien, Sonya, 1888?-1960, screenwriter.
Frank, Bruno, 1887-1945, screenwriter.
Dieterle, William, 1893-1972, film director.
Laughton, Charles, 1899-1962, actor.
Hardwicke, Cedric, 1893-1964, actor.
Mitchell, Thomas, 1892-1962, actor.
O'Hara, Maureen, 1920-2015, actor.
O'Brien, Edmond, 1915-1985, actor.
Marshal, Alan, 1909-1961, actor.
Hampden, Walter, 1879-1955, actor.
Alexander, Katharine, 1898-1981, actor.
Hugo, Victor, 1802-1885. Notre-Dame de Paris.
RKO Radio Pictures, production company.
Warner Home Video (Firm), publisher.
Participants/Performers Charles Laughton, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Maureen O'Hara, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, Walter Hampden, Katharine Alexander.
Audience Not rated.
Language English
Spanish
French
In English or Spanish; with optional English, French or Spanish subtitles; closed-captioned.
Notes Title from container.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1939.
Based on the novel Notre Dame de Paris, by Victor Hugo.
Also issued as part of a 4-DVD set.
Special features: behind-the-scenes documentary featuring an interview with Maureen O'Hara.
System Details DVD; region 1; full screen presentation; Dolby Digital mono.
Description 1 videodisc (117 min.) : sound, black & white ; 4 3/4 in.
ISBN 0780664043
9780780664043
Other Classic View