The Hunchback Of Notre Dame Reviews

Thoroughly enjoyed!

I have to admit to having a crush on Lon Chaney ever since seeing him play two brothers, one a priest, one a thief, in The Blackbird (1926). He was without make-up for a change and gorgeous as both men, especially the villain!

Not so in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, though I won't let this colour my view! Wearing a heavy hump on his back rendering him knock-kneed, a thick thatch of matted hair atop his head, a ping- pong ball for a right eye and a tongue darting in and out between a double row of broken crockery teeth (to express his disdain for his derisive fellow men) Lon Chaney presents an unforgettable sight!

His only friends, the gargoyles (an excellent copy of the originals) and the charming gypsy girl, Esmerelda. She dances so sweetly with her tambourine, no wonder everbody loves her! The re-creation of medieval Paris is superb and the cathedral facade remains sturdy as the hunchback descends from the bell tower using the replica statues as footholds and grips.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this film although the characters didn't quite provoke the feelings of compassion as in the 1939 remake with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara. I cried the last time I saw that movie!

Footnote: Isn't it wierd that Lon Chaney only made one talkie (The Unholy Three 1930), then shortly afterwards died of a throat hemorrhage. Even stranger coupled with the fact that both his parents were deaf mutes!

STUNNING SILENT VERSION OF CLASSIC NOVEL

Wallace Worsley's 1923 production of Victor Hugo's classic novel is a standout.The studio re-creation of medieval Paris and Notre Drame Cathedral itself are works of art.Lon Chaney in one of his most famous roles as the Hunchback brings out the anger of the half blind and deaf outcast and gives a dignified moving performance which matches Charles Laughton's sensitive (and outstanding) portrayal in the 1939 remake. Despite some ripe dialogue in the titles and some melodramatic moments, the movie remains compelling and dramatic, despite its age.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Masterpiece

A truly brilliant film from the Silent Era, and viewed in this context there are some wonderful scenes - the Notre Dame, the Thieves' Kitchen, the Paris backstreets - and the crowd scenes are superb. A must for silent film fans, even although the ending is different from the book.

Thoroughly enjoyed!

I have to admit to having a crush on Lon Chaney ever since seeing him play two brothers, one a priest, one a thief, in The Blackbird (1926). He was without make-up for a change and gorgeous as both men, especially the villain!

Not so in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, though I won't let this colour my view! Wearing a heavy hump on his back rendering him knock-kneed, a thick thatch of matted hair atop his head, a ping- pong ball for a right eye and a tongue darting in and out between a double row of broken crockery teeth (to express his disdain for his derisive fellow men) Lon Chaney presents an unforgettable sight!

His only friends, the gargoyles (an excellent copy of the originals) and the charming gypsy girl, Esmerelda. She dances so sweetly with her tambourine, no wonder everbody loves her! The re-creation of medieval Paris is superb and the cathedral facade remains sturdy as the hunchback descends from the bell tower using the replica statues as footholds and grips.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this film although the characters didn't quite provoke the feelings of compassion as in the 1939 remake with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara. I cried the last time I saw that movie!

Footnote: Isn't it wierd that Lon Chaney only made one talkie (The Unholy Three 1930), then shortly afterwards died of a throat hemorrhage. Even stranger coupled with the fact that both his parents were deaf mutes!

Film or Joke?

You will really like this if you like old stuff with no words!