The Hunchback of Notre Dame details
| Format: | PG DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Winifred Bryson, Norman Kerry, Kate Lester, Raymond Hatton, Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Ernest Torrence |
| Director: | Wallace Worsley |
| Genres: | Drama - Historical, Romantic, Thriller, Horror |
| Collections: | Book Adaptations, Page to Screen, Silence is Golden, Silent Cinema, Silent Classics |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
The Hunchback of Notre Dame |
PG Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 33 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 22 Apr 2002 |
| Main languages: | Silent |
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Most helpful review
Thoroughly enjoyed!
By Beezum321 from Middlesex , 28 Feb 2005[Highly rated reviewer]
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!- Was this review helpful to you?
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(8)hunchback
By a customer from secret , 22 Mar 2012Well worth watching and I would recommend to anyone- Was this review helpful to you?
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the rich and the poor, the beautiful and the ugly
By lukasz84 (75 reviews) , 02 May 2011a beautiful monument of the silent film era. its qualities are timeless, and its scope and cinematic ambitions as impressive today, as they will be tomorrow. romance does not overtake the story, neither does intrigue and meticulously developed action-driven narrative. there is much politics here, and the accompaniment of strong, if cynical, social critique is decisive and stubborn. a genuine accomplishment.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Amazing early production
By RichardJ (3 reviews) from Cambridge , 31 Mar 2010Although the quality of the copy is nowhere near perfect, this is amazing as an early version of the cinematographic art. If you want a modern colour and sound film, if you like computer-generated animation then this is not for you, but if you want to see part of the history of film, then it most definitely is.
It has a large cast - initially off-putting when you see the list - but each character is introduced well and is as memorable as is needed for the plot.
Characterisations and expressions are well done, and Patsy Ruth Miller, as well as Lon Chaney give remarkable performances.
If you are into early cinema, then this is definitely for you.- Was this review helpful to you?
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
By kultguy (45 reviews) from London , 25 Apr 2008[Highly rated reviewer]
The one and only Lon Chaney at his creepy best as the deformed Quasimodo in this silent classic. What a treat! Just a shame that LoveFilm continues to rent out this terrible transfer version. The picture is blurred to the point of being unwatchable. I do hope that one day LoveFilm dig deep into their pockets and replace this with the superior Ultimate Edition.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Masterpiece
By Clem (74 reviews) from South Coast, UK , 04 Nov 2006A 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.- Was this review helpful to you?
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