The Hunchback Of Notre Dame - 1923

   

I can't imagine that people haven't see the 1923 Lon Chaney movie The Hunchback Of Notre Dame but I imagine the dumbest things sometimes. It's silent so I guess a lot of people would naturally give it a miss. I've seen it a number of times over the last 40 years.

Part of the interest, for me, was the legendary makeup that Lon Chaney put on himself. His Quasimodo is pretty amazing. He has to contort his body and the stories are it was rather hard on him. I've seen several horror documentaries that talk about his dedication to his acting. Sadly he died in 1930.

   

Since I'm too lazy to write a description, here's one from the Wikipedia:

The story is set in Paris, France ten years before Christopher Columbus discovered America.

Quasimodo is a deaf, half-blind, hunchbacked bell-ringer of the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. His master, Jehan Frollo, the evil brother of the saintly archdeacon, Dom Claude Frollo, prevails upon him to kidnap Esmeralda, a dancing gypsy girl and the adopted daughter of Clopin, the king of the oppressed beggars of Paris' underworld. The dashing Captain Phoebus rescues her from Quasimodo, while Jehan abandons him and flees. At first seeking a casual romance, Phoebus becomes entranced by Esmeralda, and takes her under his wing.

Quasimodo is sentenced to be lashed in the public square. After being whipped, he begs for water. Esmeralda pities him, and brings him some.

To their dismay, Jehan and Clopin both learn that Phoebus hopes to marry Esmeralda, despite being engaged to Fleur de Lys. Phoebus persuades Esmeralda to accompany him to a ball celebrating his appointment as Captain of the Guard by King Louis XI. He provides her with rich garments and introduces her to their hostess, Madame de Gondelaurier, as a Princess of Egypt. Clopin, accompanied by his beggars, crashes the festivities and demands Esmeralda be returned. To avoid bloodshed, Esmeralda says that she does not belong with the aristocracy.

Later, however, Esmeralda sends street poet Pierre Gringoire to give Phoebus a note, arranging a rendezvous at Notre Dame to say goodbye to him. There, Jehan stabs Phoebus in the back and lays the blame on Esmeralda. She is tortured into giving a false confession and sentenced to death. However, she is rescued from the gallows by Quasimodo and carried inside the cathedral, where she is granted sanctuary, temporarily protecting her from arrest.

Clopin leads the whole of the underworld to storm the cathedral that night, while Jehan attempts to take Esmeralda, first by guile (telling her that Phoebus's dying wish was for him to take care of her), then by force. Quasimodo holds off the invaders with rocks and torrents of molten lead. Meanwhile, the healed Phoebus is alerted by Gringoire and leads his men against the rabble. When Quasimodo finds Jehan attacking Esmeralda, he throws his master off the ramparts of Notre Dame, but not before being fatally stabbed in the back. Phoebus finds and embraces Esmeralda. Witnessing this, Quasimodo rings his own death toll. The last image is of the great bell, swinging silently above the corpse of Quasimodo.

 

Sucky life for our hunchback, huh. I feel sorry for the guy, he sure had trouble fitting in. Watch the movie, even if you've seen it before, and be thankful you aren't a big ugly dude in France hundreds of years ago.