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18 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Medieval Menace, 1 July 2005

Author: Ron Oliver (revilorest@juno.com) from Forest Ranch, CA

Deaf and half-blind, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, feared & rejected by the people of Paris, becomes the unlikely protector of a poor gypsy girl.

Lon Chaney, master of disguise, solidified his celebrity with his portrayal of Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer, who is forever cut off from any semblance of a normal life. Although his makeup is certainly horrific, Chaney's role is not really monstrous: he is a lonely human desperately misused by Fate. Chaney's face speaks for him, communicating the tormenting anguish of his soul. While not quite as poignant as Charles Laughton's interpretation 16 years later, Chaney still makes of the role a Silent hallmark which has stood the test of time.

There are fairly lengthy segments in which Chaney does not appear and plot elements not explored in the longer Laughton version. Here the story dwells on the gypsy dancer Esmeralda, played by Patsy Ruth Miller, and her burgeoning romance with the brave Phoebus, Captain of the Guard, played by Norman Kerry. Both performers do very well with their 'normal' roles -- her innocence contrasting well with his initial lust -- even though the viewer is doubtless anxious for the return of the Hunchback.

A handful of excellent character actors from the era add their assistance: gaunt Nigel de Brulier as the saintly Archdeacon, defender of the Hunchback; beefy Ernest Torrence as Clopin, King of Thieves, ruling over the Court of Miracles; prissy Raymond Hatton as the effete poet Gringoire; and feeble Tully Marshall as a suspicious Louis XI.

Special mention must be made of Universal's splendid attention to detail which they lavished on the film. Most especially commendable is the representation of Notre Dame's West Facade, the only real angle from which the Cathedral's exterior is depicted. To see Chaney clamber down, swinging from pinnacle to gargoyle to statue; or, to watch Quasimodo defend Esmeralda from the crowd of beggars he thinks has come to kill her, dropping stones, beams and molten metal on their heads below from the Cathedral's ramparts, is to enjoy two of Silent Cinema's great visual moments.

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18 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
For Whom the Bell Tolls, 2 March 2004
Author: lugonian from Kissimmee, Florida

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Universal, 1923), directed by Wallace Worsley, takes an important step in cinema history. While Victor Hugo's classic novel, published in the 1830s, had been transferred to the screen on several occasions prior to this 1923 adaptation, one of mention titled THE DARLING OF PARIS (Fox, 1917) featuring Theda Bara, this production ranks one of the first lavish spectacles Universal had produced thus far, as well as a truly challenging performance for Lon Chaney (1883-1930) in the role of the deformed bellringer named Quasimodo. Remade several times thereafter, with the most famous being the 1939 adaptation starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara for RKO Radio (interestingly not by Universal!), no two versions are exactly alike. In fact, the more recent adaptation transferred to the screen became the 1996 feature length animation musicalized version, but many of the remakes then and now do owe a lot to Chaney's artistic achievement of long ago.

The story is set in fifteenth century Paris. After title cards introduce various characters, including Quasimodo "deaf, half blind", it then gets down to business with the gathering of the Festival of Fools. Among the celebrants is Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller), a gypsy girl, "a child of mystery," who enters the city of Notre Dame and dances for the crowd. Also at the festival is Gringoire (Raymond Hatton), a poet-playwright attempting to act out his allegorical play with little success. Esmeralda at one point comes to the aide of the poet as she prevents him from getting hanged by the bunch of sadistic executioners looking for a good time. The crowd encounters the hideous face of Quasimodo, and instantly acclaimed him as the King of the Fools. Normally regarded a monster, Quasimodo has his moment of glory becoming the center of attention before Dom Claude (Nigel De Brullier), the saintly priest, has the hunchback return to the cathedral. Jehan (Brandon Hurst), who notices Esmeralda, having one thing in mind, becomes overcome with lust for the gypsy girl, and later sends Quasimodo to bring her to him. Frightened by his hideous features, her abduction is then witnessed by Phoebus (Norman Kerry), a captain of the guards ("men yielded to his sword, and women to his smile"), and rescues her from the hunchback. When Quasimodo is captured and sentenced to punishment by flogging, he is whipped unmercifully while Jehan stands by. After the hunchback's punishment is carried out by which the sand in the hour glass has reached bottom, it is Esmeralda, no longer fearing him, who grants him his request for water. Jehan, however, continues his plot his abduction of Esmeralda. After seeing her embracing Phoebus, whom the girl now loves, Jehan stabs the soldier in a fit of jealousy and has Esmeralda arrested. Sentenced to be executed by hanging, it is Quasimodo against Paris by repaying Esmeralda for the kindness she had earlier awarded him, and the memorable highlight as he baptizes her tormentors from the top of the Cathedral with molten lead.

The other members of the cast of thousands include: Ernest Torrence as Clopin, "King of the beggars, enemy of the king" and Esmeralda's "foster father"; Tully Marshall as King Louis XI, "whose dungeons are always full, whose executioners always kept busy"; Kate Lester as Mademoiselle de Gondelaurier; Gladys Brockwell as Godule, the mysterious reclusive woman who feels gypsies should all be cursed; and Winifred Bryson as Fleur de Lys; among many others.

In spite of Chaney's many early works, hundreds of characters and thousands of faces, particularly in some nearly forgotten performances such as in THE MIRACLE MAN (1919), or THE PENALTY (1920), just to name a few, he actually didn't reach true star prominence until after achieving the kind of success long overdue him, beginning with THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Unlike some other Chaney classics as THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA or THE MONSTER (both 1925), his character is seen almost from the start instead of making his introduction nearly a half hour into the story. Yet, in spite of his star billing, grotesque makeup and sympathetic gestures, Chaney's participation in this production appears to be a supporting one. The storyline does go through long stretches of screen time without his presence. But none-the-less, whether the focus is solely on the romantic lovers (Patsy Ruth Miller and Norman Kerry), or on the cast of thousands of extras on the streets of Paris, it is Chaney's vivid performance as Quasimodo whom is best remembered. Patsy Ruth Miller comes a close second with the one movie in her long list of movie credits during the silent era for which she is best known.

Much has been written about Chaney's makeup, a misshapen face with an eye that droops almost out of its socket, mouth with jagged teeth and twisted legs, wavey hair, but it's his character behind that makeup who really brings out his sympathy and human dignity. As with Esmeralda, viewers at first glance would become somewhat frightened by his fearsome appearance, but in time would come to understand him. Not essentially a horror film, but rather a love story of two misunderstood characters, Chaney's Quasimodo is actually a good-natured soul trapped in a monstrous, yet deformed, body. In fact, the true monsters in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME are the unsympathetic citizens of medieval Paris who watch with joy and laughter the flogging of this deformed hero as he is chained down in a kneeling position to a rotating wheel with his bare back, bruised with metal tipped whips, and adding even more pain to his displeasure with the hot burning rays of the sun beaming down on his back. Unlike Victor Hugo's novel, this screen version details very little about Quasimodo's background, yet, spends more time bringing out the true heritage of Esmeralda.

This carefully constructed production captures the simplicity of 19th century Paris, from the authentic Notre Dame cathedral down to the costumes worn by the actors. After watching this movie multiple times over the years, whether it be on television or by replaying one of my many collections of video cassettes, I cannot help but take notice on some of the similarities between this and DW Griffith's ORPHANS OF THE STORM (1921) starring Lillian and Dorothy Gish. Granted, both films were produced on a lavish scale, set in Paris around the same time frame, with interplays of unrelated characters, flashbacks involving the girl in question, in this case, Esmeralda, with her separation from her mother while still a child, climaxed with a trial leading to the accused girl found guilty and going to her execution with her neck placed in the noose as she is surrounded by an angry mob. In Griffith's version, minus any hunchbacks and bellringers, Lillian Gish's character is sent to her execution surrounded by a mob as she is to meet her executioner, Madame Guillotine. While a film such as this has some of the ingredients Griffith had used so well in his past productions, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME would not have turned out the classic it has become mainly because spectacle would play an important part instead of the character study, and the Esmeralda character would have been built up even more while Quasimodo would simply become a minor character, definitely not to Chaney's liking. Wallace Worsley, the director, had a handful of films to his credit, but none as memorable and well noted as HUNCHBACK.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925) remain two of Lon Chaney's most famous screen roles. During the early years of video cassette distributions, these two silent features, which have become public domain titles, were the easiest to obtain. Released through various distributors means alternate versions, ranging from bad video transfers with no musical scoring, to clear picture quality with various types of underscoring, ranging from organ to orchestral, with the majority with the average time frame of 97 minutes. Any avid film enthusiest would have to seek out many VHS or DVD copies in order to obtain that special copy that would be best suited for one's collection. One particular video distributor, Blackhawk, transferred on tape with clear picture quality, had released THE HUNCHBACK with an orchestral score along with the sounds of flutes, ringing church bells and chanting from the cathedral. After Blackhawk's merging with Republic Home Video, followed by another distributor, Critic's Choice Video, a different music track was used with an organ score by Lee Irwin from the Paul Gillian collection, along with new title cards used in the introducing moments of cast and credits, thus substituting this for the original 1923 opening, along with color tinted sequences. The only debit with this particular video transfer is that the final scene which finds the dying Quasimodo ringing the bell of the church of Notre Dame for the last time, abruptly ends in freeze frame just as the priest (De Brulier) is walking towards him, not showing what follows. The print with the abrupt ending happened to be the one presented on public television's 1971 13-week series of THE SILENT YEARS as hosted by Orson Welles. But at present, many of the other video copies, as well as DVD transfers, do include the original opening title credits and the restored closing showing what takes place after the priest approaches Quasimodo followed by the final focus of the bell as it slowly stops swinging back and forth before stopping with the THE END (or rather FIN) title card reaches the screen.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME occasionally appears on cable television's Turner Classic Movies as part of its weekly Silent Sunday Night presentations hosted by Robert Osborne. Due to a renewed interest into the life and career of Lon Chaney, "The Man of a Thousand Faces," this best known version to the Victor Hugo classic should be the one film to consider and study.

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12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Deserves To Be Called A Classic, 16 November 2002

Author: sddavis63 (revsdd@gmail.com) from Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada

A very good version of the classic story from the silent era of movie making. The highlight of the movie is clearly Lon Chaney's performance as Quasimodo, the hideously deformed resident of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in the 15th century. One first has to offer kudos for the superb makeup. Chaney is completely unrecognizable in this role. Director Wallace Worsley does a good job of building up sympathy for the Hunchback throughout, and the image of Chaney gleefully swinging off the rope to ring Notre Dame's bells is one that will stay with anyone who has ever seen this film.

Although Quasimodo is the title character, much of the story actually revolves around Esmeralda, who is the object of the affection (some romantic, some fraternal) of almost every male character in the story. The role is played superbly by Patsy Ruth Miller, who possesses both a beauty and an innocence that fit the character perfectly.

Director Worsley also does a marvelous job of creating a dark and ominous feeling around the Paris of that era, as tension between the social classes rises. Ernest Torrence is especially convincing as Clopin, the "King of the Poor" in Paris, and foster-father to Esmeralda, who feels betrayed when Esmeralda falls in love with a member of the nobility (an "aristocrat" as Clopin contemptuously calls him.)

The movie suffered a little bit from what I found at times to be a less than appropriate musical score, and the quality of the film is not especially good (at least when I saw it) but that is hardly surprising given its age. Overall, though, this is a very interesting film that easily holds a viewers' attention.

8/10

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11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
A Memorable Atmospheric Version With a Fine Performance By Chaney, 4 October 2004
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

This classic silent version of the often-filmed story of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" features good atmosphere and one of Lon Chaney's many fine renderings of an unusual character. Between Chaney and the ponderous medieval settings, it really seems like a strange and unusual world. The rest of the cast helps out as well, and makes this version well worth seeing despite the many newer adaptations that have had the advantages of later technologies.

Chaney is ideal for this kind of role, since he not only creates an interesting and suitable look for the character, but also conceives of the right gestures and expressions to make the character come alive. On the silent screen, Chaney was able to portray characters like Quasimodo and the Phantom with a believability and humanity that few of today's actors can even approach, much less surpass, despite all of their advantages.

While Chaney is the main highlight, the rest of this production works well also. The portrayal of the Parisian underworld, the atmosphere in the great cathedral, and the portrayals of most of the main characters are also strengths. Among the supporting cast, Patsy Ann Miller as Esmerelda and Ernest Torrance as Clopin are particularly good. It fits together well, and creates a satisfying version of the classic story.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Beautiful…but I hope you have a wide attention span!, 12 March 2004

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

This early version of the legendary story is (so far) the oldest film I've ever seen. Personally, I find it fascinating to purchase movies made before my grandparents were even born. The entire concept of cinema as a form of art is scarcely out of the egg it all still looks so grotesque. I did learn something from this film…these ancient milestones aren't necessarily brilliant but impressive beyond belief. The Hunchback of the Notre Dame often gets referred to as one of the first ‘horror' classics but much more than that, it's a historical spectacle with massive sets and groundbreaking elements. The actual plot is so easy to summarize but you get so much more than that! Like a very detailed and imaginative portrait of Paris in the 15th century, the variety of social classes and an idea of medieval interpretation of the law. At some times in this film, you almost get the idea Quasimodo and Esmeralda are just second-class puppets in what is primarily a historical and educating documentary. Magnificent without a single doubt…but time-consuming and ponderous to sit through…Although, I have to say I hunt down the extended version, furnished with a stained musical track and lasting 140 minutes.

The actual plot and the presentation of Quasimodo's personality is still unparalleled and touching beyond comparison. Lon Chaney is simply outstanding as the unworldly and deformed ‘freak' who's willing to sacrifice his life unconditionally to rescue the girl who once treated him in a human way. He might be hideous, but he's the only who's pure, honest and free of prejudices. Lon Chaney's facial make-up and hunch are early horror triumphs. Along with his natural charismatic appearance, the Quasimodo portrayal provided Chaney with the immortal status of horror-cinema icon. Even though he already starred in over a hundred films before The Hunchback, he'll always be remembered starting from this point of his career. Like none other actor, Chaney gave a face to Quasimodo and that is not exaggerated! Multiple other well-respected actors gave image to Quasimodo after Chaney (like Charles Laughton, Anthony Quinn and Anthony Hopkins) but only he will truly be remembered for it. Same goes for Lon's personification of Erik in `Phantom of the Opera' which is his greatest achievement in cinema along with Hunchback.

The Hunchback of the Notre Dame is over eighty (80!) years old now and it still stands as one of the most overwhelming heavyweights in cinema ever. Some of the sequences shown here are pure mythical inheritance. Like Chaney acrobatic movements while tolling the massive bells…or his descent off the Notre Dame's walls! Still, this film might not be for all tastes as it's too bombastic all together and Woresly's direction is kind of rough and ponderous. He surely put too much energy in it, as it was the most ambitious project of his career. Therefore, it's hard to stay focused continuously as the shots of Medieval Parisian streets seem to be endless

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A True Classic of the Silent Screen, 22 July 2001

Author: (bsmith5552@rogers.com) from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is the often filmed Victor Hugo classic tale of the tragic Quasimodo and his love for the lovely Esmeralda in 15th century Paris.

Lon Chaney in perhaps his greatest role, plays the title character to perfection. Even through the grotesque make up that he created for the character, he can still elicit the sympathy of the audience through his touching portrayal. Chaney is barely recognizable through the 40 pounds of make up and appliances that went to create Quasimodo for the screen. You have to remember that this was 1923 and Chaney did not have the benefit of today's make up techniques.

Patsy Ruth Miller brings youth, beauty and innocence to the role of Esmeralda, a perfect contrast to the hunchback. Norman Kerry plays Phoebus, the nominal hero of the tale who is Esmeralda's true love. Brandon Hurst is the chief villain, Jehan, who wants Esmeralda for himself. Ernest Torrence plays Clopin the "King of the Beggars". In the role of Gringoire is Raymond Hatton, who "B" western fans will remember as the comical sidekick in several westerns of the 30s and 40s.

However, this movie truly belongs to Lon Chaney. It is truly a pity that he died before he could manifest his genius in sound films. (He died in 1930 and made just one sound film).

After almost 80 years, Lon Chaney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" remains the definitive version and a true classic of American cinema.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
The good old story, surprisingly easy to follow., 27 August 2000

Author: Ariel-28

This is the first long silent film I have ever seen, and it was much easier to follow than I had expected. How nice it is that we still have the chance to watch the old silent films!

The acting was really superb. Quasimodo and Esmeralda looked again very similar to the characters of the Dieterle version, and it was quite incredible how Lon Chaney could so easily climb up and down on the Cathedral walls with his huge hump. I was also content with Sister Gudule having her own part in this film.

In fact I was quite amazed that it was Jehan, not dom Claude who had lust for Esmeralda. It's also strange that Captain Phoebus could change so much that he really cared for the girl. Once again, I pitied Quasimodo who died after seeing the girl of his dreams embracing another man.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
While not one of my silent favorites, it's quite the spectacle, 19 March 2007

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

It's hard to rate this film. Much of this is because the film has been floating around for years and is available in many forms--some longer and some significantly shorter. I have a videotape version that only runs about 90 minutes and it lacks any musical score. The version I just saw on TCM lasted almost two hours and had a very good musical score by Robert Israel. However, despite the excellent score he recently wrote for the film, the print itself was in pretty poor shape--looking like it needed further restoration. The review I am giving is for this longer version with music.

The film was exceptional from a technical standpoint. There were huge numbers of extras, very impressive sets that make you think it was really filmed in Paris and the acting was very good. Not surprisingly, Lon Chaney was exceptional and his makeup very convincing. However, despite the technical merit, I still found myself preferring his PHANTOM OF THE OPERA--it was a more interesting story and has been completely restored, so it is a visual treat--unlike HUNCHBACK. Also, the story itself never seemed super-compelling. A good chance I feel this way is that I have seen at least five different versions of the story and it just feels a bit old. So I really can't blame THIS film--it's more a case of "burnout". Still, it's an amazing film and not to be missed by silent movie fans.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
evocative Hugo adaptation, 16 March 2005

Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

This superior silent movie (even when viewed in a substandard print as the one I saw) blossoms as one of the finest literary adaptations to appear on the screen.

Quasimodo, the repulsive deaf hunchback who rings the bells for Notre Dame Cathedral, is played by the multi-faceted Lon Chaney, and he puts the different aspects of the character across very well - fear, hatred, betrayal, longing, kindness. This is a misunderstood 'freak' who has much of the human spirit intact within him despite the betrayals of those who should protect him.

Patsy Ruth Miller is an effective Esmeralda, pretty and compelling whether in her gypsy dance or at the finale where she watches the battle between the turrets of the Cathedral and the square below as her people try to battle their way into Sanctuary.

Also of note are Nigel de Brulier as Claudio, Ernest Torrence as gypsy king and Esmeralda's foster father Clopin, Tully Marshall as a bored Louis XI, Norman Kerry as a posturing Phoebus, Brandon Hurst as a cunning Jehan, and Raymond Hatton as a twittery Gringoire.

There are nice touches in the staging, too - as Esmeralda and Phoebus lunch at an inn, a spider sucks a fly into her web; while the gypsy band at the steps of Notre Dame get showered with a rain of molten lead as Esmeralda hides in safety in the cathedral tower.

The version I saw used music and sound effects to accompany the pictures and titles, which was done very well. The film may seem a little long, and could spend more time on Chaney and less on Miss Miller, but it is a good piece of work.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Lon as the great bell ringer, 2 September 2006

Author: theowinthrop from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Let us face it - the 1923 version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is as good in it's way as the 1939 sound version with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara. The only reason the Laughton version is better recalled now is that it is accessible to Americans born through or after 1927: when movies starting talking. Just like the 1956 version is accessible to people who speak French.

But given it is a silent movie, it is remarkably strong work. Chaney's Quasimodo is the most monstrous looking of the personifications of that character (Laughton's make-up is good too, but he somehow seems less frightening). The scene that everyone recalls from this version, of course, is the public whipping scene, when Quasimodo has been captured trying to "kidnap" Esmeralda (actually ordered to do that by Frollo) and is whipped. The gypsy takes pity on him and gives him water. It is the point that he starts falling for Esmeralda.

Aside from making Phoebus more conventionally heroic (to be with the gypsy at the end), this film gave a memorable death scene to Clopin, dying amidst his beggar army in front of the Cathedral (Ernest Torrence's Clopin gives the role the right degree of gravitas in the face of death). Also, the conclusion wraps up the confusion of the end for the hunchback. Unlike the 1939 ending, which has a sad Laughton bemoaning his perennial lonely state, and the 1956 version which follows the novel in mentioning that years after the execution the skeletons of two people, one deformed, were found in the crypts of the Cathedral, and crumbled into dust together, this one killed off the Hunchback. It was not a bad ending, but at variance with the other two films.

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