The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Name: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Released: 1939

William Dieterle

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Synopsis

Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.

Year1939

CountryUnited States

DirectorWilliam Dieterle

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Cinematic Threads

According to production notes and press materials, the filmmakers borrowed from a variety of sources, including Raymond Bernard’s 1934 French adaptation of Les Misérables, aiming for a grand scope and sophisticated cinematography.