Drama Unparalleled! Spectacle Beyond Belief!!

Starring: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, Walter Hampden

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I never realized till now how ugly I am, because you're so beautiful... I'm not a man! I'm not a beast! I'm about as shapeless as the man in the moon!" - Quasimodo

Why watch this? The ageless cruelty within "humanity" never ceases to astonish me.

Plot Summary: In 15th-century France, a kind gypsy dancer named Esmeralda faces peril when she's framed for murder by the powerful and infatuated Chief Justice Frollo. Only Quasimodo, the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, who secretly admires her, can potentially save her from a wrongful execution. The story unfolds amidst social unrest and prejudice, where appearances are often deceiving.

Dad's Preview: By now, you have probably seen one rendition or another of the tragic hunchbacked bell-ringer haunting the attic of the cathedral at Notre Dame. There's even a Disney musical. Of the film renditions, this is the best. Charles Laughton, the fine British actor, succeeds in bringing to life the tortured, deformed Quasimodo, who realizes that true love will never be within his grasp. All we can do is pity his poor disillusioned soul.

RKO Radio Pictures