Victor Hugo's Immortal Classic

Starring: Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Kate Lester, Winifred Bryson, Nigel De Brulier, Brandon Hurst, Ernest Torrence, Tully Marshall, Harry von Meter, Raymond Hatton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Why was I not made of stone, like thee?" - Quasimodo, to a gargoyle

Why watch this? Two reasons: it is a timeless story, and Lon Chaney as Quasimodo.

Plot Summary: In 15th-century Paris, the kind-hearted gypsy dancer Esmeralda is sought after by the evil Jehan, brother of the archdeacon, and the dashing soldier Captain Phoebus. After being framed for a crime by Jehan, Esmeralda is sentenced to death, only to be rescued and given sanctuary within Notre Dame Cathedral by the deformed bell-ringer, Quasimodo, who harbors a deep devotion to her. This act sets off a conflict as a mob from the city's underworld storms the cathedral to either free or kill Esmeralda, forcing Quasimodo to defend her and the church.

Dad's Preview: As a nine-year-old, and years before seeing this film, I constructed the hunchback model (by Aurora) for my "Monsters" collection. It even glowed in the dark. The tortured, deformed Quasimodo, has always garnered my sympathy. It was make-up like this that had Hollywood calling Lon Chaney the "Man of a Thousand Faces" - it truly is a grotesque physical transformation, eons before CGI. This film version, of Victor Hugo's novel, is epic as it recreates old Paris and the mobs of people, always hungry for vile entertainment. Patsy Miller captivates, as the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, always the passion of men, yet with a soft spot for Quasimodo. This is Universal horror 101, and a must see for fans of the genre.

Universal Pictures