As in Victor Hugo’s original 1831 novel, the hunchback Quasimodo is only one character in this sprawling silent classic. Yet there is a reason he has taken over the film’s reputation and even its title (the book was originally called Notre-Dame de Paris). As depicted by the legendary Lon Chaney, Quasimodo is one of early cinema’s most forlorn and tragic movie monsters, on par with King Kong, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s creation and The Phantom of the Opera (the latter of which also starred Chaney). Chaney devised his own makeup for the part – a ghoulish misshapen visage dominated by a bulging, lifeless right eye – yet his movements are what define the character. Given refuge from cruel society by the priests in the cathedral, Quasimodo eggs on the jeering crowds by dancing above them on precipices and spitting into their midst. He eagerly plays the part of ghoulish freak, yet there are other moments – as when he rings Notre Dame’s bells by swinging on the ropes with glee – when we realize there is also joy and goodness in his heart. This latter trait becomes more apparent when Quasimodo meets a young gypsy named Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller). In the picture’s long and complicated plot – there are at least eight major characters acting out Hugo’s theme of social upheaval – Quasimodo has opportunities to save Esmeralda from various evil clutches, though such bravery only earns him further scorn. Hugo’s novel was also concerned with the cathedral itself, and the production team led by director Wallace Worsley recreated the landmark’s familiar edifice and surroundings with remarkable realism on the studio lot. It’s a testament to a time when movie magic came courtesy of hammer and nails rather than computer. More sophisticated technology employed tinting to establish setting and mood. The night scenes, in which the film’s frames have been shaded blue, only accentuate the deep shadows on Quasimodo’s already gloomy face.
The movie’s lasting treasure, however, is Chaney’s performance. Without uttering a word – or even getting a line of dialogue via the title cards – he makes Quasimodo the film’s most engrossing, empathetic character. If you cried at the fall of the giant ape in King Kong, keep the Kleenex handy for the finale of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, when a wounded Quasimodo struggles to the bell tower and rings his own death knell. He hits a note that has lingered for more than 80 years.