Lon Chaney brings physicality to ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’

The legendary Lon Chaney, best known for his performances in Hollywood’s earliest horror films, gives a commanding performance in the original cinematic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. His mannerisms and facial expressions in the silent classic make the movie a wholly invigorating affair, even some 90 years after it was first released.

This Hunchback actually sticks to the original novel much closer than Walt Disney’s sanitized version from the 1990s. Chaney plays the mysterious bell-ringer of Notre Dame, Quasimodo, a deformed man castigated from society. His only saving grace is the beauty of Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller), a gypsy woman who dances in the square outside the cathedral.

Norman Kerry plays Phoebus, another love interest of Esmeralda’s, while Claude Frollo (Nigel De Brulier) holds court over Quasimodo and the cathedral. We are also introduced to Frollo’s brother, Jehan (Brandon Hurst), a pivotal character in the book who was unfortunately cut from the Disney movie.

When remembering this 1923 classic, it won’t be the supporting cast that will leave a lasting impression. Chaney and his wonderful makeup own this movie, from the first frame to the last. His performance seems ready-made for a silent film. Quasimodo is a strong man, but one who suffers from several societal difficulties. His looks are deemed hideous by the crowds. His hunchback causes him to lumber around the rooftop of Notre Dame like an Igor-type. His deafness leads to his ultimate downfall. In other words, he is a character best displayed through his physicality, and Chaney is able to utilize the lack of dialogue to brilliant effect. His posing and posturing are heightened to a scary degree, and the drama of Quasimodo’s pain and depression take on a more violent and more meaningful manner. Quasimodo is truly a character that might be best portrayed in the black-and-white, silent world; it’s almost as if he is put on an even playing field with the rest of the characters.

Wallace Worsley directs the Carl Laemmle production, and the sets are impressive for the time period. The ins and outs of 15th-century Paris are brought to grand life, and at times the movie feels like a perfect snapshot of the capital city.

If you have a hankering for where today’s moviemaking draws its inspiration, you would do well to experience The Hunchback of Notre Dame. And actors of all type, especially those trying to employ their body to convey a particular characterization, could do no wrong by watching Chaney’s magnificent performance.

John Soltes / Publisher

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame

• 1923

• Directed by Wallace Worsley

• Written by Perley Poore Sheehan, based on a scenario by Edward T. Lowe Jr. and a book by Victor Hugo

• Starring Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller and Nigel De Brulier

• Running time: 95 minutes

• Bubble score: 3.5 out of 4

• Click here to purchase The Hunchback of Notre Dame on DVD.

• Click the above YouTube link to watch the entire public-domain movie.