The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

My latest 5-star film discovery of 2013 is an early work of beautiful star of the month, Miss Maureen O'Hara. That film is 1939's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, this masterpiece of a film also stars Charles Laughton and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, with Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, and Harry Davenport among the supporting players. Nominated for two Academy Awards, this lavish production was directed by William Dieterle.

Set in 15th century France, during the reign of Louis XI (Harry Davenport), Hunchback is the story of the beautiful Gypsy girl, Esmeralda (Maureen O'Hara), who has danced in the streets and attracted the attention of many, including the Chief Justice, Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke).  Lusting after the ravishing beauty, yet despising himself for doing so, Frollo brings Esmeralda before the court on a trumped-up charge of murder.  Convicted, Esmeralda is sentenced to hang, but is saved from that fate by Quasimodo (Charles Laughton), the deaf, nearly mute, deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame, who is hopelessly in love with her.  Some of the themes tackled in this timeless story are:


Superstition:  Because Quasimodo is deformed, the people fear him and believe him to be possessed.

Handicaps:  Not only is Quasimodo deformed, but he is deaf and barely speaks.

Prejudice:  Chief Justice Frollo despises all Gypsies and deems them unfit to enter France.

Fear:  The printing press has been invented, and Frollo fears what will happen if the people are able to read certain truths for themselves.

Places of refuge:  The Cathedral of Notre Dame is a safe refuge for all.  Once within its walls, those being sought have sanctuary.

Love:  Esmeralda's love for her people and for the soldier, Phoebus (Alan Marshal); poet Gringoire's (Edmond O'Brien) love for Esmeralda; Quasimodo's love for the bells; and, of course, his heartbreaking love for the beautiful Esmeralda, which culminates in one of the most memorable lines I have ever heard, "Why was I not made of stone like thee?"

Hypocrisy:  Though Frollo disapproves of Esmeralda and claims her dancing to be evil, he secretly lusts after her.  He gives the appearance of righteousness and purity, all the while longing for the very thing he claims must be destroyed.  Blaming Esmeralda for inciting the sinful thoughts in him, he is determined to punish her, and he does so by convicting her of crimes she did not commit.

Self-loathing:  Frollo is not all bad, as evidenced by the fact that he has been Quasimodo's protector and benefactor ever since rescuing him as an abandoned infant years earlier; Esmeralda herself believed there was love in him. It is not wickedness---but rather shame over his fall into lust---which drives the Chief Justice to persecute Esmeralda.

Mercy and kindness:  Posssessed with a good and kind heart, Esmeralda desires to help her people---the Gypsies---find freedom from persecution, and when Quasimodo is publicly flogged and left in the pillory, Esmeralda takes pity on him and satisfies his cries for water.



To be honest, though The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a classic and very well-known piece of literature, I haven't ever read it.  I struggled greatly with Mr. Hugo's Les Miserables, so I was never keen on reading another of his works.  Thus, I have no idea how close this film is to the novel.  As I've stated before, though, whether a film is true to its book counterpart or not rarely matters to me.  I think both have merit of their own---and this film version has incredible merit.

Quite honestly, I think this production is nothing short of spectacular.  While it came away with an Academy Award nomination for its Alfred Newman score, as well as a Best Sound, Recording nomination, I can't believe it didn't receive many more nominations.  For sure, I think it ought to have received a Best Picture nomination, as well as a Best Director, a Best Costume Design, and last but not least, a Lead Actor nomination for Mr. Laughton.  I haven't seen Laughton's entire filmography, of course, but I can't help but believe his work in Hunchback was the performance of his career. He is beyond brilliant in this role.  The way he brings the deformed Quasimodo to life is absolutely breathtaking . . . and heartbreaking. Yes, 1939 was the year Clark Gable and James Stewart gave terrific ("should have won an Oscar") performances in Gone with the Wind and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but Mr. Laughton was right there with them.  Not nominating him for a Lead Actor award was a gross oversight on the part of the Academy.

In addition to Mr. Laughton, I believe the costume designer and makeup artists ought to have received Oscar nominations.  (Of course, that wasn't go to happen, because those categories didn't become part of the Academy Awards until 1948 and 1981.)  Whether acknowledged with an award or not, however, the people responsible for transforming Mr. Laughton into a grotesque "hunchback" did a phenomenal job   Though made in 1939, the artistry of this film was very ahead of its time.

Nineteen years old and incredibly beautiful here, Maureen O'Hara plays the part of the kind-hearted Esmeralda perfectly.  This is her 4th film, and its easy to see why she would go on to be a major Hollywood star.  Harry Davenport is his usual, fairly-lovable self (not at all in keeping with other film portrayals of King Louis XI).  Edmond O'Brien, in his film debut at age 24, is incredibly handsome (and thinner than I have ever seen him).  What fun seeing him at such a young age.

Finally, Sir Cedric Hardwicke gives a superb performance as well.  Frollo is a complex character---not completely evil, just power hungry, controlling, and disgusted by the awakening of desires from which he had pledged to abstain.  Hardwicke does a fantastic job bringing all the nuances of the troubled Frollo to life.  He, too, ought to have received an Academy Award nomination.

Out on DVD, this 1939 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame ought to be fairly easy to track down.  I highly recommend seeing it.  It is a spectacular work of art.

Happy viewing!

By the way, Hunchback is one of the films being screened at Boise's Egyptian Theatre this coming Saturday (August 17th), for Maureen's 93rd birthday bash.  Much as I love it and would be thrilled to catch it on the big screen, I won't be doing so.  I have tickets for The Quiet Man, The Black Swan, and How Green Was My Valley, which run consecutively, so I'll already be sitting through over 6 hours of movies.  Hunchback follows How Green Was My Valley, so that would be pretty much 8+ solid hours of sitting.  The 6 hours is pushing it, so I know I wouldn't make it through 8.
 

NOTE:  All photos obtained from Doctor Macro  (HERE)

Bataan (5 stars)

Bataan, from 1943, is a World War II drama starring Robert Taylor and Thomas Mitchell.  Directed by Tay Garnett, this film features the large supporting cast of Lloyd Nolan, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz, George Murphy, Kenneth Spencer, and Lee Bowman.  Included as part of our Memorial Day weekend viewing this year, Bataan is one of my family's favorite war movies.

The film begins after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and the departure of American and Filipino troops from the Bataan Peninsula.  With only a handful of men, Sgt. Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) is assigned the task of defending a position and destroying an important peninsular bridge. Though heavily outnumbered by the enemy, Sgt. Dane and his men are determined to fight to the death.

With a well-armed Japanese army lurking unseen in the jungle, the ever-present threat of malaria, shortage of medicine, minimal food rations, and bodily weariness, this small band of men is fighting a nearly-hopeless battle.  However, in the words of Sgt. Dane, "the men who died here may have done more than we'll ever know to save this whole world."





The acting in Bataan is good, the dialogue realistic.  The gun and grenade scenes are extremely authentic, as is the fact that the soldiers represent people of all races.  The ending scene is powerful and quite haunting...one of the best endings I have ever seen in a war film.  All in all, I think this film provides an amazingly realistic account of what happened on the Bataan Peninsula.

Bataan really is a must-see film...especially on Memorial Day.  While horribly depressing because nearly all the defenders die, the film serves as a vehicle to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  We all should watch this (and other films like it) and then give thanks for the men who gave everything so that we might live in freedom.  Out on DVD, it should be fairly easy to track this one down.

Happy viewing!!

The Fighting Sullivans (5 stars)

Very inspiring and incredibly moving, The Fighting Sullivans, from 1944, is a Memorial Day tradition in our home.  Last year, though, because I was out of town until June 10th, we didn't end up watching it (and we missed it tremendously); this year, my daughter will be gone over Memorial Day, and since she loves this film, she has requested that we wait until she returns to watch it.  So, we'll be catching it a few days AFTER the holiday this year. Starring Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle, and Anne Baxter, this film is an extreme tearjerker...you will definitely want to keep the tissues nearby.

The film is based on the true story of an Iowa family, whose five sons all enlisted in the United States Navy just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  The boys wanted to serve their country together and were determined to be assigned to the same ship, so when their ship was attacked in the Pacific, all five boys perished.

There is very little in the way of battle scenes, as the movie focuses more on their family life when the boys were young.  Though not perfect by any means, they were a functional and loving family.  Thomas Mitchell portrays the boys' father, and he is alot of fun, especially when he decides that the boys' punishment for smoking is to treat them as "real men" by allowing them to smoke cigars.

The most haunting line in the movie is spoken by Ward Bond, who, as a Naval Officer, visits the Sullivan home to break the news of the deaths.  When Mother Sullivan asks, "Which one?", Bond responds, "All five."  Those words are haunting and devastating and serve to remind us of the truth that freedom isn't free.  The Sullivan family gave so very much for the cause of freedom, as do all our veterans.





The Fighting Sullivans is a perfect Memorial Day movie, so I wanted to review it now---before Memorial Day---so as to give a heads-up about it.  See if you can find it in time for the holiday, and if you can obtain a copy with bonus features, be sure to watch them.  You'll have a chance to meet a descendant of one of the Sullivan brothers.

Out of the Fog (3 stars)

Out of the Fog, from 1941, is a film noir/gangster drama starring Ida Lupino and John Garfield, with Thomas Mitchell and Eddie Albert taking on supporting roles.  In honor of Ida's February birthday and Mr. Garfield's upcoming March birthday, I decided to celebrate both of them by enjoying a re-watch of this film, which is based on the Irwin Shaw play The Gentle People.  I think this is one of Garfield's nastiest roles, and, wow, was he sensational.

Arrogant, cocky, and brutal, racketeer Harold Goff (John Garfield) makes his living extorting money from the residents of a small fishing community.  Calling himself the fishermen's protector, Goff demands a weekly payment from each man, and those that cannot---or will not---pay, suffer the consequences, generally in the form of a destroyed boat, but sometimes in the form of a beating.  Rarely does anyone stand up to Goff, but Jonah Goodwin (Thomas Mitchell) is determined to do so.  However, Jonah's bravado is short-lived as he and his partner are bullied into signing a loan contract.  Telling Goff that he will never live to be an old man, Jonah is determined to beat Goff at his own game.

Meanwhile, Jonah's daughter, Stella (Ida Lupino), hates her boring, same-old same-old existence.  Wanting riches and excitement, she dumps her "average Joe" boyfriend, George (Eddie Albert), and begins seeing Goff.   Despite Jonah's warnings that Goff is a racketeer, Stella, who finds the man exciting, will not be swayed.  Telling her father that if Goff has a disease, it's one she wants to catch, she makes plans to go away with him.  Jonah, however, will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.

Does Stella go away with Goff? Does Jonah break free of Goff's extortion?  Does Goff get his comeuppance?   These are the questions that play out through the remainder of this dark, foggy film.

Out of the Fog is an interesting, exciting, well-acted film.  Both Miss Lupino and Mr. Garfield were totally terrific in their roles...Garfield especially.  While he often took on---and excelled at!!---cynical, hardened, anti-hero roles, here he was even nastier and more of a rebel than usual, and I think he was completely sensational.  I really love to see his performance in roles like this.  Thomas Mitchell was equally wonderful in his role.  Rarely have I seen him give such a commanding performance.  With nearly every scene of this film taking place on a thickly shrouded pier, Out of the Fog sets the classic film noir mood.  Oh, and for those who are fans of the Dead End Kids, Leo Gorcey is in a few scenes of this film...and he is his usual wisecracking, disrespectful self.

Out on DVD, I think this film should be quite easy to track down.  Happy viewing!!

By Love Possessed (4 stars)

By Love Possessed, from 1961, is a soap opera drama directed by John Sturges and starring Lana Turner, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Jason Robards, Barbara Bel Geddes, Thomas Mitchell, and George Hamilton.  While Lana takes top billing in the film, most of the other stars have equal (or more) screen time.  Always a fan of these kinds of melodramas, I've had this one on my must-watch list for a couple months; as part of my Lana Turner birthday celebration, I decided now was the perfect time to watch it.

This ensemble story follows the lives and loves of three law partners and their families.  There's Arthur Winner (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.), a rather rigid, emotionless man whose wife, Clarissa (Barbara Bel Geddes), feels there is no passion in their marriage, even telling him that their marriage has been more a business merger than anything.  Living by the letter of the law and allowing for no gray areas, self-righteous Arthur has set a standard so high no one can measure up.  His college-age son, Warren (George Hamilton), especially, feels inadequate as far as his father is concerned.

Julius Penrose (Jason Robards) is married to Marjorie (Lana Turner), a woman with whom he cannot be intimate due to an accident which had left him impotent.  Lonely and longing for love, Marjorie finds what she's looking for in the bottle and in the arms of Arthur Winner.

Noah Tuttle (Thomas Mitchell), senior partner of the firm, is Arthur's father-in-law; advancing in years, Noah is beginning to show signs of incompetency.  Though Arthur and Julius try to encourage him to retire, Noah is adamant that he still has the mental capacity to do his job. 

Warren, rebelling against his father's impossibly high expectations, has no desire to join the law firm...or even stay in his hometown.  Rejecting the love of the girl who has loved him since childhood, Warren welcomes the attentions of a rather loose woman...an action which will affect all the people around him and cause them to re-evaluate their lives. 

This kind of melodramatic movie is definitely my cup of tea, and I greatly enjoyed this film.  Each storyline was interesting and captured my attention, and the Elmer Bernstein score was beautiful. The acting, while not Academy Award-winning, was solid, especially that of Turner, Zimbalist, and Robards. I do believe things were wrapped up a bit too quickly and cleanly; however, with a 2-hour time limit, that often seems to be the case.  At any rate, while somewhat unrealistic because of the neat and tidy ending, I still consider By Love Possessed to be an enjoyable, entertaining viewing experience.  It is easily, for me, a 4-star film and one of my favorite Lana Turner vehicles.

Out on DVD, this film should be fairly easy to track down.  It is also available on Net Flix instant viewing.  If you are a fan of these soap opera kinds of dramas, definitely look for this one.  I feel sure you will like it.

Happy viewing!!!

Make Way for Tomorrow (5 stars)

Make Way for Tomorrow is a powerful and sentimental heart-tugging drama from 1937.  Directed by Leo McCarey and starring Beulah Bondi, Victor Moore, Thomas Mitchell, and Fay Bainter, it explores the plight of older couples whose children can't (or don't want to) take care of them.  I first saw this movie about a year and a half ago through Net Flix, and I waited a very long time for it...it had been in my queue in some sort of wait status ("very long," "long," and finally "short") for several months, and when it was finally sent, it was from a facility clear across the country from where I live. But the wait was definitely worth it.

Bark and Lucy Cooper (Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi) are a 50-year married couple of about 70 years of age.  As the film begins, they have called their adult children home for a family meeting.  Four of their five children attend the meeting; their other daughter lives in California and cannot be there.  Because Bart had been out of work for four years and was unable to make the house payments, the bank has taken possession of the house, and Bart and Lucy need to move out.

Since none of their kids have room for both of them, it is decided that Lucy will live with son George (Thomas Mitchell) and his family, while Bark will live with one of their daughters.  The separation is supposed to be for only three months, at which time, one of the other daughters will take them both.  In the meantime, Bark and Lucy are living 300 miles apart and have to depend on the phone and letters to keep in touch.  They miss each other desperately and can hardly wait until the time they are reunited.  Adding to the pain of their separation is the fact that both of them are feeling unwanted and in the way where they are.

Make Way for Tomorrow is an incredibly powerful movie.  After finally seeing it (and loving it!) through Net Flix, I was elated to catch this about a year ago when it had its TCM premiere.  Robert Osborne said that Leo McCarey considered Make Way for Tomorrow to be his finest film.  Also, the same year as this film, McCarey won the Academy Award for directing The Awful Truth, and, according to Osborne, he said in his acceptance speech that he got the award for the wrong film.  McCarey's words speak volumes about the caliber of this movie.

Beulah Bondi is especially fabulous in her role, and it's amazing to think that she was 49 when she did it...playing a 70 year old woman.  In fact, she was only four years older than Thomas Mitchell, who played her son in the film.  The makeup artist did a fabulous job to age Beulah 20 years. Victor Moore was also stellar in his role as the aging father who sees more than his children think he sees.

The emotional tug of this movie makes it a bit painful to watch, but it's also quite beautiful...the couple's 50 year marital love is beyond touching. All of us yearn for such a faithful love.  I must admit, though, I was surprised to find such a movie was made back in 1937...I didn't think people in that generation had that kind of an attitude toward their aging parents.  (I thought such an attitude was more a product of the late 20th and 21st centuries.)

Anyhow, Make Way for Tomorrow, is an absolute must-see, if only because most of us at one time or other are going to be faced with the question of how to care for our aging parents.  The film is available on DVD as well as through YouTube.  (HERE)  Definitely track it down...and expect your eyes to mist over as you watch it. 

Happy viewing!!!