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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Lon Chaney, the man of a thousand faces, was best known for playing Quasimodo and the Phantom of the Opera. But the former role was clearly the most ambitious of his illustrious career, full of such longing and anguish. It's as though his entire being was consumed by this ugly outcast with a heart as big and beautiful as Notre Dame itself. And the makeup is still astonishing. The rest of this unrequited love story is pretty effective as well, with the re-creation of medieval Paris a standout for its lavishness. Like all great silent films, it delivers a poetry of life that is abstract and tangible at the same time. --Bill Desowitz
Product Description
Lon Chaney stars as the gentle outcast Quasimodo in the first film version of Victor Hugo's classic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Paris of 1482 was meticulously recreated on the back lot of Universal Studios for this powerful drama that turned Chaney into a screen legend -- now presented in the ultimate special edition of this timeless classic.
Mastered in high definition from an original multi-tinted print.
New symphonic score compiled by Donald Hunsberger, adapted and conducted by Robert Israel. Recorded in Europe in digital stereo. Insert essay and optional audio essay through the film, both by Michael F. Blake, author of two books on Lon Chaney. Facsimile reproduction of original souvenir program.
Gallery of Original 3-D stills (3-D viewing glasses are included with this DVD). Extensive gallery of 2-D stills including production shots, scenes and advertising materials. Behind-the-scenes footage of Lon Chaney out of makeup on the set.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
...although this new Image release which replaces their 1999 edition is likely the best that we'll see until someone can afford to do a full scale restoration. David Shepard and Film Preservation Associates are to be commended for making this look as good as they have considering the limited funds they have to work with (Shepard once said that Kevin Brownlow and Photoplay Productions spend on one reel what he spends on an entire film) and the source material which appears to be 16mm. There is no significant new footage here but the film has been speed corrected which accounts for the longer running time. The print seems to be the same as the 1999 release with lots of scratches throughout but the image is sharper and the toning of certain scenes is better.
Aside from the condition of the print what really keeps this from being the "Ultimate Edition" is the score by Donald Hunsberger. Hunsberger is a fine conductor (check out his Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings) but the music he compiled is too lighthearted overall and not sombre or medieval enough to enhance what's going on during the movie especially toward the end (the compiled score used for the 1999 version was far more appropriate). A darker score like the one Ennio Morricone did for the 1912 RICHARD III would help to undercut the melodramatic elements of the story and some of the performances. Once again a score can make or break a silent film.
Lon Chaney remains a marvel as Quasimodo, fully inhabiting the character beneath the makeup and the natural speed transfer restores his performance to what it should be. The medieval sets and vast army of extras also continue to inspire awe 80+ years later. The disc comes with program reproductions, 3-D glasses for old stills, and commentary from Chaney scholar Michael F. Blake. So fans of HUNCHBACK and Chaney rush out and be sure to get this edition for your DVD collection. I just wish that someday someone with unlimited funds can really produce the ultimate edition (ala METROPOLIS, BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) that this classic deserves.
Aside from the condition of the print what really keeps this from being the "Ultimate Edition" is the score by Donald Hunsberger. Hunsberger is a fine conductor (check out his Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings) but the music he compiled is too lighthearted overall and not sombre or medieval enough to enhance what's going on during the movie especially toward the end (the compiled score used for the 1999 version was far more appropriate). A darker score like the one Ennio Morricone did for the 1912 RICHARD III would help to undercut the melodramatic elements of the story and some of the performances. Once again a score can make or break a silent film.
Lon Chaney remains a marvel as Quasimodo, fully inhabiting the character beneath the makeup and the natural speed transfer restores his performance to what it should be. The medieval sets and vast army of extras also continue to inspire awe 80+ years later. The disc comes with program reproductions, 3-D glasses for old stills, and commentary from Chaney scholar Michael F. Blake. So fans of HUNCHBACK and Chaney rush out and be sure to get this edition for your DVD collection. I just wish that someday someone with unlimited funds can really produce the ultimate edition (ala METROPOLIS, BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) that this classic deserves.
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Good: By a long shot, this is the most clear print EVER; for the first time the actor's facial expressions are clearly visible.
They've added over 20 minutes from any previous edition
Bad: No scratch removal.I assume they didn't have the funding for it; but as this is such an important piece of American history, it should have been done right. At least in the future, someone can load this dvd into a professional pc with scratch removal software & fix it right.
They've added over 20 minutes from any previous edition
Bad: No scratch removal.I assume they didn't have the funding for it; but as this is such an important piece of American history, it should have been done right. At least in the future, someone can load this dvd into a professional pc with scratch removal software & fix it right.
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By J. Connor
Format:DVD
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is quite a good silent film, starring the famous Lon Chaney Sr. as the eccentric and tortured Quasimodo. The story slightly follows Victor Hugo's novel, and the acting is fine for this type of genre. The story flows well, though the movie is rather overlong for 1925. There are two DVD's and several VHS versions of the film sold on the market.
The two DVD versions differ in quality. I own the earlier, unrestored release by Alpha Video. This edition is the one NOT to purchase. The picture quality is grainy and snowy. The screen is also difficult to see at times, and the picture is so bright that you are looking at a white screen. True, the film is over 75 years old, but it deserves a better restoration. The more recent DVD, released by Republic Pictures, has been restored and cleaned up. The Alpha DVD price is also cheaper. To appreciate the film and Lon Chaney in full glory, purchase the restored Republic DVD and nothing else.
P.S. Ignore the retarded Disney version.
The two DVD versions differ in quality. I own the earlier, unrestored release by Alpha Video. This edition is the one NOT to purchase. The picture quality is grainy and snowy. The screen is also difficult to see at times, and the picture is so bright that you are looking at a white screen. True, the film is over 75 years old, but it deserves a better restoration. The more recent DVD, released by Republic Pictures, has been restored and cleaned up. The Alpha DVD price is also cheaper. To appreciate the film and Lon Chaney in full glory, purchase the restored Republic DVD and nothing else.
P.S. Ignore the retarded Disney version.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
When Movies Had Heart
I'm in my early thirties, so I don't know what impact silent films, and even films in the black and white era (for that matter), had at the time of their release. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Andrew Merkevicius
3.0 out of 5 stars
great
just like old movies and this is great is kept on my shelf and watches every now and then wonderful
Published 2 months ago by T. Buck
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
I love this storyline, a love story. I have seen other versions of it. I have never seen the original version.
Published 4 months ago by Gwenda Naylor
1.0 out of 5 stars
Okay movie
this was my first time watching a silent movie. it was okay but lon chaney's performance of quasemodo. but that was the only thing i liked about the film. Read more
Published on April 5, 2011 by David A. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
moving, frightening, historic
This is one of the great early films, in which Lon C establishes an identity so complete and grotesque yet unrecognizable as him. Read more
Published on March 27, 2011 by Robert J. Crawford
5.0 out of 5 stars
accept only the ultimate
The 'ultimate edition' of this film is just that, the best, as far as I know, available. All other representations I have seen of this film appear to originate from the same tired... Read more
Published on March 17, 2011 by Allan Broadfield
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923, Worsley)
Format: Movie
Director: Wallace Worsley
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: September 2, 1923
With the exception of the 1996 Disney version this... Read more
Director: Wallace Worsley
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Release Date: September 2, 1923
With the exception of the 1996 Disney version this... Read more
Published on February 15, 2011 by Knoll360
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Exactly what I was after. Thanks for the information that was sent along with the DVD also.
Published on October 16, 2010 by patricia miller
1.0 out of 5 stars
UNHAPPY
You did not advertise that the movie was in subtitle format. I was extremely unhappy with this product!!!!
Published on February 8, 2010 by Y. Rodman
4.0 out of 5 stars
fun to watch
I've attempted over the years to watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame in it's entirety, but never quite made it until I finally ordered the dvd. Read more
Published on November 15, 2009 by Steven C. Schuller
