Warm strings nobile adorned with woodwinds tenero grace us with beauty and speak to his refinement, integrity and essential goodness. Gringoire’s Theme serves as the identity of the poet and husband of Esmeralda. He speaks outwardly to his grotesque appearance and deformity with comic woodwinds synced to his abnormal gait, yet within the notes we discern a pathos of alienation and loneliness. Quasimodo’s Theme is astutely constructed by Newman and perfectly conceived. The theme is malleable, becoming lustful and transformed into a Love Theme when she assumes the role of seductress. Her lush string melody is at once vibrant, ethnic and yet also full of passion. This sacred writing offered a profound juxtaposition to the evil actions and cruelty of the villain Frollo.įor his soundscape Newman would provide five primary themes including Esmeralda’s Theme, which serves as her identity and the sole feminine construct of the score. To glorify the sacred, Newman used angelic, ethereal choir with stirring effect, as well as interpolating the 16th century hymn “Ave Maria” by Tomas Luis de Victoria. Additionally, his soundscape would need to speak to both the sacred and profane, supporting the crowded and bustling streets of Paris, the imposing magnificence of the Notre Dame cathedral and the haunting, loneliness of the bell towers. He understood that at its core this was a film of unrequited love for the pathetic and deformed Quasimodo. He gladly accepted the assignment as the film provided a grand tapestry on which to compose. However, despite favorable reviews it was only nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Sound and Best Film Score.Īlfred Newman had firmly established himself in the 1930s as a tier one composer with five Academy Award nominations and one win. In the end Esmeralda departs with her husband and Quasimodo is again left alone and unloved in the bell tower where he asks a gargoyle statue “Why was I not made of stone, like thee?” The film was a commercial success, earning $3.16 million for a handsome profit of $1.33 million. He then comes to Esmeralda’s rescue, defeating Frollo’s effort to murder her in the bell tower, by tossing him from the bell tower. She is however saved from the gallows by her husband Gringoire, who convinces the King of her innocence, and Quasimodo, who heroically fights off Clopin’s assault on Notre Dame. Later Phoebus is stabbed to death and Esmeralda is falsely accused of the crime and sentenced to death. Esmeralda comes upon him after the flogging and out of pity gives him water to drink, which elicits love in him. Frollo does not come to Quasimodo’s defense, and he is sentenced to be cruelly flogged. Frollo sends Quasimodo, the deformed bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, to capture the girl, which he does, only to himself be arrested by Phoebus, Captain of the King’s guards. The story centers on the beautiful gypsy girl Esmeralda who is pursued by the corrupt Chief Justice Frollo. The film takes place in France during the reign of King Louis XI circa 1461. William Dieterle was given the reigns to direct the film, which would again be adapted from Victor Hugo’s famous 1831 novel Sonya Levien and Bruno Frank provided the screenplay and a fine cast was assembled, which included Charles Laughton as Quasimodo, Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Jehan Frollo, Thomas Mitchell as Clopin, Maureen O’Hara in her screen debut as Esmeralda, Edmund O’Brien as Pierre Gringoire, Walter Hampden as Archbishop Claude Frollo, and Harry Davenport as King Louis XI of France. Pedro Berman was hired to produce the film and provided a massive budget of $1.8 million. RKO was committed to the project and built a massive recreation of Paris and the cathedral on their ranch in the San Fernando Valley outside Los Angeles. A favorable fan poll in 1936 added impetus to the endeavor, but the studio was never able to assemble the lead actors to launch the project and so sold the film rights to MGM, which in turn sold them to RKO. The dawning of the new age of film with dialogue and music had arrived and Universal Studio executives decided to explore a remake of their 1923 production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
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