City Cinema with Roving Shows and Island Jazz Present: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Drama/Horror.
Dir: Wallace Worsley, USA, 1923, 110 min.
Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller.
Silent with live improvised musical accompaniment by Island Jazz.

Adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel, published 195 years ago this month, the film takes some liberties with the story but still follows the classic tale: Quasimodo, the hunchback, loves Esmeralda, the gypsy, played by Lon Chaney and Patsy Ruth Miller, while a revolution is brewing within the walls of Notre Dame. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame resonates most strongly today for its timeless tale of haves vs. have-nots, just as relevant now as it was when written in 1831. On the strength of a physical performance that has never really been equalled in any of the other Hunchback adaptations, it was a launching pad for both the fortunes of Lon Chaney and American horror films in general.” —Paste Magazine