Introduction: Notre Dame de Paris/The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956)

The 1956 adaptation is, like the 1977 version, considerably faithful to the novel. The film was a French/Italian/American collaboration. Two different versions were produced, one for the international market, in French, and the other for the American market, in English. 

French poster for Notre Dame de Paris

There are subtle differences between the French and English versions, which I will discuss at a later time. Unlike other multi language film productions, like Universal's 1931 Dracula, the differences are not substantial enough to consider them separate films. Still, there are a few notable changes in both versions of the film.

It's also notable for being the first adaptation to be shot in color. Eastmancolor to be specific. It's also the first adaptation to be filmed in widescreen.

When it was released, near the tail end of 1956, it was met with lukewarm reception. Critics largely regarded it as decent melodrama that runs far too long. The French were a bit more accepting of it, glad that a major film had kept to Victor Hugo's original story.

After leaving theaters, it spent the next 45 years filling up time on TV during Sunday afternoons, largely forgotten. That is until 2001, when Miramax released the film on VHS and DVD. Both quickly went out of print, and the DVD can be fairly expensive on the secondary market.

Next: The Plot