Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) - World premiere restoration at TCM 2015 (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Budgell]

The initial slate of films for next year's TCM Classic Film Festival was announced, and a premiere restoration of The Hunchback of Notre Dame presented in association with Warner Bros Classics was included.

Could a Blu-ray be far behind?

Source: This screen cap posted on the "Going to the TCM Film Festival" Facebook page.

 

[Dick]

I don't know what "restoration" means when it comes to TCM, but if it gives us a great-looking Blu-ray of HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and (!!) SPARTACUS, I'm all in.

 

[Garysb]

Seems odd that Apollo 13 at 20 years old needs a new restoration but whatever draws attention to these films is good.

I remember the pre video days of revival houses where they would advertise a new print of a classic film. This meant no bad splices or missing dialogue. It never occurred to me or most people at the time, ( mid 1970's), I assume, that the elements used to make a new print might be damaged. Perhaps 40 years ago it was less likely. Now everything is advertised as a new restoration.

 

[JoHud]

I don't know what "restoration" means when it comes to TCM, but it it gives us a great-looking Blu-ray of HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and (!!) SPARTACUS, I'm all in.

Pretty much the standard high-quality digital restoration seen in many of WB's blu-rays. What was used on the DVD didn't look like it was restored by any stretch of the word, just recently remastered when it came out about 15 years ago.

Also, I seriously doubt TCM was behind these restorations. TCM is behind the film festival, that is all.

 

[Alan Tully]

I'd love to see (& own) a really great looking Hunchback, I think it's one of the greats. I suppose it all depends on what Warner had to work with. Ditto, All That Money Can Buy, another William Dieterle directed masterpiece for RKO.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

The '39 HUNCHBACK and SPARTACUS, wow, 2015 is already looking good!

 

[Randy Korstick]

Hunchback will almost certainly be a Warner Archive Blu release.

 

[Dick]

Hunchback will almost certainly be a Warner Archive Blu release.

I don't know. Sounds like it could well be a TCM edition, like LADY FROM SHANGHI and ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS.

 

[telzall]

I don't know what "restoration" means when it comes to TCM, but if it gives us a great-looking Blu-ray of HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and (!!) SPARTACUS, I'm all in.

I'm so EXCITED!!!!And I just can't hide it!!!!

 

[JoHud]

I don't know. Sounds like it could well be a TCM edition, like LADY FROM SHANGHI and ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS.

Possible, but doubt it. So far they haven't touched WB films since the DVD Spotlight Collections dried up around 2009. Since then they've been sticking with Sony and Universal.

I also think this will likely end up on the Warner Archive line, though it might luck out and end up on a wider retail WHV disc. Depends on how well the old DVD sold.

 

[Dee Zee]

Most def interested in Hunchback on blu. Maureen O'Hara's performance is a knock out.

 

[Dick]

Most def interested in Hunchback on blu. Maureen O'Hara's performance is a knock out.

And I think it is Laughton's most memorable (heartbreaking, actually) role. But there are other terrific performances - Cedric Hardwicke's Frollo is as evil as a movie villain gets; the always-reliable Thomas Mitchell excels as Clopin; Harry Davenport's King Louis is a wonderfully eccentric, fair-minded and compassionate character. I love this film. As a child I saw it countless times on Million Dollar Movie in New York, and still couldn't get enough (although, only decades later did I discover that I'd been watching an 75-minute cut of a 117-minute film, fit into a 90-minute time slot with commercials, and it was a revelation to suddenly view entire sub-plots I had been unaware of all those years). This film should have won Oscars for many of those involved (especially Laughton and Alfred Newman for his score, the latter winning to Richard Hageman for STAGECOACH (!?)...this was, after all, 1939). The DVD was a decent upgrade from laser disc, but I have always salivated at the thought that a Blu-ray might eventually emerge, something I had little real hope for. Now, looks good!

 

[Randy Korstick]

Not sure why it matters though since the Warner Archive blu's have been just as good as the WHV blu's. All have been stellar transfers so far.

Possible, but doubt it. So far they haven't touched WB films since the DVD Spotlight Collections dried up around 2009. Since then they've been sticking with Sony and Universal.

I also think this will likely end up on the Warner Archive line, though it might luck out and end up on a wider retail WHV disc. Depends on how well the old DVD sold.

 

[telzall]

It's deceivingly simple:
All we want is a properly restored, uncut, Blu-ray edition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).
Preferably, with commentary!

 

[Robert Crawford]

And I think it is Laughton's most memorable (heartbreaking, actually) role. But there are other terrific performances - Cedric Hardwicke's Frollo is as evil as a movie villain gets; the always-reliable Thomas Mitchell excels as Clopin; Harry Davenport's King Louis is a wonderfully eccentric, fair-minded and compassionate character. I love this film. As a child I saw it countless times on Million Dollar Movie in New York, and still couldn't get enough (although, only decades later did I discover that I'd been watching an 75-minute cut of a 117-minute film, fit into a 90-minute time slot with commercials, and it was a revelation to suddenly view entire sub-plots I had been unaware of all those years). This film should have won Oscars for many of those involved (especially Laughton and Alfred Newman for his score, the latter winning to Richard Hageman for STAGECOACH (!?)...this was, after all, 1939). The DVD was a decent upgrade from laser disc, but I have always salivated at the thought that a Blu-ray might eventually emerge, something I had little real hope for. Now, looks good!

It scared the crap out of me during one of those broadcasts when I was around 5 years old. Laughton being whipped created a lasting impression on me from that viewing.

 

[bujaki]

What about that slim juvenile, Edmond O'Brien? Who would have recognized him from his later roles?

 

[Douglas R]

Wonderful film. I saw it so many times when it was regularly broadcast in the late '50s, being part of the major RKO library sale to the BBC but I haven't seen it for decades now. Will definitely buy the BD.

 

[Dick]

Now that we have the restored Blu-ray edition, accolades need to be given to Warner Bros. I was blown away by the quality of this transfer. I have loved the film ever since watching it a dozen times on Million Dollar Movie in the 60's, and that was a hugely truncated (by 40 minutes or so) version. I have owned it on every format since then except Beta. My first experience with the full 117-minute edition was via a Super 8mm print imported from the UK, and I was astonished by how much was new to me. Now, after many sub-par video editions, we get a disc that actually bests CITIZEN KANE as the quintessential RKO transfer. Watching this, I just smiled for the full 117 minutes, sometimes simply mumbling aloud, "This is miraculous." Anyone who feels that black and white movies from the 30's and 40's can't benefit from a good restoration and Blu-ray release could look to this as a textbook case of "You Are So Wrong."