Among the more famous versions of Hunchback, each version has a lot of movie posters. For this post, we’re going to look at the top seven best Hunchback movie posters. These are not in a specific order and they are all available on Amazon.
This poster has a lot of energy. You get a sense of the personality of all the characters. I like how Clopin and is front and center and I like how Frollo looms over everyone from on high. I don’t really like how central the gargoyles are but that is a nitpick.
I really like how front and center Esmeralda is in this poster. All the other character are pretty much there in the crowd and their personality come through. I also like the color palette on this one which is ironic seen this was a tinted movie.
I debated whether or not to included this one since it kind of plays with the audience’s expectation of a monster and Laughton is one of the least monstrous hunchbacks but that’s its strength. It has the signifier that says it’s a hunchback movie but makes it feel different and I like that it hides Quasimodo‘ looks. I also like the red tone
There is a similar 1939 poster with a Quasimodo in silhouette against Notre Dame and pillory but it just not a dynamic.
I like this one as I really like the rendering of Maureen O’Hara. It just has a good composition to it though I can’t really tell if that is Jehan or Gringoire but I would it’s Jehan.
I really like the picture vignettes in this and Gina Lollobridga looks lovely in this. Somehow this poster just makes the movie seem more like an epic.
I debated between this one and another 1939 poster. I went with this one because I really like the way Esmeralda is depicted. It is also interesting to showcase the pillory scene in a movie poster.
Book 8, Chapter 1, The Crown Piece Changed to a Dry Leaf
Esmeralda (Maureen O’Hara) and Aristotle share a moment
This chapter Esmeralda’s unfair farce of a trial. Basically, she’s doomed before this thing even starts. I mean the treat it like an obligation. They really just need her to confess and when she fails to do so in this chapter, the old judge complains that she is holding up their meal. What Jerks.
Poor Djali, all she did was simple tricks and these jack-ass are like witchcraft. Oh and that La Falourdel bitch, her kid stole her money and then she complains about how her house was described in the report. Hate that lady.
Book 8, Chapter 2, Continuation of the Crown Piece Changed
Esmeralda being Tortured
Since Esmeralda doesn’t want to confess to a crime she didn’t commit, she is tortured. She doesn’t last at all long before she breaks and starts confessing to just f-up stuff, like having intercourse with satan in the form Djali. This medieval judges are f-ed in the head.
Not a really fun chapter.
Book 8, Chapter 3, End of the Crown Piece Changed to a Dry Leaf
Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda,
This chapter is Esmeralda and Djali sentence. Can say much about it though apparently part of her penance in paying the judges of the Bishop’s court and the candle she has to hold at Notre Dame is 2 pounds.
From the Heart of the Ocean to the Evenstar to that ring in the Phantom of the Opera movie, jewelry can play a big part in a film’s narrative. Despite being a large part of the book, Esmeralda’s necklace has never been seen in the movie version.
Costume design from the Opera La Esmeralda
Esmeralda wears a small oblong bag fasten to a necklace of red seeds. The bag is made from green silk and has a large imitation emerald made from glass. This is where she gets her name from but the fact that the stone is fake means that she too is fake. Esmeralda is not a real Gypsy. Inside the bag is her only link to her real self, a baby shoe.
Sister Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) showing the necklace to Esmeralda Hunchback Notre Dame 1923
Having the pouch in a movie would mean that Esmeralda’s backstory would have to be played out in some way. In the 1923 movie, Esmeralda did have a necklace to signify her origins but it was a medallion and in the 1999 parody version she had a birthmark.
Esmeralda Smiling, Maureen O’Hara 1939 HUnchback of Notre Dame
However, a few years ago there was talk that the Brolin movie would be more of an action-adventure tone and treasure hunts are popular plot mechanic for that genre. If the narrative was somehow centered around Esmeralda’s jewelry having a connection to a treasure that could be location at Notre Dame, like it’s a key or just part of it, you could have a story that keeps are as a Gypsy since films like that and have her jewelry as a focal point.
Esmeralda and Sister Gudule by Benjamin Lacombe from Notre Dame de Paris Tome 2
Personally, I wish the origins of Esmeralda and her original necklace would be played out in a film very but also I like jewelry in general so I would just like to see how a film could work it in to a narrative even if as stupid as the idea I proposed in that last paragraph.
Today’s Fan-art is by Mimitchki. It’s traditional drawing of Esmeralda and Quasimdo from the 1939 version. At first glance as a thumbnail, I thought this was a screen-cap but then I noticed the background and knew it wasn’t. I find this rendering on this stunning. It looks so lifelike but you can definitely see the artist’s style. I love the play of light and shadows.
I saw this on Twolionss’ Tumblr site (She has another page up click here to see it )and had to post it. It’s A Page from Tim Conrad’s Hunchback of Notre Dame Grpahic Novel
An Page from Tim Conrad's graphic novel version of Hunchback of Notre dame from Book 9 Chapter 1 Delirium
This scene is from Book 9 Chapter 1 Delirium of the novel where Frollo, in his guilt and growing insanity, finds Esmeralda in Notre Dame and think she is specter.
Curious that Esmeralda’s hair is red in this huh? The only other time I’ve seen her with red has been in certain casts of Notre Dame de Paris and Maureen O’Hara in the 1939 version but that doesn’t really count as it’s a black & white movie.
Frances d'Amour as Esmeralda in Notre Dame de Paris
Esmeralda Smiling, Maureen O'Hara 1939 HUnchback of Notre Dame
I’m not sure about the art it’s simplistic and the color are muted. It might work better in context full of the work.
Tim Conrad’s Graphic Novel of The Hunchback is going to be out July 31 2012 but you can preorder, Click here to preorder it
Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn in Only the Lonely
A couple of days ago I decided to watch Only the Lonely (Great movie by the way) which stars Maureen O’Hara who play Esmeralda in the 1939 verion of Hunchback of Notre Dame. The movie also had in Anthony Quinn who play Quasimodo in the 1956 french version of Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
“God Help The Outcasts” is a very different Disney heroine song. Many of the Female Disney Characters sing about wanting something for themselves. While Esmeralda is singing about wanting something that is not for her. She is being selfless which furthers elevates her into the mature sector.
Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The song is simple, it’s Esmeralda praying for the welfare of her people. This humble and selfless prayer is shown in contrast to the other parishioners who pray for selfish things like wealth, fame and love. This scene is pretty much lifted from the 1939 version albeit with some differences but the overall scene and content is the same.
Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Unlike in the 1939 version, during the course of the song Esmeralda walks through the sanctuary of Notre Dame. It’s the only time in the Hunchback of Notre Dame where we get to see the interior of Notre Dame other than the bell tower. While it’s nice to see the sanctuary portion of Notre Dame there are more than a few things wrong with how Notre Dame is presented. I’ll go more in depth on that later for now let’s get into the reviewing the song’s content.
Esmeralda singing “God Help the Outcast” Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The song musically is nice and is pleasant. It’s one of two ballads that made it into the film. It’s the prettiest song in the movie and it’s sung well by Heidi Mollenhauer. However there is an air of condescension with this song. As Esmeralda is trying to sound humble she is saying some really condescending lines. She asks for nothing because she is lucky and better off then most of her people and if God doesn’t help no one will help them. She also reminds Gods that everyone is “children of God” and that Mary should relate to her because she thinks Mary was once an outcast like her. This another fault with the song, she’s in Notre Dame de Paris, in any Notre Dame, Mary is the figure of reverence. However she starts praying to Mary and then instantly switches to God. Maybe it’s her “outcast” “pagan” ways that she would do this flippantly but my guess is God is more dramatic and fits song meters better, Even though Mary embodies compassion. Then again Frollo prays to Mary to burn Esmeralda, so what is the movie trying to say about Mary? I mean everyone seems to be trying to get out of Notre Dame.
Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
There is also all her “I” statements that are kind of off putting. Her lines are “I ask for nothing, I can get by, but I know so many less lucky than I” these lyrics just seem to reek with “I’m better than you” mentality.
2026 edit -Maybe a harsher take the statement of Esmeralda being more resourceful than others thus she doesn’t need to pray for herself could have just been a musical short hand to relay the point simply yet dramatically for the song and a general audience to understand. However I will leave the text I originally wrote from 2011 as point of my change of view.
Esmeralda’s Prayer
Esmeralda looking at the Virgin Mary, Maureen O’Hara 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame
In the spectrum of the “Esmeralda’s Prayer” which isn’t in the book, “God Help the Outcast” is the one of a few. Beside this song there are two other prayers, the fore-mention 1939 version and “Ave Maria Paien” fromNotre Dame de Paris.
In the 1939 version, Esmeralda (Maureen O’Hara) asks “The mother of God” to help her people, she says that Mary can take all that she has but Esmeralda presents Mary with a Method; she asks to speak to the King as he is a authority figure and can help her and her people, which he does as the end. In the 1939 version, Esmeralda is sincere and humble, and as she not insulting anyone by saying she’s better off.
In “Ave Maria Paien” (The Pagan Ave Maria) Esmeralda, pending on which version your listening to, is asking for a few things, protection from the fools who are in control and the joining of all people. The essence of the song is she wants Ave Maria on her side. Is it humble and selfless? Not really, she does come off as humble and sincere though.
Disney Esmeralda is sincere but she seems to have a defeatist attitude, only god can help and no one else can, she’s powerless to do anything. Maybe Esmeralda should have ask God to make Frollo tolerant. At least that would have been proactive.
2026 edit- I originally called “God Help the Outcast” the worst of the Esmeralda’s prayer scenes but that wrong and bad take. I apologize for that one. I was harsh on the Disney version in 2011 and not as so these days. So no this review doesn’t hold much water now.
Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcasts Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The problem with “God Help the Outcasts” isn’t the music or the singing, it’s the content. While it’s great that Esmeralda is mature and is capable of praying selflessly but in the course of the song she’s pretty much insulting her people, and due to juxtaposition of the her prayer with other parishioners she is making them look bad. So she can’t be selfless and humble without bring others down?
2026 edit- The Disney version wasn’t the first version to showcase the contrast of prayers of Esmeralda and the other parishioners and it’s not exactly the song’s fault it needs to convey Esmeralda’s selfless wishes both in simple terms yet dramatic for the scope of the scene and movie. It’s my own fault for interpreting the lyrics as “condescending.” I still find them a little naive in execution but I get the intent.
So what you may not know about me is that in addition to expressing a geeky fandom on a blog, I also make/edit music videos. Typically I use anime sources (another geeky fandom ^_^). So while I was reviewing the 1939 version I made a little promotional music video using the 39 version. Some of you may have seen it already but for those of you who didn’t,
(Great movie by the way) which stars Maureen O’Hara who play Esmeralda in the 1939 verion of Hunchback of Notre Dame. The movie also had in Anthony Quinn who play Quasimodo in the 1956 french version of Hunchback of Notre Dame.
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is a very different Disney heroine song. Many of the Female Disney Characters sing about wanting something for themselves. While Esmeralda is singing about wanting something that is not for her. She is being selfless which furthers elevates her into the mature sector.
