THE “HUNCHBACK”

Grey River Argus, 17 June 1925, Page 8

THE “HUNCHBACK”

A MASTIJinECE. Shortly ■■ Fh t . Hunchbark of Notre Dame." is being screened in Greymouth. ••Well, it’s done,’’ said Dj. lei-toi Wallace Worsley a-s he dropped wearily into a chair beside Carl .Laemmle s desk in the producer's office in Universal City and the sigh of relief which escaped the lips of both of these men proved that 4,hc completion of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” was a. great event in the lives of each. For more than a, year it.he one thought uppermost in Mr. Laemmle’s mind had been the making ot this photodrama—the completion of a classic which would surpass cvervt.hing previously attempted, not only at Universal studios, but atlso at any other. That this has been done is the unanimous verdict of those forunate enough to view it, and these same critics admit mosH freely that it even exceeds any ideas which they had formed regarding it, these being based on their knowletlge of the extremes to which if,he producer had gone in his effort to make it a marvellous produe. tion.

Tn the first place, Victor icigo’s immortal masterpiece is so replete with dramatic notion that never before lias there been a picturizaffjon of a work of fiction which lends itself so

perfectly to this form of drama. But *l.llO main : dea back of Mr. Laemmle’s intentions was that this motion picture classic would be made on the most lavish scale, a scale which ‘t.bc story trulv deserved.

Accordingly, the best character actor of the day was secured for the part of “ Quasimodo I ,’’ Mr. Lon Chancy and no expense was spared in the making—Jthe total cost of the completed production being a million and a quarter dollars. A cast of principals was then engaged which sounds like a ‘‘who’s who” —in filmdom—and in addition over three thousand trained actors were secured for the scenes winch require them. The huge reproduction of Jhe Notre Dame. Cathedral is one of the most perfect ever conceived, litis, together with the other sets, cost tn or a half million dollars, and there is every reason to believe that when “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is shown to the public here it will astonish ©very one wi*t.h the dramatic, quality of the story, \v--ch has all been retained, the enormity of the huge sets, perfect in every minu-'t.e detail.