The World of Cinema – Gina Lollobrigida's Success in Her New Film: Notre-Dame de Paris

When the great French man of letters Victor Hugo drew the character of "Esmeralda" in his famous tale "Notre-Dame de Paris," there was born the greatest act of creation ever to do honor to womanhood in the whole history of literature.

Lithe of figure, radiating captivating, stirring expressions — so the girl with the goat appeared, as though she were the loveliest smile with which nature could adorn itself. Wherever her feet trod she stirred longing, love, and desire; and so we were neither astonished nor surprised at the great rivalry that arises among the female stars of the cinema whenever the question of entrusting this role to one of them is laid on the table.

In the past we saw Maureen O'Hara play this Esmeralda. Now it is Gina Lollobrigida who succeeds her in the role. This great Italian star, whom the whole world regards as the most complete symbol of womanhood, has given the dancer a living image that no one can ever forget. From now on, whoever reads Victor Hugo's tale will no doubt direct all his attention to the character of Esmeralda.

This beauty, who is held to be "the fairest of the fair," has never appeared with so dazzling a beauty as her beauty in this film. Her stirring face, framed by a halo of loose black hair, expresses a free temperament that submits to no one, yet melts away entirely at the sound of words of flattery and love!

Her ivory body, polished to perfection, ripples bewitchingly whenever she dances or walks. This beauty possesses everything her role demands: calm and jealousy, wantonness and noble character, selfishness and indifference. Lollobrigida was never in all her days so bewitching as she appears here. Nor has she ever given, in any role whatsoever, so plain a proof of merit as she has given in this one. Everyone who sees this film will say of "Gina," with all admiration and without any effort, that she is the true Esmeralda, for the oneness between the two of them is plain in the complete expression that Lollobrigida gave to her role — a role that soared high in the art of film production. When we watch her dance before Notre-Dame we shall cast at her glances of longing and desire like those that flew from the eyes of "Claude Frollo" and the hunchback "Quasimodo"... and we shall love her as the handsome officer "Phoebus" and the poet Gringoire loved her, when we see her laugh that innocent laugh that betokens guilelessness and good intent. And we shall all look upon her with tenderness and pity when she is condemned to death for being beautiful — very beautiful!

For these honorable marks of creative excellence in acting the credit goes in the first degree to the skill of "Gina Lollobrigida," and then to the director "Jean Delannoy," whose merit is great: by means of astonishing photography (CinemaScope and natural color) he has given of "Notre-Dame de Paris" a speaking picture that stirs admiration, full of vitality and astonishing truths. As for the reading that "Jean Aurenche" and "Jacques Prévert" drew from Victor Hugo's tale, upon it the director built a world that turns entirely on two poles: "Notre-Dame" and "Esmeralda."

Among those acting alongside these two great stars we mention, of course, Anthony Quinn, who plays "the hunchback Quasimodo" and whom we shall not forget — not only for the extremity of his ugliness but also for the gentleness it conceals and the astonishing wit he displays. Quasimodo's success in his role is owed to his skill in acting, and in this respect alone he stands out above all others. "Jean Danet" played the handsome captain, while "Alain Cuny," in taking on the role of Frollo, displayed a vileness of soul to match the ugliness shown by the hunchback Quasimodo.

Gina has, without doubt, met in her new film "Notre-Dame de Paris" with a great success, and has given us a living, speaking picture of Esmeralda, one that answers the dreams that have hovered before us for so long of Hugo's immortal character.