The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

Harry Davenport: King Louis XI

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Watching Esmeralda dance] 

  Louis XI, King of France : Doesn't she make your pulse beat faster?

  The King's Physician : I'm a widower four times, sire, but I could begin all over again.

• Louis XI, King of France : [opening scene, at the print shop, after hearing the bells of Notre Dame]  I've never heard a more beautiful Angelus. Who is the bellringer of Notre Dame?

  Printer : Quasimodo, Your Majesty. The people simply call him the Hunchback.

  Louis XI, King of France : What an odd name. And now, Master Fisher, let's see what reason my High Justice had for asking me to come to your shop. What do you call this apparatus?

  Printer : The German inventor, Gutenberg, calls it a printing press, Your Majesty.

  Louis XI, King of France : What is it for?

  Printer : To print books, Your Majesty.

  Louis XI, King of France : For whom?

  Printer : For the people. They will learn to read when they can get books. I can print a volume, like this one, in a few weeks, and quite inexpensively.

  Louis XI, King of France : Imagine, Frollo, a few weeks. When I ordered my prayer book, it took them years to copy it out and cost me a fortune. This is more beautiful than the printed book. Nevertheless, the printing press is a miracle.

  Frollo : A horrifying miracle.

  Louis XI, King of France : Horrifying? This small press?

  Frollo : Small things have a way of overmastering the great. The Nile rat kills the crocodile. This small press can destroy a kingdom.

  Louis XI, King of France : Oh, come, my High Justice, don't exaggerate. What is that?

  Printer : It is the first page of a new book, Your Majesty.

  Louis XI, King of France : Let me see it. "On the Freedom of Thought." Who wrote it?

  Printer : Pierre Gringoire.

  Louis XI, King of France : Gringoire? Who is he?

  Printer : A French poet, Your Majesty.

  Frollo : A heretic, sire. To spread him is to communicate disease.

  Louis XI, King of France : How do you know? It may be a great blessing to France if people can get books and learn to read. To me, it's a new form of expression of thought. Out there is the old form. All over France, in every city, there stand cathedrals like this one, triumphal monuments of the past. They tower over the homes of our people like mighty guardians, keeping alive the invincible faith of the Christians. Every arch, every column, every statue is a carved leaf out of our history. A book in stone, glorifying the spirit of France. The cathedrals are the handwriting of the past. The press is of our time, and I won't do anything to stop it, Frollo.

  Frollo : Sire, we must break the press and hang the printer. For, between them, they will destroy our old and holy order. No, I'm not such a fool. I, for my part, will protect France from these printed books, as I will protect it from witches, sorcerers and Gypsies, the foreign race that is overrunning all of Europe.

• Louis XI, King of France : Doctor, lend me half a livre.

  The King's Physician : Half a livre?

  Louis XI, King of France : Afraid I won't repay you?

• Louis XI, King of France : [while being bathed by the doctor]  Ouch! You're hurting me. I should have made you my chief torturer.

  The King's Physician : I beg your pardon, sire. I wouldn't have to rub so hard if your Majesty would bathe more often.

  Louis XI, King of France : How often would you say?

  The King's Physician : Twice a year...

  Louis XI, King of France : Twice a year?

  The King's Physician : ...at least.

  Louis XI, King of France : Hmm. Would that make me live longer?

  The King's Physician : It would.

  Louis XI, King of France : Good. I'm determined to live a hundred years - and more if your new elixir does what you promise.

• Louis XI, King of France : The cathedrals are the handwriting of the past. The press is of our time - and I won't do anything to stop it, Frollo.

  Frollo : We must break the best and hang the principal. Between them they will destroy our old and holy order.

  Louis XI, King of France : I am not such a fool.

  Frollo : I for my part will protect France from these printed books as I will protect it from witches, sorcerers and gypsies - the foreign races over-running all of Europe.

• Louis XI, King of France : [Watching an acrobat trying to balance on a ball]  What's he trying to do?

  Procurator : He's heard a rumour that the earth is round and he's attempting to walk to the Indies - the idiot.

  The King's Physician : [Interjecting]  It's not round, it's flat!

  Louis XI, King of France : The idiot? There are some famous geographers and mathematicians who also believe the earth is round.

  The King's Physician : [Interjecting again]  It's isn't round, it's flat!

  Louis XI, King of France : Do you recollect that letter we had from er... what's his name... oh, Chris... Christopher Columbus? Who wrote claiming that he could by steering a Westerly course, reach the Indies?

  The King's Physician : [Interjecting yet again]  It's flat!

  Louis XI, King of France : I'm greatly tempted to indulge the venture.

  Procurator : Our country could not afford the risk of such an enterprise.

  Frollo : Columbus! The man is the laughing stock of the Court of Spain.

  Louis XI, King of France : Who knows? The duke may prove Ferdinand's court is the laughing stock.

  The King's Physician : [interjecting for a fourth time]  It's isn't round.

  Louis XI, King of France : What are you mumbling about, doctor?

  The King's Physician : The earth isn't round. It's flat.

  Louis XI, King of France : How do you know?

  The King's Physician : I've observed it in all my travels over Europe - it's flat. Everywhere it's flat!

  Louis XI, King of France : Oh, let's listen to the play.

• Louis XI, King of France : The ugly is very appealing to man.

  Frollo : It's a matter of taste.

  Louis XI, King of France : No. It's instinct. One shrinks from the ugly and wants to look at it. There's a devilish fascination in it. We extract pleasure from horror.

  Frollo : Only the mob, sire.

  Louis XI, King of France : Think so? Look at our friends

  [indicating Nobles and royal courtiers] 

  Louis XI, King of France : . The don't look exactly uninterested.

• Archdeacon : The girk is innocent.

  Louis XI, King of France : If you say she;s innocent, you must know the murderer. Who is it?

  Archdeacon : I'm waiting for my brother to speak.