The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

Charles Halton: Printer

Quotes 

• 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.