A beautifully put together version of Hugo's novel- suitably epic but affectingly personal when it needs to be. The design and cinematography of 15th century Paris are spectacular and beautifully done. Laughton is terrific as the tragic bellringer concealed between impressive make- up, Maureen O'Hara is well cast as the beautiful gypsy who turns every man's head, including Cedric Hardwicke - particularly good as the malevolent Frollo. It's a mostly faithful adaptation, only fumbling the very end which seems a shame given how the adaptation doesn't shy away from the darker elements of the novel. Still, an impressive and notable film of the 30s.

"you are to be taken barefoot with a rope around your neck before Notre-Dame to do public penance. Thereafter, to be hanged on the gallows together with your accomplice, the goat."

Regarding the lists it appears on, this is only tangentially a horror film, though it has several scenes that would have been quite horrific for 1939. The two other adaptations that I've seen (the 1996 Disney version and the 1923 silent version) were both good, but this outshines them. It's more engaging and better-paced than the silent version (though the first half does drag on occasion), and less fluffy and jokey than the Disney version. It's clearly been the main influence on the Disney version, with many elements of the design being copied straight over. Good cinematography, performances and dialogue make it an all-round high-quality film. Could have been even better if they'd stuck to the book more and fixed some of the less interesting scenes (particularly a lot of the stuff with Gringoire) and logic problems in the script.

well this is not how it goes in the book...
in any case Charles Laughton was a powerhouse, felt that Maureen O'Hara was miscast though, didn't look anything like a gypsy woman would.