Thomas Mitchell in Double Role?


Thomas Mitchell plays the Gypsy King "Clopin," but I swear he is also playing the role of the "deaf judge" who sentences Quasimodo to be whipped.

The IMDb attributes the un-credited role of the "deaf judge" to actor Otto Hoffman, but photos of the actor Hoffman (with his long, down-turned nose) don't resemble the judge at all.

It simply looks and sounds like a heavily made up Thomas Mitchell "playing" old and breathless.

I wonder if Hoffman was originally cast and Mitchell had to replace him at the last moment for some reason - or, perhaps the scene was simply re-shot for some reason. In fact, the way it's shot, it might only be Mitchell in close up - the reverse shots showing only the back of the judge's head could be Hoffman, I suppose.

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I am certain that George Tobias plays two roles: the "hangman" of the Beggars Guild and one of the craftsmen.

🇺🇸 Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable. 🇺🇸

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Nay on Thomas Mitchell playing a double role but Yea on George Tobias. First as the Hang Happy Beggar and next as a workman in the Notre Dame tower commenting about Quasimodo going cuckoo for Esmeralda and ringing the bells.

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Yes it looks like Mitchell.

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Yes, I'm convinced that it's Mitchell, especially after seeing the Blu-Ray where the make-up is more apparent. Since my original post, I've found several on-line film forums where Mitchell's double-role is just taken as a given.


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In the last shot, where the judge's head is tilted down while he looks up from underneath his eyebrows, it certainly looks like Mitchell.

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