The Night of the Hunter remains a film that is ahead of its time — Laughton’s move from acting to directing a horror film is reminiscent of Jordan Peele’s, and its woman-hating villain feels unsettlingly timely. A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town. [8] Laughton had directed plays on Broadway, most produced by his friend Paul Gregory. [30] Lanchester, for reasons unknown to Laughton, turned down the role, suggesting silent movie star Lillian Gish for the role. He lit this scene with a halo of light surrounding Willa's head on the pillow, foreshadowing that her death is imminent. Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime. The site's critical consensus reads, "Featuring Robert Mitchum's formidable performance as a child-hunting preacher, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look at good and evil."[76]. [14][7] Agee's original script ended with a shot of children's faces floating among the stars, an idea that was eventually moved to the opening of the film. The attention to detail in every single aspect makes for one of the best cinematic experiences I've ever had. "[62] He originally had the idea to tour the film "road show style", stopping at certain cities that were familiar with Laughton's plays, but he couldn't convince the studio. [40] According to Lillian Gish, Laughton was very unsure of himself on set as this was his first time directing a film, and when someone would give him a suggestion he would start talking about fears that his whole vision was wrong. A false preacher ingratiates himself with a dead man's family to find where he hid the money from a robbery. [26] In the end Laughton chose Shelley Winters because he felt she had a vulnerable quality and was more of a serious actor than a movie star; she committed to the role only two weeks before filming began. [9] He sent the book to Laughton, who loved it and described it as a "nightmarish Mother Goose story". [27] In her 1989 memoir, Winters described this as "probably the most thoughtful and reserved performance I ever gave". However, she soon starts to have her doubts. Night of the Hunter is one of my FAVORITE films and one of the first movies I ever bought specifically on Criterion DVD which I highly recommend. The setting, characters and situations all are reminiscent of the style and it’s used with great effect. Despite vowing not to remarry, Willa ends up being easy prey for Harry's outward ... Matthew Libatique and Gregory Crewdson on Capturing Light, Stream of the Day: Watch ‘The Night of the Hunter’ Before the Remake Threatens to Ruin Its Memory, 80 of the Best Horror Movies to Stream Today, Nicolas Pesce's Top 10 Black-and-White Horror Films, Rotten Tomatoes: Top Mystery & Suspense Movies, James Stewart, Robert Mitchum: Les deux visages de l'Amérique. A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. [7], While preparing for the filming, Laughton studied silent films by viewing their original nitrate prints, including The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And as the only film directed by actor Charles Laughton, its very existence is somewhat haunting. [83], Universal Pictures is working on a remake of the film, set in the present day, and being written by Matt Orton. 96 of 139 people found this review helpful. [11], At first Grubb was being considered to write the screenplay himself, but the studio wanted to hire someone with experience writing for films. Laughton told him, "If you want to sell God, you have to be sexy. [59] The film also received an extensive promotional campaign from United Artists,[60] but they weren't sure about the best way to promote it because it didn't fall into any typical film genres, and the promotional material didn't give a good sense of what the film was about. [44][45] The studio however, tried to convince them to shoot on color film instead because they thought it would sell more tickets. Title: [citation needed], The director of photography was Stanley Cortez, who also shot Orson Welles' 1942 film The Magnificent Ambersons. Before he is captured, he is able to convince his adolescent son John and his daughter Pearl not to tell anyone, including their mother Willa, where he hid the money, namely in Pearl's favorite toy, a doll that she carries everywhere with her. [12] James Agee was hired as the screenwriter because he was from the South and had experience writing about the Depression. [41] Laughton's directing style was supportive and respectful of the actors' input and several of the actors have said it was among their favorite professional experiences. Night of the Hunter opens in the stars, where Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish) tells the children (and the audience) a Southern Gothic parable regarding the importance of childhood and the dangers of "wolves in sheep's" clothing. 90 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The Night of the Hunter is nearly as demented as its lead villain, and I mean that as a compliment. The children use their father's boat to flee down the river and eventually take sanctuary with Rachel Cooper, a tough old woman who looks after stray children. When he auditioned, a moment that particularly impressed Charles Laughton was when Laughton described the character as "a diabolical shit," and Mitchum promptly answered "Present! [43] The studio brought most of the crew from a recent film Black Tuesday because they had worked so well together, and Cortez had experimented with a new black-and-white film Kodak Tri-X on that production, with great results. The police take Powell to safety, but the professional executioner promises to see Powell again soon. The film's lyrical and expressionistic style with its leaning on the silent era sets it apart from other Hollywood films of the 1940s and 1950s, and it has influenced later directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder[1] and Robert Altman. The story of The Night of the Hunter occurs in 1930 in the Ohio River Valley country of West Virginia. And many great movies are realistic, but "The Night of the Hunter'' (1955) is an expressionistic oddity, telling its chilling story through visual fantasy. Despite Powell's attempts to learn the money's location, Harper takes it to his grave. Because Laughton had very little experience working with film, Cortez would visit his house to explain various concepts of camera lenses, camera heights, and what effect each of them gave. [17], The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne denied the film's release, and Gregory wanted to put together a lawsuit against them, but the studio wouldn't allow him to. A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette. [52] The shot of John looking out of the barn window and seeing Powell's silhouette on the horizon was created using a little person and a miniature horse. [15] Throughout 1954, Gregory worked with the Production Code Administration to change the script to meet the guidelines of the Production Code. The fact that The Night of the Hunter is the only film he ever directed somehow makes this project even more special. Ben, who is captured, tried and convicted, is sentenced to death. The Night of the Hunter (1955)—the first film directed by Charles Laughton and also, sadly, the last—is among the greatest horror movies ever made, and perhaps, of that select company, the most irreducibly American in spirit. After reaching a town sometime after his latest murder, Powell ends up being arrested for driving a stolen car and serves his sentence at Moundsville Penitentiary. The Night of the Hunter – review. Loosely based on the true story of serial killer Harry Powers, The Night of the Hunter is a truly hair-raising, spine-tingling Southern Gothic classic, which was honestly more terrifying than anything else I "[16], The budget of the film was a little under $600,000,[17] of which about $75,000 was for the rights to adapt the novel. A frustrated former big-city journalist now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to rekindle his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control circus. "[65] Life summed up the film, "If sometimes it strains too hard at being simple and winds up being pretentious, it still is one of the year’s most interesting and provocative films. "[56], The Night of the Hunter premiered on July 26, 1955 in Des Moines, Iowa, a special event to raise money for the YMCA in Gregory's hometown, which included a parade and a broadcast on The Tonight Show. Certificate: Passed The Night of the Hunter is a celebration of cinema. An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator. This was the only film directed by the actor Charles Laughton. [57][7] It later had its premiere in Los Angeles on August 26, 1955,[58] and in New York on September 29, 1955. [citation needed] Besides, he wanted to create the film's unique look on Hollywood sound stages and found what he was looking for at Pathé, Republic Studios, and the Rowland V. Lee ranch in the San Fernando Valley. By Elbert Ventura Nov 09, 2010 10:12 AM In a 2007 listing of the 100 Most Beautiful Films, Cahiers du cinéma ranked The Night of the Hunter No. "[25], Agnes Moorehead, Grace Kelly, and Betty Grable were all considered for the role of Willa Harper. Written by [75] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 75 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 9.03/10. Tough cop Dave Bannion takes on a politically powerful crime syndicate. The Night of the Hunter (1955) Full Cast & Crew Directed by (1) Writing credits (3) I want them to sit up straight again. “The Night of the Hunter” Anna N. Beach Paper #1 March 7, 2011 “The Night of The Hunter” is a thriller written by Davis Grubb in 1953. Last Updated on 2 days by Romzanul Islam. takes place in West Virginia during the depression.. Synopsis The wedding night, the anticipation, the kiss, the knife, BUT ABOVE ALL…THE SUSPENSE! The novel and film draw on the true story of Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 for the murder of two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Now they slump down, with their heads back, and eat candy and popcorn. 2. During the all-night standoff, Rachel shoots and wounds Powell as she traps him in her barn before calling the police. They are chased by Powell across a luminous, almost cut-out cinematic landscape before coming to rest in the nurturing Mother Goose-like world of Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish). [47] Cortez also brought back the Iris shot in one scene, as an homage to silent films. The Night of the Hunter. It's the Great Depression. John accidentally reveals that he knows the money's location when Powell overhears him reminding Pearl of their promise. Fundamentalist charlatan Rev. The Night of the Hunter (1955) is a truly compelling, haunting, and frightening classic masterpiece thriller-fantasy, and the only film ever directed by the great British actor Charles Laughton. [54][45], The film's editor, Robert Golden, has said that after he screened the complete film to one of the United Artists studio executives for the first time, the executive told Golden, "It's too arty. But with the police about to catch him, Harper makes his children John and Pearl promise to never reveal where the money is hidden after hiding it in Pearl's doll. A potentially violent screenwriter is a murder suspect until his lovely neighbor clears him. [36] Laughton hired Terry Sanders as second unit director in order to scout and shoot the river scenes because he had recently directed an Academy Award-winning short film A Time Out of War, which mostly took place on a river. 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