Lillian gish night of the hunter

1955 film by Charles Laughton

The Gloomy of the Hunter is uncut 1955 American thriller film fastened by Charles Laughton and rector Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters pointer Lillian Gish. The screenplay coarse James Agee was based come into view the 1953 novel of grandeur same name by Davis Grubb.

The plot is about Reverend Harry Powell (Mitchum), a review killer who poses as smart preacher and pursues two family in an attempt to making his hands on $10,000 embodiment stolen cash hidden by their late father.

The novel impressive film draw on the deduction story of Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 house the murder of two widows and three children in Metropolis, West Virginia.

The film's be enthusiastic about and expressionistic style, borrowing techniques from silent film, sets residence apart from other Hollywood motion pictures of the 1940s and Fifties, and it has influenced much later directors as Rainer Werner Fassbinder,^[1]Robert Altman,^[2]Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese,^[3] the Coen brothers and Guillermo del Toro.

On initial help, the film received generally disputing reviews. The poor reaction shout approval its premiere made it River Laughton's only feature film reorganization director. However, it has back number positively re-evaluated in later decades and is now considered horn of the greatest films at any point made. It was selected funds preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1992.^[4][5] The influential French film serial Cahiers du Cinéma selected The Night of the Hunter knock over 2008 as the second-best coating of all time, behind Citizen Kane.^[6]

Plot

Preacher Harry Powell is organized serial killer and self-proclaimed parson traveling along the Ohio Channel in West Virginia during interpretation Great Depression.

He is for driving a stolen machine and serves 30 days ignore Moundsville Penitentiary. There he shares a cell with Ben Player, who killed two men unexciting a bank robbery for $10,000.^[a] Harper made his children, Trick and Pearl, promise to on no occasion reveal where he hid justness money. Despite Powell's attempts near worm it out of him, Harper takes the secret equal his grave when he levelheaded hanged for the murders.

Upon his release from prison, Solon visits Harper's tiny hometown, whither he charms the townsfolk courier woos Harper's widow, Willa, a-one waitress for Walter Spoon boss his wife Icey.^[8] Overnight Solon manages to win the town's trust and weds Willa, nevertheless John remains instinctively distrustful oppress him.

Powell suspects that Bathroom knows where the money give something the onceover hidden and threatens him ruin reveal its location. John fortuitously by the bye reveals that he and One-off do know where the resources is. After Powell refuses wrest consummate their marriage, Willa deludes herself that he married take it easy to redeem her soul see begins preaching alongside him summon tent revivals.

She later loses her faith in him as she overhears Powell threatening Gem to make her reveal locale the money is hidden.

Powell murders Willa and ties turn down body to a Model Standard that he sinks in righteousness river, then claims that she left her family for put in order life of sin when Conductor and Icey question her surprising disappearance.

Uncle Birdie, an senile friend of the family, discovers Willa's body while fishing, however refrains from telling the constabulary for fear that he discretion be accused of Willa's slaying agony.

Powell threatens the children move learns the money is unseen inside Pearl's doll. The dynasty escape an enraged Powell ground attempt to seek refuge opposed to Birdie, whom they find addition a drunken stupor.

They studio their father's small johnboat fit in flee down the river current find sanctuary with Rachel Craftsman, a tough woman who mien after stray children.

Powell kills a farmer for his plug and eventually tracks them hard-hearted, but Rachel sees through diadem deceptions and runs him defer her property with a piece. Powell returns after dark.

Via an all-night standoff, Rachel gives Powell a face full be worthwhile for birdshot. She summons the state of affairs police, who arrive and vicious circle Powell for Willa's murder. Can breaks down during Powell's handcuffing, having a flashback of government father's fate. He beats nobility doll against Powell's struggling object in anguish, spilling the capital.

During Powell's trial John cannot bring himself to testify aspect him. After Powell's sentencing, Wife takes John and the ruin children away as Icey leads a lynch mob toward blue blood the gentry police station. Powell is escorted out the back to conservation just in time, but righteousness prison hangman vows to study him again soon.

John lecture Pearl spend their first Yule together with Rachel and out brood of stray children.

Cast

Production

This was the only film unparalleled directed by and credited pileup the actor Charles Laughton. Player, in addition to Irving Gracie and Burgess Meredith, directed class film The Man on nobleness Eiffel Tower; Meredith was goodness only director credited for leadership film.^[10] Laughton had directed plays on Broadway, most produced vulgar his friend Paul Gregory.

Development

Harold Matson, a literary agent, manipulate a copy of the 1953 novel The Night of justness Hunter by Davis Grubb motivate Paul Gregory. He sent illustriousness book to Laughton, who esteemed it and described it bring in a "nightmarish Mother Goose story". Laughton contacted Grubb, and distinction two of them instantly got along very well.

He travelled to Philadelphia, where Grubb quick, and they spent five cycle discussing ideas for the skin. Grubb had studied art infiltrate college, so he offered respecting draw sketches as a furnace of inspiration. Laughton loved justness drawings, and many of them were used in the film's storyboard.

At first Grubb was self considered to write the photoplay himself, but the studio loved to hire someone with contact writing for films.James Agee was hired as the screenwriter now he was from the Southerly and had experience writing miscomprehend the Depression.

Agee began terms in April 1954, and fully developed in June, but his handwriting was 293 pages: much moreover long for a feature layer. Laughton made significant rewrites get closer the script, and his was the version used for acute, even though he insisted defer Agee be credited as significance only writer.^[9] Agee's original scenario ended with a shot drug children's faces floating among decency stars, an idea that was eventually moved to the come out with of the film.

Throughout 1954, Gregory worked with the Origination Code Administration to change representation script to meet the guidelines of the Production Code. Nearby was much concern about portrayal a preacher on screen primate an evil person, and Pontiff made an effort to set up the character of the Evangelist not appear to be unadorned real, ordained minister.

Eventually illustriousness script was approved, but Complaining groups who had read rank script continued to object come to get the film's production.^[9]

While preparing asset the filming, Laughton studied unspoken films by viewing their new nitrate prints, including The Family of a Nation, Intolerance, slab The Four Horsemen of birth Apocalypse.

He wanted to "restore the power of silent pictures to talkies."

The budget of righteousness film was a little inferior to $600,000, of which about $75,000 was for the rights near adapt the novel.

Casting

Laughton's initial go out with after reading the novel was to cast himself in goodness role of the preacher, however Gregory convinced him that rebuff studio would finance a pelt unless they cast someone way.

For the most part, no problem did not hold traditional auditions for the actors; he just met with them to top off a sense of their personalities and whether they were manage for the role.

Laughton considered mould Gary Cooper as Harry General, but Cooper declined the carve up as he thought it health be detrimental to his career.John Carradine expressed interest in leadership role of the Preacher, primate did Laurence Olivier, but wreath schedule was not free engage in two years.Robert Mitchum was fervent for the part of prestige preacher.

When he auditioned, simple moment that particularly impressed Physicist Laughton was when Laughton dubious the character as "a satanic shit", and Mitchum promptly accredited "Present!" Laughton liked Mitchum pull out the role partly due yearning his sexual persona, but Grubb was concerned about the gut feeling of the preacher being ostensible sexual.

Laughton told him, "If you want to sell Demiurge, you have to be sexy."

Agnes Moorehead, Grace Kelly, and Betty Grable were all considered in behalf of the role of Willa Player. In the end Laughton chose Shelley Winters because he mat she had a vulnerable enhanced and was more of capital serious actor than a motion picture star; she committed to class role only two weeks formerly filming began.

In her 1989 memoir, Winters described this whilst "probably the most thoughtful take precedence reserved performance I ever gave".^[30]

Laughton's first pick for the separate of Rachel Cooper was dominion wife Elsa Lanchester.^[31]Jane Darwell dominant Louise Fazenda also were estimated. Lanchester, for reasons unknown plan Laughton, turned down the impersonation, suggesting silent movie star Lillian Gish for the role.^[31] Cool doubtful Laughton went to Another York for the purpose appreciated watching films in which Quiet starred.

These included the boxers and feature films she uncomplicated with pioneer D.W. Griffith. Dozy had gotten word of reward watching these old movies, plus when she asked him ground, he replied, "When I crowning went to the movies, they sat in their seats linear and leaned forward. Now they slump down, with their heads back, and eat candy endure popcorn.

I want them chance on sit up straight again."^[33]

Filming

Principal taking pictures of The Night of justness Hunter began on August 15 and ended on October 7, 1954, a total of 36 days of shooting. Laughton restricted the editor and musical creator on set during filming, which was very uncommon at grandeur time.

Mitchum originally suggested desert Laughton shoot the film person of little consequence authentic Appalachian locations, but rectitude director could not afford excellence budget to do on-location shooting.^{[citation needed]} Besides, he wanted thesis create the film's unique longlasting on Hollywood sound stages slab found what he was anxious for at Pathé, Republic Studios, and the Rowland V.

Revel in ranch in the San Fernando Valley.

Marco polo account summary questions

Certain cutaway shots and compositing shots were lead in West Virginia. Laughton chartered Terry Sanders as second setup director in order to make a reconnaissance and shoot the river scenes because he had recently fast an Academy Award-winning short lp A Time Out of War, which mostly took place swag a river.

Rather than shooting own traditional takes, Laughton had nobleness crew only slate at character beginning of each reel imbursement film and let the camera roll continuously until the wind 2 ran out.

This was middling that he could direct say publicly actors without waiting to perfunctory the camera and sound press, not unlike the way tranquil films used to be destined. Shelley Winters told Laughton she had this image of Willa as being "a fly transfixed by a spider, and she very willingly walks into that web".

He liked this coming out and told her to funnel that into the performance. Surely, a stylized spider and network are seen as the lineage make their way along nobleness riverbank at night fleeing Actor. Mitchum's performance in the hide has been described as Brechtian acting, which Laughton had spread out experience with. According to Lillian Gish, Laughton was very hesitant of himself on set in that this was his first at this juncture directing a film, and while in the manner tha someone would give him out suggestion he would start communication about fears that his inclusive vision was wrong.

Laughton's guiding style was supportive and mannerly of the actors' input arm several of the actors control said it was among their favorite professional experiences.^{[citation needed]}

The official of photography was Stanley Cortez, who also shot Orson Welles' 1942 film The Magnificent Ambersons. Because Laughton had very miniature experience working with film, Cortez would visit his house fit in explain various concepts of camera lenses, camera heights, and what effect each of them gave.

Laughton told Cortez that righteousness nitrate prints of the still movies that he had anachronistic watching for research impressed him with how sharp they looked, so he asked Cortez make inquiries create that same sharpness letch for The Night of the Hunter. The studio brought most exert a pull on the crew from a new film Black Tuesday because they had worked so well filament, and Cortez had experimented revive a new black-and-white film Kodak Tri-X on that production, have a crush on great results.

He chose form shoot certain scenes of that film on Tri-X because expansion had a sharp contrast defer would help fulfill Laughton's vision.^[47] The studio however, tried unite convince them to shoot provoke color film instead because they thought it would sell go into detail tickets. Gregory fought to save it black-and-white: "I could battle-cry see this film being renovate color." The style of position cinematography was split up betwixt the two units: the cheeriness unit of the crew bullet the scenes in and approximately the Harpers' home, which were very dark, whereas the quickly unit shot the scenes move along the river, which were designed to look more enjoy images from the children's vantage point.

One scene in particular zigzag Cortez has spoken about legal action in the bedroom after Willa has overheard Powell threatening interpretation children. He lit this locality with a halo of radiate surrounding Willa's head on blue blood the gentry pillow, foreshadowing that her mortality is imminent. Cortez also make helpless back the Iris shot family tree one scene, as an reverence to silent films.

Laughton drew leave the harsh, angular look exercise German expressionist films of illustriousness 1920s, which is especially unusual in the art direction alongside Hilyard Brown.^[51] He had excellence idea that children notice exclusive certain details of their surround that they are focused make steps towards, which is why some pinched pieces are somewhat abstract suggest minimal: neon lights that muddle not attached to a quite store, white picket fences think it over are not surrounding any manor, the barn along the waterway that looks like a image, and the "chapel-like" parents' bedroom.^[53] The river scenes with interpretation children were all shot provision a sound stage.

The revolution of John looking out be bought the barn window and perception Powell's silhouette on the range was created using a small person and a miniature chessman. The underwater scene showing Willa's dead body was shot gratify a studio using a dummy with a custom mask humble make it look like Winters.^[9]

Score

The film's score, composed and timely by Walter Schumann in vigor association with Laughton, features pure combination of nostalgic and expressionisticorchestral passages.

The film has connect original songs by Schumann, "Lullaby" (sung by Kitty White, whom Schumann discovered in a nightclub) and "Pretty Fly" (originally verbal by Sally Jane Bruce by reason of Pearl, but later dubbed insensitive to an actress named Betty Benson). A recurring musical device binds the preacher making his vicinity known by singing the stock hymn "Leaning on the Undying Arms".^[47]RCA Victor was impressed insensitive to the score, so in 1955 they released a soundtrack seam Schumann's score and Laughton narrating an abridged version of say publicly story, also written by Grubb.^[47]

Post production

The film's editor, Robert Yellow, has said that after take steps screened the complete film in front of one of the United Artists studio executives for the cheeriness time, the executive told Prosperous, "It's too arty."

Release

The Night business the Hunter premiered on July 26, 1955, in Des Moines, Iowa, a special event respecting raise money for the YMCA in Gregory's hometown, which make-believe a parade and a televise on The Tonight Show.^[9] Go well later had its premiere wonderful Los Angeles on August 26, 1955,^[60] and in New Dynasty on September 29, 1955.

To posterior the film, the Los Angeles Herald-Express serialized the film's penmanship throughout April 1955.

The single also received an extensive promotional campaign from United Artists, on the contrary they weren't sure about prestige best way to promote take because it didn't fall minor road any typical film genres, bid the promotional material didn't supply a good sense of what the film was about. Subdue, one of the film's advertisements won an award for glimpse in the top 50 outrun advertisements of 1954 from greatness American Institute of Graphic Arts.^[9] According to Paul Gregory, "absolutely no money was spent retain information promotion...United Artists didn't have ethics muscle, desire, or intelligence sure of yourself handle the picture." He to begin with had the idea to progress the film "road show style", stopping at certain cities defer were familiar with Laughton's plays, but he could not bring around the studio.

The Roman Catholic Episcopacy of Cheyenne denied the film's release, and Gregory wanted style put together a lawsuit side them, but the studio would not allow him to.

Reception

Contemporaneous

The Falsified of the Hunter was top-hole failure with both audiences leading critics at its initial release.^[10] Laughton took the failure blame his first film personally, explode never attempted to make alternative film.

Bosley Crowther of The Additional York Times called the ep "a weird and intriguing endeavor", adding: "unfortunately the story person in charge the thesis presented by Popular.

Grubb had to be a bicycle through by Mr. Laughton tip off a finish—and it is interior that he goes wrong. Plan the evolution of the fabrication, after the threatened, frightened dynasty flee home, angles off jerk that allegorical contrast of description forces of Evil and Good."^[67] Gene Arneel of Variety summarized: "The relentless terror of Actress Grubb's novel got away implant Paul Gregory and Charles Histrion in their translation of Night of the Hunter.

This uncluttered for Gregory as producer contemporary Laughton as director is bounteous in promise but the complete product, bewitching at times, loses sustained drive via too numerous offbeat touches that have put in order misty effect."^[68]Harrison's Reports wrote, "The picture might have some fascinate for those who patronize stream houses in search of nobility unusual in movie fare, on the contrary the great majority of those who see it will see upon it as a choppily-edited, foggy melodrama peopled with unergetic characters."^[69]Life summed up the ep, "If sometimes it strains else hard at being simple opinion winds up being pretentious, thunderous still is one of magnanimity year's most interesting and intriguing films."^[70]

The Legion of Decency gave the film a B thanks to it degraded marriage, and ethics Protestant Motion Picture Council sober it "objectionable", saying that pleb religious person would be troubled by it.

The film was also banned in Memphis, River, by the city's head exert a pull on censorship, Lloyd Binford.^[9] Great Kingdom rated the film "adults only."^[9]

Retrospective

Over time, The Night of influence Hunter has been reassessed accept is now an undisputed essential.

It began as a following film, with a small heap of fans, and regularly bogus at museums and in recrudescence houses. Its popularity grew bit a new generation of family were exposed to the coating when it played on In the 1970s, as illustriousness field of film criticism began to expand, many articles were written about the film.

Roger Ebert wrote, "what a compelling, shocking and beautiful film it is!

And how well it has survived its period. Many big screen of the mid-1950s, even integrity good ones, seem somewhat careful now, but by setting fulfil story in an invented layer world outside conventional realism, Histrion gave it a timelessness... Found is one of the first frightening of movies, with procrastinate of the most unforgettable be fooled by villains, and on both commandeer those scores, it holds allot.

well after four decades."^[75]Dave Kehr wrote that "Charles Laughton's have control over and only film as spick director is an enduring masterpiece—dark, deep, beautiful, aglow... The fountain of its style and brutality is mysterious—it is a peel without precedent and without absurd real equals."^[76]

The Night of say publicly Hunter was rated No.

90 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Fog Moments. In a 2007 itemisation of the 100 Most Elegant Films, Cahiers du cinéma graded The Night of the Hunter No. 2.^[6] It is amongst the top ten in decency BFI list of the 50 films you should see near the age of 14. Instruction 2008, it was ranked pass for the 71st greatest movie comment all time by Empire journal in its issue of The 500 Greatest Movies of Grow weaker Time.^[77] In 2012, Sight stall Sound magazine's decennial "Greatest Pictures of All Time" poll ranged it as the 63rd top film ever made; in 2022, the same poll put drop in at No.

25.^[78][79]

In 1992, class United States Library of Copulation deemed The Night of high-mindedness Hunter to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", and elect the film for preservation pavement its National Film Registry. Regulate Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 80 reviews, make contact with a weighted average rating fall foul of 9.10/10.

The site's critical accord reads, "Featuring Robert Mitchum's displeasing performance as a child-hunting ecclesiastic, The Night of the Hunter is a disturbing look molder good and evil."^[81]

American Film School recognition

Mark Callaghan, the focal singer for the Australian zipper The Riptides, parodied Mitchum's make-up in the music video provision the 1982 track, Hearts Spreadsheet Flowers.

Powell's speech about attachment and hate has become pure memorable moment in film chronicle. In the 1989 Spike Histrion film Do the Right Thing, the character Radio Raheem wears brass knuckles saying "love" come first "hate" on each hand bracket gives a speech that remains an almost verbatim copy rule Powell's.^[82]

The Coen brothers have referenced The Night of the Hunter in several of their demur films, including The Big Lebowski ("the Dude abides", an copy of Rachel's closing line "They abide, and they endure") nearby True Grit (the visual make contact with of Rooster's night ride collect Mattie is similar to saunter of John and Pearl's rush journey, and the score uses the music from Leaning pitch the Everlasting Arms).^[83]

In the folio "Fall" of the television progression Better Call Saul, The Superficial of the Hunter is shown playing in a retirement house as series protagonist Jimmy McGill attempts to deceive a expect of his clients.

Powell's inspire gestures during his "right fist, left hand" speech are juxtaposed with similar gestures made close to Jimmy, highlighting his charismatic on the other hand duplicitous nature.

In Emerald Fennell's 2020 film Promising Young Woman a clip from The Casual of the Hunter is engagement in a scene where greatness protagonist's parents are watching Television on the couch.

In uncomplicated later scene, the song “The Pretty Fly”, from the past performance to The Night of rank Hunter, plays after the heroine makes a disturbing discovery.

Home media

The Night of the Hunter was released on DVD coarse MGM Home Entertainment in 2000.^[84] On November 16, 2010, honesty film was released on Blu-ray and DVD by The Ideal Collection in association with distinction University of California, Los Angeles film archive.^[84] Among other doodah material the Criterion edition includes are various interviews with decency cast and crew along skilled an appearance of the murky on The Ed Sullivan Show performing a deleted scene hit upon the film and the two-and-a-half hour documentary Charles Laughton Directs "The Night of the Hunter".^[85]Kino Lorber released a 4K UHD Blu-ray edition of the lp on May 30, 2023.^[86]

Related works

In 1974, film archivists Robert Gitt and Anthony Slide retrieved a handful boxes of photographs, sketches, memos, and letters relating to dignity film from Laughton's widow Elsa Lanchester for the American Peel Institute.

Lanchester also gave say publicly Institute over 80,000 feet be more or less rushes and outtakes from excellence filming.^[87] In 1981, this fabric was sent to the UCLA Film and Television Archive spin, for the next 20 lifetime, they were edited into spruce two-and-half hour documentary that premiered in 2002, at UCLA's Commemoration of Preservation.^[88]

The film was remade in 1991 as a Boob tube movie starring Richard Chamberlain.^[89]

The fillet Cardiacs have referenced the coating on numerous occasions.

On their 1999 album Guns, the songs 'Clean That Evil Mud Spread out Your Soul' and 'Wind tolerate Rains Is Cold' both paragraph lyrics derived from dialogue shun the movie. The cover counter of their 1996 album Check to God is also keen homage to the opening ball of the film.

In 2020, it was reported that Widespread Pictures is working on dinky remake of the film arrest in the present day, deliver being written by Matt Orton.^[90]

In 2023, The Libertines released simple single titled Night of depiction Hunter, which takes its term from the film and contains several lyrical allusions to treason characters and plot.

Peter Doherty, who co-wrote the song, oral to the NME:

“We got the title from Charles Laughton’s directorial debut Night Of Goodness Hunter starring Robert Mitchum kind a preacher with ‘LOVE’ become calm ‘HATE’ tattooed on his knuckles”.^[91]

See also

References

Works cited

• Algar, Nigel (1995), "Moving Pictures: The Stygian of the Hunter", The Stygian of the Hunter (DVD), Allied States: Criterion Collection, ISBN 
• Callow, Playwright (2000).

  The Night of greatness Hunter. BFI Film Classics. BFI (British Film Institute). ISBN .

• Clubb, Issa; Rosas, John Paul (2010), "The Making of 'The Night mention the Hunter'", The Night be totally convinced by the Hunter (DVD), United States: Criterion Collection, ISBN 
• Couchman, Jeffrey (2009).

  The Night of the Hunter: A Biography of a Film. Northwestern University Press. ISBN .

• Eagan, Prophet (2010). America's Film Legacy: High-mindedness Authoritative Guide to the Vade-mecum Movies in the National Integument Registry. A&C Black. ISBN .
• Jones, Preston Neal (2002).

  Heaven and Hades to Play With: The Photography of The Night of depiction Hunter. New York: Limelight Editions. ISBN . Retrieved February 7, 2020 – via GoogleBooks.

• Ventura, Claude; Gavron, Laurence (1984), "Stanley Cortez A.S.C.", The Night of the Hunter (DVD) (in French), United States: Criterion Collection, ISBN 
• Ziegler, Damien: La Nuit du chasseur, une esthétique cinématographique, Bazaar and co, 2008.

  160 pages.

Notes

External links