Regular Price $14.98

Starring: Robert Mitchum,  Shelley Winters,  Paul Bryar,  Cheryl Callaway,  Gloria Castillo, 
Directed By:
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 1955
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Format: Black & White, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about The Night of the Hunter

Amazon.com essential video
In the entire history of American movies, The Night of the Hunter stands out as the rarest and most exotic of specimens. It is, to say the least, a masterpiece--and not just because it was the only movie directed by flamboyant actor Charles Laughton or the only produced solo screenplay by the legendary critic James Agee (who also cowrote The African Queen). The truth is, nobody has ever made anything approaching its phantasmagoric, overheated style in which German expressionism, religious hysteria, fairy-tale fantasy (of the Grimm-est variety), and stalker movie are brought together in a furious boil. Like a nightmarish premonition of stalker movies to come, Night of the Hunter tells the suspenseful tale of a demented preacher (Robert Mitchum, in a performance that prefigures his memorable villain in Cape Fear), who torments a boy and his little sister--even marries their mixed-up mother (Shelley Winters)--because he's certain the kids know where their late bank-robber father hid a stash of stolen money. So dramatic, primal, and unforgettable are its images--the preacher's shadow looming over the children in their bedroom, the magical boat ride down a river whose banks teem with fantastic wildlife, those tattoos of LOVE and HATE on the unholy man's knuckles, the golden locks of a drowned woman waving in the current along with the indigenous plant life in her watery grave--that they're still haunting audiences (and filmmakers) today. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews for The Night of the Hunter

L-O-V-E / H-A-T-E Relationship...
Lillian Gish opens this movie w/ a warning to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. This sets the stage for the Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum from the equally classic Cape Fear), who roams the countryside searching for converts (aka: victims) to his special brand of fire-and-brimstone religion. This religion includes Powell's "listening to the voice of God", which will lead him to a town where he can prey upon the ignorant souls within. Enter Shelley Winters (Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?, Poseiden Adventure) as the widow of an executed robber / killer (Peter Graves), who has hidden $10,000.00 somewhere on their property. Unfortunately, Powell shared a cell with dear hubby and tried without success to get him to reveal the location of the money. Now released, Powell sets out to find the place, marry the widow, and collect the fortune. Mitchum is supremely creepy as the reverend. He will make your skin crawl and your stomach flip! Set in a far more innocent / ignorant time, Powell is truly a wolf among sheep. The only one who is suspicious of him is Winters' son, who also (along w/ his little sister, Pearl) knows where dad hid the cash. Winters finally grows a brain and questions Powell. This all leads to murder, and a journey into the unknown for the kids, winding up at the home of the Lillian Gish character. The final good vs. evil confrontation is a lot of fun. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is a movie that I can watch again and again. Is it terrifying? No, but it is a masterpiece of childhood fears and eerie atmosphere. Director, Charles Laughton makes this a joy to watch, almost a dark version of Tom Sawyer, w/ it's down-river adventure. I think Stephen King drew inspiration from this story for his Randall Flagg and Mother Abigail characters in his apocalyptic book, THE STAND. Highest recommendation...The Night of the Hunter

Great Classic
This is a tuly excellent classic movie. My entire family enjoyed it! Great dramatic performances from Robert Mitchum and Shelly Winters. I am so glad that movies like this are still in circulation , I just can't stomach much of what is on the silver screen today! This movie is a keeper!The Night of the Hunter

Night Of The Psychopathic Religious Fanatic
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is an excellent film. Set in depression era West Virginia it is based on an prize winning novel of the same name that was inspired by a real life murderer who lived in that area. The surreal beginning and the fluffy ending in a cozy cottage at Christmas seem like the stuff of fairy tales but in between all is pure nightmare.

Robert Mitchum is both chilling and spellbinding as a criminal/preacher who marries the gullible widow of an executed cellmate in hopes he can force her two young children to tell him where their dad hid the proceeds from his final bank robbery. Shelly Winters plays the doomed widow well and in a manner very reminiscent of her performance in A PLACE IN THE SUN. Silent screen beauty Lillian Gish has the third starring role as a brusque but saintly, elderly foster mother who ultimately becomes a savior. The two child actors playing John and Pearl do amazing jobs and have lots of screen time in which they prove they can do more than look scared. The rest of the cast of supporting actors all bring a certain creepy small town flavor to their assorted roles.

The movie is heavily laden with symbols some of which are a bit obvious but fit the overall style of the film. The story wavers a bit during a trial and mob scene late in the film but redeems itself again by the movie's fable like closing scene. Vocal music is used to good effect several times throughout the movie though I was not fond of the overdone instrumental music that seemed to be the murderous preacher's theme. This movie is genuinely unsettling despite the reassuring ending and should appeal to most fans of psychological horror.The Night of the Hunter

Love and Hate do battle
A family man steals money after a robbery and hides it with his kids without their mother knowing. He makes them promise not to tell. In jail he reveals to a self appointed evangelical Minster Powell (Robert Mitchum) that he still has the loot before he is hanged. The Minister marries into the family after wooing the widow to try to get the kids to reveal the whereabouts of the money. He even resorts to murder. Eventually the kids escape and he chases after them for a final showdown in the home of an elderly foster carer.

The Night of the Hunter is basically a vehicle to watch Robert Mitchum play a very scary psycho. There is a classic scene where Powell wrestles with his own hands to tell a biblical story of the struggle between love and hate. Watching the widow deteriorate while at his command is also shocking. Overall this is powerful storytelling through and through and Mitchum turns into one the darkest of characters ever to loom upon the silver screen.The Night of the Hunter

Robert Mitchum is Terrifying!
Robert Mitchum has played some pretty creepy characters, but no one rivals Harry Powell from "The Night of the Hunter." He is marvelous throughout the film. Powell is a disturbed "preacher" who happens to speak to God. He believes God is helping him rid the world of the horrible and foul female. Yes, he hates women. He hates them so much, he murders them for money.

Shelley Winters is superb as the widowed Willa Harper, whose husband happens to meet Powell in prison. Convinced by the town to marry such a great catch, Willa slowly devolves into Powell's slave abiding by his every wish. As if God sent him to her to make her pure again, she believes him--hook, line and sinker! ; )

The movie gets a little strange at the middle and takes a rather unforeseen direction. Although I feel the beginning is clearly better than the latter portion of the film, I do also appreciate it in its entirety.

An excellent movie that classic fans need to see!



The Night of the Hunter

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