A self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.A self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.A self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination
Gloria Castillo
- Ruby
- (as Gloria Castilo)
Corey Allen
- Young Man in Town
- (uncredited)
Oscar Blank
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Paul Bryar
- Bart the Hangman
- (uncredited)
Nora Bush
- Townswoman
- (uncredited)
Cheryl Callaway
- Mary
- (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell
- Judge
- (uncredited)
Michael Chapin
- Ruby's Boyfriend
- (uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissell
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Davis Grubb
- James Agee
- Charles Laughton(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe sequence with Powell riding a horse in the distance was actually a dwarf on a pony. It was filmed in false perspective.
- GoofsA man who is sentenced to only thirty days for a misdemeanor would be sent to the county jail, and not the state penitentiary, and thus, would never be sharing a cell with a condemned man on death row.
- Quotes
Rachel Cooper: It's a hard world for little things.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: La monnaie de l'absolu (1999)
- SoundtracksDream, Little One, Dream
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Walter Schumann
Sung by a chorus during the opening credits
Reprised offscreen by an unidentified female when the chldren are on the run
Featured review
Outstanding acting , fascinating camera-work and extraordinary direction by Charles Laughton
This is a nightmarish tale of a psychopathic preacher named Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum). Ben Harper (Peter Graves) commits killings and he hides the money , promising his sons -Pearl and John- silence about the secret place where it is stashed . While Harper is in prison meets lugubrious preacher Powell who has the words ¨Hate¨ tattooed on the knuckles of his left hand and ¨Love¨ on his right . One time condemned Ben to death penalty , Harry is freed from jail and goes Harper's home where lures Willa (Shelley Winters) and after he marries her in the hopes of getting the cache of money . Later on , the kids are protected by Rachel (Lilian Gish) when Powell threatens them , she's a valiant old lady , rifle wielding and Bible-reading .
This is an ogre-tale in which the psychotic baddie is a bogus preacher. It's a rare film noir , a classic of bizarre beauty and extraordinary performances , totally unique in Hollywood history . A perfect collaboration between novel author : David Grubb , the great screenwriter : James Agee , the cameraman : Cortez and director Laughton . This unusual , odd picture is proceeded under point of sight the children , describing mysterious scenarios and has its moments of strange images , such as the magic journey across the river . Dutch-born American serial killer Harry Powers was the inspiration for the Preacher . Top-notch Robert Mitchum in the acting of his life along with ¨Cape fear¨, he said that Charles Laughton was his favorite director and indicated that this was his favorite of the movies in which he had acted . Magnificent Lilian Gish as old lady who defends the children wielding her shotgun . Special mention for James Gleason as an old drunk who lives on a cottage by the river . Stanley Cortez's masterly cinematography drew heavily from photographers Nicholas Musuraka and John Alton , noir cinema's masters , in its use of lights , darkness and shadows to originate apprehension , suspense , mood and fear . Splendid musical score by Walter Schumann with sensitive lyrics and songs creating a hypnotic atmosphere . This masterpiece was wonderfully directed by great actor Charles Laughton , his only film behind the cameras , however being a flop on original release and he was never again to be offered the film-making another movie . Rating : Over-the-top film , above average . Indispensable and essential watching.
This is an ogre-tale in which the psychotic baddie is a bogus preacher. It's a rare film noir , a classic of bizarre beauty and extraordinary performances , totally unique in Hollywood history . A perfect collaboration between novel author : David Grubb , the great screenwriter : James Agee , the cameraman : Cortez and director Laughton . This unusual , odd picture is proceeded under point of sight the children , describing mysterious scenarios and has its moments of strange images , such as the magic journey across the river . Dutch-born American serial killer Harry Powers was the inspiration for the Preacher . Top-notch Robert Mitchum in the acting of his life along with ¨Cape fear¨, he said that Charles Laughton was his favorite director and indicated that this was his favorite of the movies in which he had acted . Magnificent Lilian Gish as old lady who defends the children wielding her shotgun . Special mention for James Gleason as an old drunk who lives on a cottage by the river . Stanley Cortez's masterly cinematography drew heavily from photographers Nicholas Musuraka and John Alton , noir cinema's masters , in its use of lights , darkness and shadows to originate apprehension , suspense , mood and fear . Splendid musical score by Walter Schumann with sensitive lyrics and songs creating a hypnotic atmosphere . This masterpiece was wonderfully directed by great actor Charles Laughton , his only film behind the cameras , however being a flop on original release and he was never again to be offered the film-making another movie . Rating : Over-the-top film , above average . Indispensable and essential watching.
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- Jul 1, 2009
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Nacht des Jägers
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $795,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $5,455
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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