Adapted by James Agee from a novel by Davis Grubb, The Night of the Hunter represented legendary actor Charles Laughton's only film directing effort. The movie is a brilliant good-and-evil parable that combines stark realism with Germanic expressionism, with "good" represented by a couple of farm kids and a pious old lady, and "evil" literally in the hands of a posturing psychopath. Phony preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) learns that a huge sum of money, stolen by prison mate Ben Harper (Peter Graves), is hidden somewhere near his home. The murderously misogynistic Powell insinuates himself into Ben's home after his release and eventually even marries his widow Willa (Shelley Winters). Eventually all that stands between Powell and the money are Ben's son (Billy Chapin) and daughter (Sally Jane Bruce), who take refuge in a home for abandoned children presided over by the indomitable, scripture-quoting Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish). The masterful blend of horror and lyricism in the w watch
