The Night of the Hunter (1955) – Charles Laughton
Notice the words love and hate have been tattooed across his knuckles.
The Night of the Hunter is a 1953 novel by American author Davis Grubb. The book was a national bestseller and was voted a finalist for the 1955 National Book Award. In 1955 the book was adapted by Charles Laughton and James Agee as the film The Night of the Hunter.
The story concerns an ex-convict who, acting on a story told him by his now-dead cellmate, cons the cellmate’s widow into marrying him in hopes that her children will tell him where their father hid the money from his last robbery. After killing their mother, he embarks on a hunt for the children, who have sensed his evil and are running from him.
The plot was based on the true story of Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 for the murders of two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia. —http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night of the Hunter [Sept 2006]
See also: serial killer – American cinema – 1955
Ah. My favorite movie.
I didn’t know it was based on a true story. Intriguing.
I didn’t know it was based on a true story, either, I always thought that the origin was just literary.
BTW, a number of people in the IMDB forum for “the Night of the Hunter” said recently that would like to see a Special Edition DVD of “The Night of the Hunter”. As the saying goes “You can get it if you really want”.
I have set a web-address to such effect. see the link at:
http://rootingforlaughton.blogspot.com/2006/09/would-you-like-to-see-special-edition.html
I’ll give notice to Criterion (and possibly other DVD publishers as well) about the campaign, and keep them posted as the list grows… (if it grows, of course!). If we show enough interest, I think that a Special Edition DVD of “The Night of the Hunter” might become a reality
Now, as it is usually said: say it now or remain silent forever