The Story: "Tell me a story...."
The only film Charles Laughton directed was one that broke his heart because it wasn't a hit when it was released in 1955. "Too arty" the studio thought, and they didn't promote it. But, The Night of the Hunter has gone on to become a cult film owing to its blending of genres, its look borrowed from both D.W. Griffith and the German Expressionists, its story reminiscent of the Bible and the Brothers Grimm in a Southern gothic locale, and the poetry of the images, which are the work of Stanley Cortez and Laughton, composed in a simple location, but, most startlingly in the studio.
In an interview in the Criterion edition of The Night of the Hunter, Simon Callow says that the ironic thing is that the film is probably better known than Laughton is, despite its initial poor reception. It's become a favorite of the public and filmmakers—see Spike Lee below—just because of the startling creativity invested in it. It's magical. And terrifying. Maybe too intense for children, but it's story of redemption and the triumph of good over evil is the stuff of children's stories.
Speaking of Good and Evil, perhaps the film is best known for this—Harry Powell's story of the clash between the two forces for the human heart (a battle he enacts, but never has experienced). Played with religious sanctimony by an inspired Robert Mitchum, it is one of the things the film is best known for. Laughton used one take of Mitchum in medium close-up performing it and after it, Laughton (off-camera) read the next line of the script for Mitchum to play to—which is "I've never heard it better told"—and the director added "...and by Christ, I haven't" while the self-effacing Mitchum checked his knuckle for damage when he wrapped the counter, preparing for another take...which was never necessary.
The Set-Up: Ben Harper (Peter Graves) is dead. Convicted of armed robbery, he's been hanged and his cell-mate—the "Reverend" Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum)—has come to town to find the money and zeroes in like a hawk on the Harper family—mother Willa (Shelley Winters), son John (Billy Chapin), daughter Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce)—to get it. To his horror, loyal son John sees the charismatic Powell making his first moves as a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Action!
CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN
He is horrified by what he sees.
INT. SPOON'S ICE CREAM PARLOR
GROUP SHOT through door-glass, from JOHN'S VIEW POINT PREACHER, WILLA and PEARL surround a little table. WALT stands
by, puffing his pipe. ICEY in BACKGROUND, stirs fudge at a
little soda-fountain stove. WILLA looks both moved and
pleased. PEARL, shyly flirting with PREACHER, all but hides
in WILLA'S skirts. PREACHER dandles PEARL'S doll on his knee
as he talks. All the grownups are avid for his words, which
we don't hear through the glass. We SHOOT THROUGH the DOOR; he quietly enters. GROUP SHOT
They look casually to JOHN, and continue talking.
ICEY SPOON
(stirring; with a
meaningful glance at
Willa)
God works in a mysterious way, His
wonders to perform. OVER this JOHN ENTERS the SHOT and stands at the fringe of
the GROUP, staring at PREACHER'S hands and at the doll.
PREACHER
I was with Brother Harper almost right up to
the end;... GROUP SHOT -- NEW ANGLE -- FAVORING JOHN AND PREACHER
PREACHER
(continuing)
...and now... PREACHER
(continuing)...that I'm no longer employed
by the Penitentiary... PREACHER
(continuing)...it is my joy to
bring this small comfort to his loved
ones. FLASH-CUT CLOSE-UP -- JOHN
On "Penitentiary" he glances quickly at PREACHER'S face;
then back to his hands.
GROUP SHOT -- ICEY
ICEY SPOON
(sniffing)
It's a mighty good man would come... ICEY SPOON ...out of his way to bring a word of
cheer to a grieving widow! CLOSE SHOT -- WALT
WALT
So you ain't with the State no more? GROUP SHOT -- FAVORING PREACHER AND JOHN
PREACHER
No, Brother; I resigned only
yesterday. PREACHER
The heart-renderin'
spectacle of them poor men... PREACHER ...was too
much for me. He becomes aware of JOHN'S staring.
PREACHER
Ah, little lad, you're staring at my
fingers. He hands the doll to PEARL.
JOHN'S eyes follow the doll.
PREACHER holds up both hands to JOHN. JOHN looks back at his
hands.
PREACHER
Shall I tell you the little story of
Right-Hand-Left-Hand --
PREACHER
the tale of
Good and Evil? JOHN stands still.
PEARL, with her doll, crosses to PREACHER
and twines about his knee. CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN
He looks on, in dumb alarm.
CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER
PREACHER
H-A-T-E!
(he thrusts up his
left hand) PREACHER It was with this left hand that old
brother Cain struck the blow that
laid his brother low!
PREACHER L-O-V-E!
(he thrusts up his
right hand)
PREACHER See these here fingers, dear hearts friends!
These fingers has veins that lead
straight to the soul of man! PREACHER The
right hand, friends! The hand of
Love! GROUP SHOT -- ICEY, WALT, WILLA -- OVER PREACHER'S HANDS
They are impressed in their different ways.
PREACHER
(o.s.)
Now watch and I'll show you the Story
of Life.
PREACHER The fingers of these hands,
dear hearts! -- They're always a-
tuggin' and a-warrin' one hand agin'
t'other.
(he locks his fingers
and writhes them,
crackling the joints)
PREACHER Look at 'em, dear hearts! Now, watch 'em!
MEDIUM SHOT -- JOHN -- OVER PREACHER'S HANDS
He looks on with unseeing eyes.
PREACHER
(o.s.)
Old Left Hand Hate's a-fightin' and
it looks like Old Right Hand Love's
a goner! GROUP SHOT -- WALT, ICEY, WILLA, OVER HANDS PREACHER
(o.s.)
But wait now a minute!
PREACHER Hot dog! Love's a-
winnin! CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER
PREACHER
It's Love that won!
PREACHER Old Left Hand
Hate's gone down for the count!
(he crashes both hands
onto the table) FULL SHOT -- THE WHOLE GROUP
Slight applause from the ADULTS. PREACHER takes PEARL, with
her doll, onto his lap.
ICEY SPOON
I never heard it better told. ICEY SPOON I wish
every soul in this...
ICEY SPOON ...community could
git the benefit. ICEY SPOON You jest got to
stay for our church pick-nick Sunday! PEARL offers PREACHER the DOLL to kiss.
PREACHER complies.
CLOSE SHOT -- JOHN'S REACTION
RESUME GROUP SHOT PREACHER
(finessing it)
I must wend my way down River on the
Lord's work.
ICEY SPOON
You ain't leavin' in no hurry if we
can help it! WILLA HARPER
John: take that look offen your face... WILLA HARPER ...and act nice.
PREACHER
He don't mean no impudence; do you,
boy?
PREACHER Ah, many's the time
poor Brother Ben told me about these
youngins. JOHN HARPER
What did he tell you? CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER
He does a little take. His eyes twinkle palely.
PREACHER
Why, he told me what fine little
lambs you and your sister both was. GROUP SHOT
CLOSE SHOT -- PREACHER
Something new enters his eyes; a game has begun between them. PREACHER he told me lots and
lots of things. Nice things, boy. ICEY pours fudge into a buttered pan.
PREACHER ...that fudge smells yummy! ICEY SPOON
(with horrid archness)
It's for the pick-nick. ICEY SPOON And you won't
get a smidgen of my fudge unless you
stay for the pick-nick! Over her line, o.s., hymn-singing begins and now, OVER her
"the case rests" smile we bring up the singing and LAP DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE RIVER BANK -- CHURCH IN BACKGROUND -- FULL SHOT --
THE SINGING PICKNICKERS
Night of the Hunter is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from M-G-M Home Video and The Criterion Collection.
Another angle of the tale that Laughton shot, but didn't use.
Witness for the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1957) Lady Justice is having some work done as we first approach "The Old Bailey," where the majority of the drama for Witness for the Prosecution takes place. Good thing, too, although some attention should probably be paid to the legal loop-holes that keep cropping up inside the chambers. This Agatha Christie-penned theater chestnut is given a nice presentation by Wilder, who has added much comic-relief in the form of giving brilliant barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts, QC (Charles Laughton), a nurse after a debilitating heart attack (played by Laughton's wife, Elsa Lanchester).*
And Dietrich is as cool as can be. A bit past her prime as a fascinating beauty, she is still fascinating (and a beauty), playing her Christine Vole as cold and aloof—Dietrich excelled at that, but with a simmering quality underneath the surface, especially in her work with Joseph von Sternberg, like an iceberg with a volcano at its heart. She always was just on the edge of camp-sexiness,** but the heavy lidded smoldering eyes always had an air of superiority that were deadly serious. And those eyes are still in play here, never revealing much, and keeping the characters and the audience off-guard...and then on, especially when she turns on the dramatic fire-works in the latter stages of the film.
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