Night of the Hunter (1991) (TV)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

David Greene

Writers (WGA):

Davis Grubb (novel)
Edmond Stevens (teleplay)

Release Date:

5 May 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He preached against 'suffer the little children.' Then he went out and practised it. [Video]

Plot:

A false preacher ingratiates himself with a dead man's family to find where he hid the money from a robbery. |

Plot Keywords:

Preacher | Children In Peril | Treasure | Remake | Murder

Cast

Richard Chamberlain	...	Harry Powell
Diana Scarwid	...	Willa Harper
Amy Bebout	...	Pearl Harper
Reid Binion	...	John Harper
Ray McKinnon	...	Ben Harper
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Mrs. Spoon
Burgess Meredith	...	Birdy
Ed Grady	...	Walt
Joe Inscoe	...	Lieutenant
Bobby McLamb	...	Parson
Rich Valliere	...	Store Owner
George Nannarello	...	Bingo Caller
Jeffrey Pillars	...	Mechanic (as Jeff Pillars)
Pat Hall	...	Pentecostal Witness
Dick Olsen	...	Fire Chief
L. Sidney	...	Clerk (as Tony Franciscus)
Bob Pentz	...	Second Trooper
Rick Warner	...	Surgeon
Michael Burgess	...	Nurse
Robert C. Treveiler	...	Armored Guard
Paula Dean	...	Counter Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patt Noday	...	Angry Citizen (uncredited)

Directed by
David Greene

Writing credits (WGA)
Davis Grubb		(novel)
Edmond Stevens		(teleplay)

Produced by
Diana Kerew	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Peter Manning Robinson

Cinematography by
Ron Orieux		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Skip Schoolnik

Casting by
Shay Griffin

Production Design by
Charles C. Bennett		(as Charles Bennett)

Costume Design by
Jai Galati

Production Management
Claude Lawrence Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephanie Fowler Adams	....	second assistant director (as Stephanie Adams)
Herb Gains	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Geoffrey S. Grimsman	....	set designer
Tom Jones Jr.	....	construction coordinator
General Fermon Judd Jr.	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
David Bondelevitch	....	foley mixer
Tim Chilton	....	foley artist
Phil Hadaway	....	adr engineer
Richard Van Dyke	....	production sound mixer

Stunts
John Copeman	....	utility stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunt coordinator
Jimmy Lee Sessoms	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Bartsch	....	best boy grip
George Hesse	....	second assistant camera
Robert D. McBride	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Craig Fincannon	....	extras casting
Mark Fincannon	....	extras casting

Other crew
Maxine Bergen	....	script supervisor
Katy McDougald	....	assistant production coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Konigsberg/Sanitsky Company

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1991) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Other Companies

• Chez Casting  casting

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG (video rating)

Company:

Konigsberg/Sanitsky Company

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: At the beginning of the second sequence in the doll factory, when Mrs. Spon approaches Willa to tell her it's lunchtime.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Night of the Hunter (1955)

This movie should be erased from existence.

These comments are probably superfluous, since most viewers rated this a "one (awful)" -- as did I. Still I noticed 3 votes giving it a ten. Either they never saw the original or have confused this on with it. Yikes!

This made-for-TV monstrosity is the definitive case of why classic films should never be remade. Richard Chamberlain hams up his role to the point of unintentional laughs. But the unimaginative direction keeps the movie dull, so it doesn't work as camp, for those who like that sort of thing. It adds nothing new to the original story.

In the original, the movie was seen from the viewpoint of the children. The remake puts their horror secondary to the ridiculous performance of Richard Chamberlain's preacher.

To those who look favorably on this remake, please seek out the original at your video store. You will be in for a real treat.