
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
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- Approved
- 1h 32min
- Crime, Drama
- 27 Jul 1955 (USA)
- Movie
- 2 wins & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Robert Mitchum | ... |
Harry Powell
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Shelley Winters | ... |
Willa Harper
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Lillian Gish | ... |
Rachel Cooper
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James Gleason | ... |
Uncle Birdie Steptoe
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Evelyn Varden | ... |
Icey Spoon
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Peter Graves | ... |
Ben Harper
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Don Beddoe | ... |
Walt Spoon
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Billy Chapin | ... |
John Harper
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Sally Jane Bruce | ... |
Pearl Harper
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Gloria Castillo | ... |
Ruby
(as Gloria Castilo)
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Corey Allen | ... |
Young Man in Town (uncredited)
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Oscar Blank | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Paul Bryar | ... |
Bart the Hangman (uncredited)
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Nora Bush | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Cheryl Callaway | ... |
Mary (uncredited)
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Alexander Campbell | ... |
Judge (uncredited)
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Michael Chapin | ... |
Ruby's Boyfriend (uncredited)
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Noble 'Kid' Chissell | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Mary Ellen Clemons | ... |
Clary (uncredited)
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John Dennis | ... |
Prison Guard (uncredited)
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Roy Engel | ... |
Sheriff (uncredited)
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Kathy Garver | ... |
Child (uncredited)
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Rudy Germane | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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James Griffith | ... |
District Attorney (uncredited)
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John Hamilton | ... |
Townsman Who Greets Rachel (uncredited)
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Joe Hinds | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Edna Holland | ... |
Woman Feeding Hungry Children (uncredited)
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Anne Kunde | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Kay Lavelle | ... |
Miz Cunninghan (uncredited)
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Thomas Martin | ... |
Townsman on Street (uncredited)
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Frank Mills | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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King Mojave | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Frances Morris | ... |
Bart's Wife (uncredited)
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Gloria Pall | ... |
Burlesque Dancer (uncredited)
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Jack Perry | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Mike Ragan | ... |
Prison Guard (uncredited)
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Jean Ransome | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Robert Robinson | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Edwin Rochelle | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Phil Schumacher | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Lucile Sewall | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Bert Spencer | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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James Stone | ... |
General Storekeeper (uncredited)
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Charles Sullivan | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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George D. Wallace | ... |
(uncredited)
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Glen Walters | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Directed by
Charles Laughton |
Written by
Davis Grubb | ... | (from the novel by) |
James Agee | ... | (screenplay by) |
Charles Laughton | ... | (screenplay contributor) (uncredited) |
Produced by
Paul Gregory | ... | producer |
Music by
Walter Schumann |
Cinematography by
Stanley Cortez | ... | (photography by) |
Editing by
Robert Golden | ... | film editor |
Casting By
Mildred Gusse | ... | (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
Hilyard M. Brown | ... | (as Hilyard Brown) |
Set Decoration by
Alfred E. Spencer | ... | (set decoration) (as Al Spencer) |
Makeup Department
Don L. Cash | ... | makeup (as Don Cash) |
Kay Shea | ... | hair stylist |
Production Management
Ruby Rosenberg | ... | production manager |
Frank Parmenter | ... | production manager: second unit (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milton Carter | ... | assistant director |
Frank Parmenter | ... | second unit director (uncredited) |
Terry Sanders | ... | second unit director (uncredited) |
Jack Sonntag | ... | first assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
Joe LaBella | ... | property man (as Joe La Bella) |
Sound Department
Stanford Houghton | ... | sound (as Stanford Naughton) |
Special Effects by
Louis DeWitt | ... | special photographic effects (as Louis De Witt) |
Jack Rabin | ... | special photographic effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
Seymour Hoffberg | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
Harold E. Wellman | ... | camera: second unit (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jerry Bos | ... | wardrobe |
Evelyn Carruth | ... | wardrobe assistant |
Music Department
Arthur Morton | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
Stéphane Audel | ... | french voice dubbing: James Griffith (uncredited) |
Saul Bass | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
René Bériard | ... | french voice dubbing: Corey Allen (uncredited) |
Micheline Cheirel | ... | french voice dubbing: Gloria Castillo (uncredited) |
Jean d'Yd | ... | french voice dubbing: James Gleason (uncredited) |
Mona Dol | ... | french voice dubbing: Cheryl Callaway (uncredited) |
Cécile Dylma | ... | french voice dubbing: Evelyn Varden (uncredited) |
Paul Faivre | ... | french voice dubbing: Don Beddoe (uncredited) |
Christian Fourcade | ... | french voice dubbing: Billy Chapin (uncredited) |
Denise Grey | ... | french voice dubbing: Lillian Gish (uncredited) |
Georges Hubert | ... | french voice dubbing: Paul Bryar (uncredited) |
Marie Martine | ... | french voice dubbing: Sally Jane Bruce (uncredited) |
Jean-Claude Michel | ... | french voice dubbing: Peter Graves (uncredited) |
Robert Mitchum | ... | acting coach: children (uncredited) |
Jacqueline Porel | ... | french voice dubbing: Shelley Winters (uncredited) |
Denis Sanders | ... | unspecified assistant (uncredited) |
Terry Sanders | ... | unspecified assistant (uncredited) |
Roger Tréville | ... | french voice dubbing: Robert Mitchum (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Paul Gregory Productions (presents)
Distributors
- United Artists (1955) (United States) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1955) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1955) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1955) (Canada) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1955) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Cosmopol-Film (1956) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Dear Film (1956) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1956) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Les Artistes Associés S.A.B. (1956) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Les Artistes Associés (1956) (France) (theatrical)
- Nordisk Film (1956) (Denmark) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1956) (France) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Stjärnfilm (1958) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Valio-Filmi (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1976) (Finland) (tv) (as MTV1)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1987) (United States) (VHS)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1990) (Finland) (tv)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1991) (United States) (video) (for MGM/UA)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (United States) (VHS)
- BFI Films (1999) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (re-release)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (United States) (DVD)
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Imagica Corp. (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
- Kinokuniya (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
- SF Home Entertainment (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Filmmuseum Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray) (video)
- 20th Century Fox India (1956) (India) (theatrical) (Bombay)
- Barcino Films (1985) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Cable Hogue Co. (1990) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Cooper Films (2005) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Summer Classics (2020) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Canal+ (1993) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Capelight Pictures (2024) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Capelight Pictures (2024) (Germany) (DVD)
- Capelight Pictures (2024) (Germany) (Ultra HD Blu-ray)
- Divisa Home Video (2016) (Spain) (DVD)
- El 9 Besepi S.L. (2021) (Spain)
- Koch Media (2013) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1997) (United States)
- NHK-BS2 (2001) (Japan) (tv)
- Research Entertainment (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
- TF1 (1993) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- The Criterion Collection (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Western Electric (sound recording system)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
It's the Great Depression. In the process of robbing a bank of $10,000, Ben Harper kills two people. Before he is captured, he is able to convince his son John and his daughter Pearl not to tell anyone, including their mother Willa, where he hid the money, namely in Pearl's favorite toy, a doll that she carries everywhere with her. Ben, who is captured, tried and convicted, is sentenced to death. But before he is executed, Ben is in the state penitentiary with a cell mate, a man by the name of Harry Powell, a self-professed man of the cloth, who is really a con man and murderer, swindling lonely women, primarily rich widows, of their money before he kills them. Harry does whatever he can, unsuccessfully, to find out the location of the $10,000 from Ben. After Ben's execution, Harry decides that Willa will be his next mark, figuring that someone in the family knows where the money is hidden. Despite vowing not to remarry, Willa ends up being prey for Harry's outward evangelicalism; she is a pious woman who feels she needs to atone for her sins which led to Ben doing what he did, especially as Harry presents himself as the preacher who worked at the prison and provided salvation to Ben before his death. Harry quickly figures out that John and Pearl know where the money is. Conversely, John doesn't trust Harry, John who first tries not to show to Harry that he indeed does know where the money is, and then second constantly reminds a more-trusting Pearl of their promise to their now-deceased father. With Willa devoted to her new husband, John and Pearl become more desperate in evading Harry's veiled threats. Written by Huggo |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | The scenes...the story...The stars BUT ABOVE ALL - THE SUSPENSE! See more » |
Genres | |
Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
Budget | $795,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
Trivia | The sequence with Powell riding a horse in the distance was actually a dwarf on a pony. It was filmed in false perspective. See more » |
Goofs | A 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. See more » |
Movie Connections | Edited into La monnaie de l'absolu (1999). See more » |
Soundtracks | Dream, Little One, Dream See more » |
Quotes |
Rachel Cooper:
It's a hard world for little things. See more » |