A post by Maynard
On Wednesday afternoon, after the Tammy Bruce Show, Turner Classic Movies (the cable channel) will screen “The Night of the Hunter”. (Check local listings; it’s at 1:30 PM Pacific Time and 4:30 PM Eastern.)
This semi-classic film is particularly relevant to events that have been in the news during the past several days. Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish play characters that are both ostensibly religious, but one of them is a false prophet with evil intent. And yet the bad guy moves freely and is assisted by ordinary folk that see nothing but a holy man.
In a world filled with liars and deceptive snares, how do we know who is on the side of the angels? Lillian Gish addresses this question in an early sermon by referencing Matthew 12:33:
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Judge the tree by its fruit. It’s a lesson to take to heart.
Well said. Insightful!
This is a great movie. One of my favorites since I first saw it as a youngster. Pretty hokey by today’s standards, but still very rewarding and insightful.
By the way, the only directorial effort by Charles Laughton.
Very timely! I wonder if the TCM producers factored that in when they scheduled it.
“The Night of the Hunter” is a great movie that stands up over time. Mitchum plays one of the creepiest serial killers in screen history. I doubt that with the overall content of this film it could be re-made today. All I can say is Mitchem has a suprisingly great singing voice…Once you see this film, the sound of the ominious song “Leaning….leaning….” can evoke strong dread.
Hear, hear. Why Mitchum wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for this performance, I’ll never know.
Preachers like Mitchum’s Harry Powell always disturb me. They can work up an audience the way Hitler could.
One of the interesting things about “Night of the Hunter” is that it was Mitchum’s favorite role (and when you watch it, you can see why. Catch it on Netflix or Blockbuster if you missed it). Also, Charles Laughton, who directed, HATED children…so the two main children actors were directed scene-for-scene by none other than Robert Mitchum! (Trivia)
Another great thing about this film is, especially when the children are by themselves on the river and in the barn, there is a dreamlike quality – a real view of things from their perspective.
Also that, in the end, Lillian Gish’s character is more powerful than Robert Mitchum’s.
I love TCM, it’s a great station. Let it be Ted Turner’s legacy and all else he’s done fall away 🙂