Director Charles Laughton's THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is the story of a conman / fake preacher named Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), who travels from one hick town to the next, fleecing the unwary sheep. He's also a serial murdering madman who marries women for their money, then sends them to heaven.

In prison for something unrelated to murder, Powell hears of a bundle of cash hidden somewhere. The woman (Shelley Winters) who lives on the property where the money is stashed has no idea it's there. Only her son knows, and Powell sets out to meet these fine folks upon his release. While the woman is quite gullible, her children prove more difficult for Powell to subdue

Terror soon follows!

Laughton presents his film as a sort of dark children's tale, as if based on a lost horror story written by Mark Twain. Mitchum is unforgettable in his devilish role, making every word of his dialogue send shivers down our spines! His sleepy, yet penetrating eyes seem to hide nothing short of hell itself behind them! The legendary Lillian Gish is the force of good that Powell is destined to meet in the denouement.

A masterpiece that makes us wish that Laughton had directed more movies...