Tired Old Queen at the Movies: Night of the Hunter

Steve Hayes reviews the 1955 thriller:

Menace comes in the form of a murderous false prophet in Charles Laughton's classic thriller The Night of the Hunter.

Robert Mitchum stars in one of the most malevolent roles of his career as a psychopathic evangelist in the Depression ridden mid-west. Shelly Winters is the gullible widow who makes the mistake of taking on Mitchum as her second husband, to homicidal results. Lillian Gish rounds out a distinguished cast, which includes James Gleason, Peter Graves and Broadway veteran Evelyn Varden as the local harridan. Laughton's sensitive direction and the beautiful cinematography enhance this action packed, cross-country, suspense tale of two children running for their lives from a genuine "Boogie-Man".

FYI:  In this movie, the great Lillian Gish had one of her most memorable performances, in a film career that spanned 75 years: 1912-1987.