Episode 151: The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Nighthawks' Podcast

It's the story of love and hate, the story of tradition and modernity, the story of good and evil, the story of old right hand left hand.
It's 1955's The Night of the Hunter starring Robert Mitchum, Lillian Gish, Shelley Winters, and Peter Graves is that story. Adapted from a novel of the same name the film is a bold experimental feature film for actor turned director Charles Laughton. Despite taking some big swings and taking great care with the craft, the movie was a box office dud at the time and Laughton never directed a film again.
The Nighthawks think that this story of a serial killer charlatan preacher stalking the Apalachin countryside after two children and a fortune in cash has come. But can Laughton's 1955 vision reach the right people in 2024?
Matt and Trevor go to the Nighthawks annual picnic and serve up a potluck of grist for this movie that was unsung in its era and is recognized as one of the best movies of all time by critics today.