Died: December 15th, 1962 in Hollywood, California
Some great directors are extremely prolific; John Ford directed over 140 films in the course of his career. Others are a bit more sparse; Terrence Malick took a 20 year break between Days Of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. And sometimes, as in the case of Charles Laughton, they just do one.
One movie! Why have a Director Of The Week who's only done one movie?! Well, I'm interested in directors of all types, so if you've done at least one film, you qualify for a week of remembrance. Secondly, the one movie he directed just happens to be one of my favorite films of all time.
Charles Laughton had a long and distinguished career as an actor on both the stage and screen, having played such characters as Quasimodo, Henry the VIII, Captain Bligh, and Inspector Javert. Not having the dashing good looks of someone like Cary Grant, he was often cast in either villainous or comedic roles, but he came to be known as a scene stealer. His wife from nearly the beginning of his career to the end of his life was Elsa Lanchester, a well respected actress in her own right, who was immortalized when she played the Bride Of Frankenstein.
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| Robert Mitchum, lookin' creepy. |
Laughton's one and only directorial effort, The Night Of The Hunter, was released in 1955, and tells the story of Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), a sadistic murderer and self-appointed man of god, who seeks out a stash of stolen money that he learned about from his cellmate in prison. Convinced that the cellmate revealed the location of the money to his family, Powell seeks them out; the man's wife (Shelley Winters), and two young children (Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce). At first he plays the kindly, loving preacher with them, but when they don't tell him what he wants to hear, he begins to get dangerous.
At times it feels like a lyrical children's tale, at other times an intense thriller, and always featuring the blackest of humor. Predating Stanley Kubrick (Especially his eventual use of Shelley Winters as a haggard housewife), this satire of religious fervor in the south will leave you constantly on edge, never knowing whether to laugh or cringe, much like one must feel being around Reverend Powell. He's funny, and charming. . . but is he to be trusted?
It ultimately proved to be too unique for it's own good. The Night Of The Hunter opened to bad business and reviews, and Laughton was never offered another chance to direct. In recent years, it has come to be thought of as a masterpiece by both modern critics and filmmakers, and has been referenced in movies as diverse as Do The Right Thing, Raising Arizona and The Devil's Rejects.
Essential Film: The Night Of The Hunter
You Can Skip: Nothing! Watch this immediately!
The Night of the Hunter (Criterion Collection)
The Night of the Hunter (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
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