The Night of the Hunter
Sun 4/5 • 7PM PDT
Billy Wilder Theater
A Depression era-set Southern Gothic thriller, The Night of the Hunter tells an adult story through the eyes of children. Actor-turned-director Charles Laughton described it as a “fairy tale of the Big Bad Wolf’s pursuit of the Little Pigs.” Robert Mitchum stars as the wolf in preacher’s clothing pursuing the two children of a widow (Shelley Winter) who know about a stash of ill-gotten loot. A dream-like work thanks in part to the unique cinematography by Stanley Cortez, it turns feverishly on dualities — heaven and hell, good versus evil, the sacred and profane — while paying homage to the silent era with Lillian Gish also starring.—Theater Manager Lauren Brown
Director: Charles Laughton. Screenwriters: James Agee, Charles Laughton. With: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish.