Ep. 33: ‘The Night of the Hunter (1955)’ or ‘The Laughton Directs and He Endures’

Zach is joined by Film Critic and Podcaster Jack Hanley (The Superlatives Podcast, A History of You In 5 Films) to tackle the enduring and ever powerful hand of Charles Laughton as a director as they take a dive into the world of a Mother Goose Nightmare with 1955’s, THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Cue Sideshow Bob Theme)

Be entranced by the sermons of two film fans as they breakdown in detail the unique production history of the film, learn more about the legendary Charles Laughton and how his path led to directing the piece, introduce themselves to the ferocity that is Robert Mitchum’s backstory, revel in the artistry in every department from Cortez’s Camera to Brown’s Art Direction to Golden’s editing, mourn the tragic handling of the films initial release, and marvel at the many ways this film has inspired filmmakers to this very day.

The darkness of serious film chatter shall be overcome though with the light of humor as the boys wonder if Robert Mitchum should have played the shark in Jaws, listen to Gary Cooper turn down the role of Powell, and hear of Charles Laughton’s desire to perfect snow machines for film.

Look For Jack’s Podcast, THE SUPERLATIVES FILM PODCAST on PodBean

and look for his upcoming series, A HISTORY OF YOU IN 5 FILMS.

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