Rating: 
Summary: Charles Laughton's only movie behind the camera.
Review: And it is hilarious! This is a marvelously surreal, occasionally horrific thriller, and one of the most brilliant ones of all time. But few people see that this gem has a sense of humor, such as the scene when Robert Mitchum tricks the country folk with his blasphemic and hypocritical "sermons." And what about the opening gag when "respected pastor" Harry Powell is picked up in a strip joint! It may be awful for a psychopath to try and cut children's throats for ......... in cash, but it is also darkly comical (don't miss Peter Graves within the first fifteen minutes). This movie was also frank in its sexual subject matter (Mitchum's best line: "Alright, you can come to bed now.") during its initial release. The movie wasn't as suspenseful or as shocking as I (personally) thought, but it is still a gruesome and enthralling experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Night of the Heebee Jeebees
Review: Before Anthony Hopkins did "Magic", "Silence of the Lambs", and "Hannibal" there had not been that many truly scarey Black & White movies for children. Mitchums parts in "Night of the Hunter" and "Cape Fear" are exceptional. If you want to see a spooky movie with out alot of senseless bloodletting then this is it. Adults will probably enjoy this more than children these days since it doesn't have special effects besides a dead woman in the water. The only other B&W film of note in this genre is Anthony Perkins in "Psycho". If you enjoyed Hopkins "Hannibal" character you will definitely like Robert Mitchum as a psychotic killer in this movie and "Cape Fear". Incredibly dark atmosphere and the fact it is in black & white actually adds to the surreal art quality of the film. Not recommended for kids as it may give them nightmares.
Rating:
Summary: A Film Ahead of Its Time
Review: If you appreciated the stylistic elements of Bram Stoker's Dracula (Coppola) and Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast this is must see. Haunting and beautiful with some of the most memorable scenes I've ever seen. With this single film Charles Laughton became one of the greatest film directors in Hollywood history.In a way I'm glad its not widely popular as it should be. There are some movies that should be left to those who wish to seek hidden treasures.
Rating:
Summary: STILL HAUNTED 46 YEARS LATER
Review: I saw this movie when I was 10 years old, it terrified me then, and now, 46 years later I am still haunted by it. To this day, I still can not stand the song, "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms". Everytime I hear it, it gives me chills up and down my spine and brings back the memories from that movie of the spooky scenes I saw as a child. The scenes that remain most vividly in my mind are: (1) the murdered mother and her hair floating up and swirling in the current and (2) the poor brother and sister running, running, running, no time to rest because every time they try to rest, they hear that song being sung and they have to jump up and start running again. I gave the movie 5 stars because it must have been that good for it to have affected me for all these years. I could never remember the name of the movie but found out that Robert Mitchum played in it. So I did a search on him today to find the movie and only had to check out a couple of titles before I found it. Now I am trying to decide if I should buy it to see if it only terrified me as a kid. Maybe now that I am a lot older, watching it again may get rid of these ghosts from my childhood. But after reading all the reviews on it, I am not so sure I should. It seems like most of the reviews I read picked up on the very same scenes that terrified me so much as a child.
Rating:
Summary: Another example of Oscar's Injustices
Review: Add Robert Mitchum to the list of actors who never received yet DESERVED an Academy Award. His is performance of understated brilliance in this most thrilling exercise in psychological horror from director Charles Laughton. Mitchum comes off as one of cinema's most disturbing and frightening human "monsters." This one and "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison" were truly the apexes of Mitchum's career. A must-have for his fans as well as those who appreciate a great flick.
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Summary: You may LOVE this movie, you may HATE this movie
Review: First of all, loving this movie is a continuing process. When I first saw it, I did not get it at all. I was expecting some kind of moderately spooky film about a man who stalks kids. The first half was like that, but by the second half it turned into a gothic, dreamlike movie with a song and a happy ending. I was very unsatisfied. But when I went to sleep that night, that very happy ending worked in reverse; it actually scared me. It gave me the same kind of scare a messed-up dream can give you. The kind of nightmare where everything is horrible and frightening, and then suddenly, it's bright and happy and little girls are playing hop-scotch. The movie really works on your brain in a way no other movie has (and probably will). The music is a big contribution to the eerie feeling you get when watching this. It is very beautiful, much more than most soundtracks were back in the 50s. And when the little girl breaks out into song in the canoe, man, that is one of the most surreal, spooky scenes ever made. The kid actors add to the horror. They give cold stares throughout the movie, not cutesy looks you'd expect. Robert Mitchum is excellent; his performance gives me the creeps just thinking about it. Shelley Winters is very, very interesting. So if you truly want a scare, buy Night of the Hunter, turn down the lights in your living room, and watch this at midnight. Actually, I need to try doing that.....
Rating:
Summary: Wow... now THAT was a SCARY movie!
Review: I mean, I remember other really scary 50's movies (1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers; I rest my case), but this movie... wow. I just watched it on DVD last month and could not believe what I was seeing... Two scenes that still stick in my mind (and probably will permanently) are when the two children are in the basement and Robert Mitchum is walking downstairs... and the climax of that scene: oh, my God. Then there is the scene when he was chasing the kids in the river & he tripped and fell... again the climax of that scene was SOOOOOOOOO freakin' scary! I could not believe what I was seeing! This movie sure was a big deal in 1954--Charles Laughton never made another movie after this (I think) because it was so damn scary and out of style.
Rating:
Summary: An unqualified masterpiece!
Review: A lyrical, dreamlike film about the battle between good and evil; between love and hate. Charles Laughton's only directorial effort in a masterpiece of world cinema. Beautifully filmed in black and white, this film unfolds like a dream. Robert Mitchum is chillingly brilliant as the psychopathic preacher who hunts down a pair of innocent children. This is one of my ten favorite movies of all time and it its infinitely better than most of the films on the AFI's top 100 list. If you love movies, see "Night of the Hunter".
Rating:
Summary: ROBERT MITCHUM AT HIS BEST
Review: This was a good flick! My kids are always complaining that they don't like a movie that is in black & white but they soon forgot that this wasn't in color. From the beginning to the end it had all of us glued to our seats wondering who was going to win out, love or hate? I had never even heard of this movie until I saw it and am very happy that I came across this. I recommend this for everyone looking for a good movie.
Rating:
Summary: Free country
Review: I believe in democracy and the First Amendment and a person's right to his or her own opinion. That having been said, let me just add that anyone who doesn't appreciate this beautiful, haunting, terrifying movie is a diseased wiener from Mars.
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