Robert Mitchum, who also played in the original "Cape Fear", once said Harry Powell was his favorite role. It's bizarre that he had to direct the children in this film, as the true director, Charles Laughton, had a personal dislike of all children.
Makes you wonder what it did to those kids' psyche doesn't it?
Oh, and to creep you all out even more, this story was loosely based on a real person: Harry Powers of Virginia.
New question on Saturday!
3 comments:
"Makes you wonder what it did to those kids' psyche doesn't it? "
Hum, actually, like... NOTHING?
There's one bit of trivia in your post which is wrong, like very wrong.
Like WRONG.
Sorry to use capitals, but there's enough of the "Laughton hated Children" urban legend, because it is not true. Not true at all. Let me explain.
Elsa Lanchester, widow of Laughton, is the originator of the legend. She didn't like children. She didn't want to have kids with Charles (even though he wanted very much to become a father). You know, when people writes about their deceased beloved, and their deceased beloved are dead, they know that nothing's going to sell a book as well as dropping a load of crap over the poor deceased, who obviously isn't around to give their version.
But let me add this: Elsa was never around neither teh preparatory work of the film, nor during the filming.
People who actually were there, were throroughly interviewed by Preston Neal Jones, who wrote an excellent book (recommended) about The Night of the Hunter: all the people there agrees that Laughton and the kids in the children got along very well.
And there are 8 surviving hours of outtakes of the film. In there Laughton can be heard offscreen giving directions to the actors (adults and children alike)... And again, no sign of hateful or inadequate behaviour towards them. Two hours of these outtakes have been assembled by Robert Gitt into a 2-hour documentary.
So there are actual proofs that laughton didn't do anything to these children's Psyche.
Though obviously Miss lanchester's memoirs have done a lot to many people's psyches; like filling their heads with lies about his poor dead husband.
Check this link about Preston Neal Jones' book:
http://rootingforlaughton.blogspot.com/2006/10/heaven-and-hell-to-play-with-filming.html
Check this link about Robert Gitt's documentary:
http://rootingforlaughton.blogspot.com/2006/10/documentary-charles-laughton-directs.html
My apologies! I got my information from IMDB.com, so you might want to go set them straight, too.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the heads-up! I will check imdb and see if that can be changed.
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