"Beware of false prophets ..."

 A crowd of about 75 attended the July 11 screening of The Night of the Hunter at the historic Castro Theater in San Francisco. The film was directed by Charles Laughton in 1955. It was an underachiever at that time but has gained a strong following over the years.

During the scene where Lillian, as Rachel Cooper, confronts the evil Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) with a shotgun, the audience applauded. It is one of the great Hollywood injustices that Lillian did not receive an Oscar for this film.

The black and white film is stylistically impressive with motifs of German Expressionism including angular shadows, unusual dialogue, distorted perspectives, surreal sets, odd camera angles and imagery of trains, torches, mobs, and evil. Laughton successfully created a disturbing mood that reflects the sinister character of psychopathic Preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), nightmarish fears of small children, and the sweetness and strength of their savior Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish).

"It is one of the most frightening of movies, with one of the most unforgettable film villains,” wrote Roger Ebert. “It holds up ... well after four decades."^[

In 1992, the Library of Congress found The Night of the Hunter to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and placed it the National Film Registry. About the honor, Miss Gish said, among other things, she was “very happy for Charles.” It was a great screening and one Lillian would have liked.

James Patterson, Member, Dorothy and Lillian Gish Theater
San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
Film Society of San Francisco
National Writers Union
July 12, 2013