Editing The Night of the Hunter (film) (section)

==Production==
[[File:Charles Laughton-publicity2.JPG|thumb|Director Charles Laughton in 1934]]
This was the only film solely directed by and credited to the actor [[Charles Laughton]]. Laughton, in addition to [[Irving Allen]] and [[Burgess Meredith]], directed the film ''[[The Man on the Eiffel Tower]]''; Meredith was the only director credited for the film.<ref name="eiffel">{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041628/fullcredits#directors|title=Full Cast & Crew|work=[[IMDb]]}}</ref> Laughton had directed plays on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], most produced by his friend [[Paul Gregory (producer)|Paul Gregory]].

===Development===
[[Harold Matson]], a literary agent, sent a copy of the 1953 novel ''[[The Night of the Hunter (novel)|The Night of the Hunter]]'' by [[Davis Grubb]] to Paul Gregory.{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=2:29}} He sent the book to Laughton, who loved it and described it as a "nightmarish [[Mother Goose]] story".{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=0:46}} Laughton contacted Grubb, and the two of them instantly got along very well. He traveled to Philadelphia, where Grubb lived, and they spent five days discussing ideas for the film. Grubb had studied art in college, so he offered to draw sketches as a form of inspiration. Laughton loved the drawings, and many of them were used in the film's [[storyboard]].{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=6:28}}

At first Grubb was being considered to write the screenplay himself, but the studio wanted to hire someone with experience writing for films.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=8:32}} [[James Agee]] was hired as the screenwriter because he was from the South and had experience writing about the Depression.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=7:37}} Agee began writing in April 1954, and finished in June, but his script was 293 pages: much too long for a feature film. Laughton made significant rewrites to the script, and his was the version used for shooting, even though he insisted that Agee be credited as the only writer.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=8:48}}<ref name="afi" /> Agee's original script ended with a shot of children's faces floating among the stars, an idea that was eventually moved to the opening of the film.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=11:00}} Throughout 1954, Gregory worked with the [[Production Code Administration]] to change the script to meet the guidelines of the Production Code. There was much concern about depicting a preacher on screen as an evil person, and Gregory made an effort to make the character of the Preacher not appear to be a real, ordained minister. Eventually the script was approved, but Protestant groups who had read the script continued to object to the film's production.<ref name="afi">{{cite web |title=The Night of the Hunter |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51604 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref>

While preparing for the filming, Laughton studied [[silent film]]s by viewing their original nitrate prints, including ''[[The Birth of a Nation]]'', ''[[Intolerance (film)|Intolerance]]'', and ''[[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (film)|The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]]''. He wanted to "restore the power of silent films to [[talkies]]."{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=17:45}}

The budget of the film was a little under $600,000,{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=32:40}} of which about $75,000 was for the rights to adapt the novel.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=13:20}}

===Casting===
[[File:Robert Mitchum and Shelly Winters in Night of the Hunter.png|thumb|[[Robert Mitchum]] playing [[Preacher Harry Powell]] and [[Shelley Winters]] as Willa Harper]]
Laughton's initial thought after reading the novel was to cast himself in the role of the preacher, but Gregory convinced him that no studio would finance a film unless they cast someone else.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=4:24}}{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=3:15}} For the most part, he did not hold traditional auditions for the actors; he simply met with them to get a sense of their personalities and whether they were right for the role.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=30:33}}

Laughton considered casting [[Gary Cooper]] as Harry Powell, but Cooper declined the role as he thought it might be detrimental to his career.{{sfn|Callow|2000|p=32}} [[John Carradine]] expressed interest in the role of the Preacher,{{sfn|Jones|2002|p=74}} as did [[Laurence Olivier]], but his schedule was not free for two years.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=5:29}} [[Robert Mitchum]] was eager for the part of the preacher. When he auditioned, a moment that particularly impressed Charles Laughton was when Laughton described the character as "a diabolical shit", and Mitchum promptly answered "Present!"{{sfn|Callow|2000|p=32}} Laughton liked Mitchum for the role partly due to his sexual persona, but Grubb was concerned about the character of the preacher being considered sexual. Laughton told him, "If you want to sell God, you have to be sexy."{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=27:16}}

[[Agnes Moorehead]], [[Grace Kelly]], and [[Betty Grable]] were all considered for the role of Willa Harper.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=28:45}} In the end Laughton chose [[Shelley Winters]] because he felt she had a vulnerable quality and was more of a serious actor than a movie star; she committed to the role only two weeks before filming began.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=29:44}} In her 1989 memoir, Winters described this as "probably the most thoughtful and reserved performance I ever gave".<ref>{{Cite book |title=Shelley II: The Middle of My Century | last=Winters | first=Shelley | publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=1989|isbn=0671442104|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/shelleyiimiddleo00wint/page/29 29] |url=https://archive.org/details/shelleyiimiddleo00wint |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive |access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>

Laughton's first pick for the role of Rachel Cooper was his wife [[Elsa Lanchester]].<ref name="oderman">{{cite book | first =Stuart| last = Oderman | title =Lillian Gish: A Life on Stage and Screen | publisher = McFarland | year= 2015| isbn=978-1476613697 |page=278 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UWosAAAAQBAJ&q=%22Lanchester%22+%22night+of+the+hunter%22&pg=PA278 |via=GoogleBooks |access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref> [[Jane Darwell]] and [[Louise Fazenda]] also were considered.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=31:04}} Lanchester, for reasons unknown to Laughton, turned down the role, suggesting silent movie star [[Lillian Gish]] for the role.<ref name="oderman" /> A doubtful Laughton went to New York for the purpose of watching films in which Gish starred. These included the shorts and feature films she made with pioneer [[D.W. Griffith]]. Gish had gotten word of his watching these old movies, and when she asked him why, he replied, "When I first went to the movies, they sat in their seats straight and leaned forward. Now they slump down, with their heads back, and eat candy and popcorn. I want them to sit up straight again."<ref>{{cite book |last=Kashner |first=Sam |last2=MacNair |first2=Jennifer |title=The Bad & the Beautiful: Hollywood in the Fifties |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |year=2003 |isbn=0393324362 |page=192 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GC0X-2FGdx8C&q=%22they+sat+in+their+seats+straight+and+leaned+forward%22&pg=PA192 |via=GoogleBooks |access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref>

===Filming===
[[File:The Night of the Hunter (1955) Still Key Light.png|thumb|A lighting arrangement in ''The Night of the Hunter''. Note the placement of the [[key light]] off the subject (Lillian Gish) to create a silhouette while illuminating Robert Mitchum in the background. This plays off the conventional association of light with good and darkness with evil.]]
Principal photography of ''The Night of the Hunter'' began on August 15 and ended on October 7, 1954, a total of 36 days of shooting.{{sfn|Eagan|2010|p=502}}{{sfn|Ventura|Gavron|1984|loc=3:03}} Laughton kept the editor and musical composer on set during filming, which was very uncommon at the time.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=13:41}} Mitchum originally suggested that Laughton shoot the film in authentic Appalachian locations, but the director could not afford the budget to do on-location shooting.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} Besides, he wanted to create the film's unique look on Hollywood sound stages and found what he was looking for at Pathé, [[Republic Pictures|Republic Studios]], and the [[Rowland V. Lee]] ranch in the [[San Fernando Valley]].{{sfn|Couchman|2009|p=123}} Certain [[cutaway (filmmaking)|cutaway]] shots and [[compositing]] shots were shot in West Virginia.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=14:45}} Laughton hired [[Terry Sanders]] as second unit director in order to scout and shoot the river scenes because he had recently directed an Academy Award-winning short film ''[[A Time Out of War]]'', which mostly took place on a river.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=15:20}}

Rather than shooting with traditional [[take]]s, Laughton had the crew only [[Clapperboard|slate]] at the beginning of each reel of film and let the camera roll continuously until the reel ran out. This was so that he could direct the actors without waiting to reset the camera and sound equipment, not unlike the way silent films used to be directed.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=19:23}} Shelley Winters told Laughton she had this image of Willa as being "a fly fascinated by a spider, and she very willingly walks into this web". He liked this image and told her to channel that into the performance. Indeed, a stylized spider and web are seen as the children make their way along the riverbank at night fleeing Mitchum.{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=6:45}} Mitchum's performance in the film has been described as [[Brechtian acting]], which Laughton had extensive experience with.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=26:31}} According to Lillian Gish, Laughton was very unsure of himself on set as this was his first time directing a film, and when someone would give him a suggestion he would start talking about fears that his whole vision was wrong.{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=7:50}} Laughton's directing style was supportive and respectful of the actors' input and several of the actors have said it was among their favorite professional experiences.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

The director of photography was [[Stanley Cortez]], who also shot Orson Welles' 1942 film ''[[The Magnificent Ambersons (film)|The Magnificent Ambersons]]''. Because Laughton had very little experience working with film, Cortez would visit his house to explain various concepts of camera lenses, camera heights, and what effect each of them gave.{{sfn|Ventura|Gavron|1984|loc=2:46}} Laughton told Cortez that the nitrate prints of the silent movies that he had been watching for research impressed him with how sharp they looked, so he asked Cortez to create that same sharpness for ''The Night of the Hunter''.{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=9:35}} The studio brought most of the crew from a recent film ''[[Black Tuesday (film)|Black Tuesday]]'' because they had worked so well together, and Cortez had experimented with a new black-and-white film [[Kodak Tri-X]] on that production, with great results. He chose to shoot certain scenes of this film on Tri-X because it had a sharp contrast that would help fulfill Laughton's vision.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=22:04}}<ref name="asc">{{cite web |last=Turner |first=George E. |title=Creating ''The Night of the Hunter'' |url=https://ascmag.com/articles/flashback-the-night-of-the-hunter |website=[[American Cinematographer]] |date=December 1982 |access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref> The studio however, tried to convince them to shoot on color film instead because they thought it would sell more tickets. Gregory fought to keep it black-and-white: "I could not see this film being in color."{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=21:42}} The style of the cinematography was split up between the two units: the first unit of the crew shot the scenes in and around the Harpers' home, which were very dark, whereas the [[second unit]] shot the scenes traveling along the river, which were designed to look more like images from the children's perspective. One scene in particular that Cortez has spoken about is in the bedroom after Willa has overheard Powell threatening the children. He lit this scene with a halo of light surrounding Willa's head on the pillow, foreshadowing that her death is imminent.{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=10:55}} Cortez also brought back the [[Iris shot]] in one scene, as an homage to silent films.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=20:20}}

Laughton drew on the harsh, angular look of [[expressionism (film)|German expressionist films]] of the 1920s, which is especially noticeable in the art direction by Hilyard Brown.<ref>[http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/the-night-of-the-hunter-1955-not-noir.html ''The Night of the Hunter: Not Noir''] filmsnoir.net.</ref>{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=22:54}} He had the idea that children notice only certain details of their surroundings that they are focused on, which is why some set pieces are somewhat abstract and minimal: neon lights that are not attached to a particular store, white picket fences that are not surrounding any house, the barn along the river that looks like a painting, and the "chapel-like" parents' bedroom.{{sfn|Clubb|Rosas|2010|loc=22:54 and 24:38}} The river scenes with the children were all shot on a sound stage.{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=11:35}} The shot of John looking out of the barn window and seeing Powell's silhouette on the horizon was created using a [[dwarfism|little person]] and a [[miniature horse]].{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=12:00}} The underwater scene showing Willa's dead body was shot in a studio using a mannequin with a custom mask to make it look like Winters.<ref name="afi" />

===Score===
The film's [[Film score|score]], composed and arranged by [[Walter Schumann]] in close association with Laughton, features a combination of [[Nostalgia|nostalgic]] and [[Expressionism (music)|expressionistic]] [[orchestra]]l passages. The film has two original songs by Schumann, "Lullaby" (sung by [[Kitty White]], whom Schumann discovered in a nightclub){{sfn|Jones|2002|p=342}} and "Pretty Fly" (originally sung by [[Sally Jane Bruce]] as Pearl, but later dubbed by an actress named Betty Benson).{{sfn|Jones|2002|p=252}} A recurring musical device involves the preacher making his presence known by singing the traditional [[hymn]] "[[Leaning on the Everlasting Arms]]".<ref name="asc" /> [[RCA Victor]] was impressed by the score, so in 1955 they released a soundtrack with Schumann's score and Laughton narrating an abridged version of the story, also written by Grubb.{{sfn|Jones|2002|p=342}}<ref name="asc" />

===Post production===
The film's editor, Robert Golden, has said that after he screened the complete film to one of the [[United Artists]] studio executives for the first time, the executive told Golden, "It's too arty."{{sfn|Algar|1995|loc=12:50}}