The Night of the Hunter is the only classic motion picture for which the original rushes, or trims and outs, survive. All of this material was left on the cutting room floor by director Charles Laughton and film editor Robert Golden almost half a century ago and has not been seen since. While there is no “missing” footage here, these rushes provide the viewer with a unique understanding of how neophyte director Laughton coached and interacted with his performers, helping them develop their characters onscreen. Because Charles Laughton liked to keep the camera running between takes, we hear his offscreen voice directing and motivating the performances of Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, Billy Chapin, Sally Jane Bruce and the other actors. Viewing the rushes provides an insightful study of the filmmaking process. One can analyze not only Laughton’s directorial tecnique, but also the skill of the editor and the cinematographer. Variant camera angles are shown and lines of dialogue can be heard that are missing from the final film. The rushes illustrate Laughton’s talent as both a director and an actor for he is heard playing all the parts himself. He is the consummate performer, someone who can play any role – man, woman or child – with ease. The outtakes to be screened have been carefully selected from more then eight hours of surviving material, and represent an alternative view of all the film’s most memorable sequences.

Robert Gitt