The Night of the Hunter (1955) February 6, 2009

Described as "a weird, manic fantasy in which evil confronts the power of innocence," 'The Night of the Hunter' stars Robert Mitchum in an unforgettable role as a psychopathic preacher in relentless pursuit of two children who have their dead father's stolen fortune hidden in a doll. Set in rural West Virginia during the Great Depression, the film follows the devious trail of Preacher Harry Powell, a murderous, self-proclaimed "man of the cloth" who believes he is doing the Lord's work by marrying and killing widowed women. Upon learning of the stolen fortune, Powell entraps the children's mother in marriage and manipulates and terrorizes them in an effort to find the money. Though their mother is doomed, the children emerge from danger through their courage and the nurturing protection of an elderly woman.