Written by author Davis Grubb and published in 1953 by Harper Brothers, The Night of the Hunter is a thriller novel set in the Southern United States during the Great Depression. This tale is based on the true story of serial killer Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 for the murders of two widows and three children in West Virginia. Playing on southern gothic literary tropes, the novel details the murderous scheming of con-man Reverend Harry Powell in his plot to obtain a ten thousand dollar sum from the house of his deceased cell mate’s widow and children.

At its time of publication, this book was a bestseller and a finalist for the 1955 National Book Award. Following the success of the novel, producer Paul Gregory slated the creation of a film adaptation starring Robert Mitchum with collaborative help from friend Charles Laughton and Knoxville-born screenwriter James Agee. Initially, this film failed to garner success from neither audiences nor critics; therefore, it was the only film Charles Laughton directed. Today, this film is critically recognized and acclaimed. Specifically, the United States Library of Congress selected The Night of the Hunter for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992. The film is praised not only for Robert Mitchum’s performance but for the historical and aesthetic significance of its production. Particularly, it is classified as a film noir and praised for its southern gothic literary influence, German Expressionism, and leanings on the silent era as important classifying elements of the film’s style and theme.