| Night of the Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller |
| Based on | The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb |
| Screenplay by | Edmond Stevens |
| Directed by | David Greene |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Diana Kerew |
| Cinematography | Ron Orieux |
| Editor | Skip Schoolnik |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | May 5, 1991 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Night of the Hunter is a 1991 American television film directed by David Greene starring Richard Chamberlain as a self-styled preacher who is a psychotic serial killer pursuing two children for $50,000 in money stolen by their father after marrying and murdering their widowed mother (Diana Scarwid).[1] The film also stars Burgess Meredith in the role of her son's friend, the river rat Birdy.
Night of the Hunter is based on Davis Grubb's 1953 novel. Unlike the 1955 version, a film noir directed by Charles Laughton that starred Robert Mitchum as Preacher Harry Powell, the 1991 version is not set during The Great Depression, as is the novel, but in contemporary times.[2] Although contemporary news coverage at the time of the 1991 version's broadcast convey claims by those involved with the production that this version was closer to Grubb's novel than was the 1955 film, it actually takes liberties with Grubb's narrative, unlike Laughton's version, which stuck closely to the original source.[1]