* ActorInspiredElement: Reportedly it was Creator/RobertMitchum himself who thought of the shot of hanging upside down in his bunk. Creator/CharlesLaughton liked the idea, and it was shot that way.
* BoxOfficeBomb: Budget, $750,000. Box office, $300,000 (US rentals). The first and only feature film directed by Creator/CharlesLaughton. It's since been VindicatedByHistory as an all time masterpiece and its SinisterMinister villain has been [[FountainOfExpies expied]] and spoofed over the years.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle: The Swedish title spoils the film, as it tells where the money is hidden. ''Trasdocka'' literally means ''Rag Doll (Pearl's toy)''.
* CreatorKiller: It bombed so hard on its initial release that Creator/CharlesLaughton decided never again to direct. He'd been planning to do ''The Naked and the Dead'' next, but gave it up.
** "Laughton's biographer, Simon Callow, believes that the failure broke his heart. 'He had found his métier, everything in his career and life so far had been preparing him for filmmaking, but it came too late for him to withstand the rough indifference of the commercial cinema.'"
* CreatorPreferredAdaptation: Davis Grubb, the author of the novel, immediately hit it off with Creator/CharlesLaughton when they first met, and was very involved with the development of the film. He loved the finished product, particularly praising Evelyn Varden's portrayal of Icey Spoon.
* DawsonCasting: According to the novel, Ruby is 13. She's played by Gloria Castillo, who was 22 at the time.
* DeletedScene[=/=]MissingEpisode:
** A scene depicting the townsfolk going into the Spoon store after watching a movie is the only complete scene that was actually shot and later completely discarded.
** Willa's last line "Bless us all," delivered just before her throat is cut was deleted in the final film.
* FountainOfExpies: Many villains are based on Creator/RobertMitchum's performance as Powell, such as Kane from ''Film/PoltergeistIITheOtherSide'' and Caleb from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Even ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''' Sideshow Bob gets in on the action in one episode ("[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E2CapeFeare Cape Feare]]", where, due to FourFingeredHands, he has "LUV" on one hand and "HAT" - long A - on the other), and Music/TheClash give him a ShoutOut in "Death or Glory".
* HeAlsoDid: Besides directing, Creator/CharlesLaughton also heavily rewrote James Agee's screenplay before filming, but graciously declined any credit, giving Agee full writing credit.
* HostilityOnTheSet:
** Creator/RobertMitchum was openly contemptuous of Creator/ShelleyWinters throughout the shooting of the film, and later claimed to have wished Creator/CharlesLaughton had actually used Winters in the scene when her character's body is seen dead underwater. When he first learned that she won the part, he said,
--->She looks and sounds as much like a wasted West Virginia girl as I do. The only bit she'll do convincingly is to float in the water with her throat cut.
** Mitchum was also widely known for his nasty anti-gay jokes. But he put his hatred aside for Laughton, and they became good friends.
** Laughton didn't like the child actors, and Mitchum was apparently invaluable in helping with them.
* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: Creator/RobertMitchum tried explaining to Billy Chapin that he needed to better understand his character and his relationship to the preacher. Chapin, who had a reputation for brattiness, replied, "That's probably why I just won the New York Critics Circle prize." Creator/CharlesLaughton bellowed, "Get that child away from me!" and from then on Mitchum patiently directed the boy in their scenes together.
* OneBookAuthor: This was Charles Laughton's directorial debut but the extremely negative reception and his own death seven years later meant he never directed another film.
* TheOtherMarty: Emmett Lynn was originally cast and filmed as Birdie Steptoe, but Creator/CharlesLaughton replaced him with James Gleason and reshot all of Lynn's scenes.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Early in production, Creator/CharlesLaughton wanted to play Harry Powell himself. When it became clear that this would be a difficult (if not impossible) sell to the studios, Creator/LaurenceOlivier lobbied for the role before being passed over in favor of the more bankable (and more American) Creator/RobertMitchum.
** Creator/GaryCooper turned down the role, seeing it as harmful to his career. Creator/JohnCarradine was also considered.
** Creator/EthelBarrymore and Creator/AgnesMoorehead were considered for Rachel Cooper.
** Creator/BettyGrable, Creator/GraceKelly and Creator/TeresaWright were considered for Willa Harper.
** Davis Grubb, the author of the novel, was Laughton's first choice to write the screenplay, but the studio wanted someone more experienced, so the job went to distinguished writer and critic James Agee, who had previously written ''Film/TheAfricanQueen''.
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