Probably
Robert Mitchum's best-known performance was in this extremely creepy suspense-horror film from 1955. It's the one where he has "Love" and "Hate"
tattooed across his knuckles. He plays Harry Powell, a preacher and psychotic serial murderer who one day gets married to Willa Harper, newly widowed and mother of two. Willa's previous husband has just been hanged for robbing a bank and killing two men in the process, and Harry is hoping to get his hands on the hidden money. And then it gets really messed-up.
One of the all-time classics of American cinema, and
Charles Laughton's
sole film as a director.
This film provides examples of:
- Adults Are Useless: Pretty much everyone except Rachel and even she admits she "lost her son's love" a long time ago.
- Especially Willa, who doesn't lift a hand in her own defense when Harry kills her, despite knowing full well he's likely to kill her children next.
- Author Filibuster: Invoked. Rachel ends the film with a sermon about how children can recover from any psychological trauma, blithely ignoring that at least two of her foster children have quietly gone insane. The Hays code insisted that the children be all right at the end.
- Bad Habits
- The Bluebeard: Lampshaded during the finale.
- Brainwashed
- Broken Pedestal: Say what you will about the stepfather, but the kids' real father is no screaming hell either. And Uncle Birdie turns out to be utterly useless.
- Call On Me: Uncle Birdie tells John this at one point, but when the time comes he's passed out drunk.
- Children Are Innocent: They abide, too.
- Cool Old Lady: Rachel
- Creepy Basement
- Determinator: John will do anything to keep his father's secret.
- Devil in Plain Sight
- Executive Meddling: Which he never outright stated it, it's clear that Charles Laughton had a different ending intended than the one that was seen on-screen, which borders almost on a BLAM at times. Because of the Hays Code, he had to make hasty edits to make it up to their standards.
- Expy: Many villains are based on Mitchum's performance as Powell, such as Kane from Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Caleb from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even The Simpsons' Sideshow Bob gets in on the action in one episode, and The Clash give him a Shout Out in "Death or Glory".
- Fille Fatale: Ruby, who has some serious psychological problems.
- Flash Back Echo: Done more subtly than many recent cases. At the end of the film when Harry is being arrested, John's freak-out, begging them not to take him away, and throwing the money, echoes what he was feeling but didn't fully express when his father was being arrested at the beginning of the film.
- The Great Depression
- Grimmification: Notably the bible verses and children's songs used to eerie effect.
- Guess Who I'm Marrying?: Just about the wickedest stepfather in anything ever, that's who!
- Henpecked Husband: Walt Spoon, who notably has to endure his wife ignoring his presence to tell half the town about how she ignores him during sex.
- Heroic Vow: John has sworn not to tell anyone where the stolen money is, and has to remind Pearl of this frequently. The finale reveals this is a pointed subversion: all John had to do all along was return the money to the police and Powell wouldn't have been a threat. Keeping the secret caused the deaths of at least two people, including John's mother.
- Of course, the movie seems to be trying to point out just how shitty it was for John's father to put that burden on his young son in the first place.
- Hypocrite: A town full of them, exemplified by Mrs. Spoon.
- Implacable Man: "Don't he ever sleep?"
- He's also shot point blank by a surprised Rachel during the climax. He shrieks and flees, but is still alive the following morning.
- Ironic Nursery Tune: "There Once Was a Pretty Fly"
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: The heavy handed Mrs. Rachel Cooper.
- Knife Nut: He doesn't like it when you touch it...
- Knight Templar: Harry Powell...perhaps?
- Knuckle Tattoos: Possibly the ur-example.
- Large Ham: Harry Powell. "JOHN DOESN'T MATTER!"
- The Load: Pearl, who, even for a four-year-old, is pretty useless throughout the film.
- Manipulative Bastard: Harry
- Meaningful Name: The Spoons (the wife's name is Icey), who sell ice cream.
- Never Mess with Granny: Rachel pulls a shotgun on Powell when he goes after John.
- Nostalgia Filter: The adorably quaint little town.
- Offscreen Teleportation: With Lampshade Hanging
- One Book Author, in regard to Charles Laughton's directorial career (The original release received a poor reception from both audiences and critics)
- Only Sane Man: John Harper, although even he has his crazy moments. Mr. Spoon sometimes has moments, but his wife is swift to fix that.
- Scenery Porn: The riverboat scene.
- Serial Killer
- Sinister Minister: Harry maintains that he's doing God's work. Then again, he's nuts. Rachel doesn't fall for the act for a moment.
- Smug Snake: Mrs. Spoon really needs to die. Harry's a smug bastard, too.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Leanin', leanin', safe and secure from all alarm...
- Stock Parodies: Harry's tattoos have become one of these.
- They Call Me Mister Tibbs: "Preacher Harry Powell."
- They Look Just Like Everyone Else: Harry Powell.
- Torches and Pitchforks: The film's climax has the Spoons leading an angry lynch mob against Powell.
- Why Did You Make Me Hit You?
- You're Not My Father
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