The Night of the Hunter (1955), the only film directed by Charles Laughton, is a weird and beautiful mixture of Americana and psychological horror, with an iconic performance by Robert Mitchum as the preacher with LOVE tattooed on one hand, HATE on the other. The Night of the Hunter is also the only classic motion picture for which the original rushes survive, and tonight, UCLA Preservation Officer Robert Gitt will present over two hours of selected rushes from the film. There is no “missing” footage here; rather, the outtakes, including unused shots and disparate line readings, will provide the viewer with a unique understanding of how the resonant-voiced Laughton coached his performers (Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, et al.), helping them develop their characters on screen. The outtakes to be screened have been carefully selected from more than eight hours of surviving material, and represent an alternative view of the film's most memorable sequences. For enthusiasts of The Night of the Hunter and those interested in how this classic motion picture was created, tonight's program should be revelatory.

A restored print of The Night of the Hunter will be shown on Wednesday, July 30.