Charles Laughton's only film as director(from 1955) is a once-neglected,now much cherished, fairytale fantasy/ allegorical suspense thriller- an unconventional genre mix-,which manages to be atmospheric and terrifying,as well as supremely lyrical and poetic.Robert Mitchum stars as an evil phoney preacher preying on a widow and her children, to gain a fortune hidden on their property.Memorable not only for his tremendous performance,but in particular for Stanley Cortez' peerless photography,with the children's moonlit river journey a great highlight of American Cinema.Voted all-time #3 in the 1989 Time Out poll,all-time #4 by German critics in 1995; a definite must-see. 