Comments on And Your Little Blog, Too: Hunting Down Laughton's Haunting Night

A wonderful post. I remember first seeing Night as...

2008-09-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

A wonderful post. I remember first seeing Night as a 14-year-old babysitter, and I don't think I've ever been more frightened. But I still think about the movie, often.

Thank you for this wonderful and informative overv...

2008-08-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you for this wonderful and informative overview of what's to be seen in those legendary "Hunter" outtakes. I'd been wondering for a long time just what they were like and now I know, thanks to you.

Mike, The "laughton hated kids" urban legend origi...

2008-08-16T03:18:00.000-07:00

Mike, The "laughton hated kids" urban legend originates in Elsa Lanchester as a source. She (who never was in the set or anywhere around the Hunter production), took a comment by Bob Mitchum verbatim, and no film historian bothered to check wheter her comments were grounded in reality or not... Until Preston Neal Jones and Robert Gitt went to first hand sources and proved the contrary.

The explanation of it all is that it was Elsa the one who didn't like children: Laughton, as a matter or fact, wanted to be a father, but Elsa never agreed to that: which gives an interesting alternate view of things, doesn't it?

Vertigo, If Laughton had gone home to scream at El...

2008-08-16T03:12:00.000-07:00

Vertigo, If Laughton had gone home to scream at Elsa, don't doubt that she would scream back in fully fledged "Bride" mood!

She was far from a defenceless little lamb ;) and, in fact, I think that it was precisely her independent thinking what endeared her to Charles

Laughton always speaks very gently to Bruce and is...

2008-08-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Laughton always speaks very gently to Bruce and is patience itself with the sometimes inattentive five or six-year-old. He may have gone home and screamed at Elsa Lanchester, but he didn't let his frustration show on the set. As mentioned, he worked closely with Chapin, giving the youngster superb direction, even when Laughton was at his most demanding.

Mitchum is heard occasionally giving suggestions to the children (especially Bruce) but Laughton definitely is the one in charge of all the actors.

Oh boy. Maybe I should've forgotten about the Oly...

2008-08-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. Maybe I should've forgotten about the Olympics for a night. This sounds incredible, and your post is probably the next best thing to actually being there.

I've read stories that Laughton 'hated' the child actors, and that Mitchum wound up directing them half the time, but your report seems to contradict that. Think it was all bunk, or that they conveniently left that part out of the footage shown?

Thanks for the report! I wish I could have been th...

2008-08-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the report! I wish I could have been there!

Crossing fingers so the outtakes are released in DVD!

Thanks for the thumbs up, Ken. There was a lot, lo...

2008-08-12T01:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the thumbs up, Ken. There was a lot, lot more to be seen and heard than I've mentioned-all I can say is if this ever comes out on DVD, or you ever get the chance to see it on the screen, don't pass it up for any reason- that death in the family or Christmas can wait.

What a terrific post! I felt I'd been taken right ...

2008-08-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

What a terrific post! I felt I'd been taken right to the screening as your special guest. And I'm sure other readers will feel just the same. We're all lucky that you were there - and that you had both the urge and the ability to communicate the excitement so eloquently to the rest of us. Thanks.