Reverend Harry Powell

Reverend Harry Powell is a fictional character in Davis Grubb's 1953 novel "The Night of the Hunter". He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in Charles Laughton's 1955 film adaptation, and by Richard Chamberlain in the 1991 made for TV remake. He was voted #29 on the American Film Institute's top 50 villains of all time list.

In the novel and film

Powell is an itinerant preacher, con artist and serial killer with a switchblade and a hatred of women and sex. He has the words "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed on his knuckles and uses them in a sermon about the internal struggle between good and evil. He spreads the gospel until money runs thin, at which point he gains the trust of wealthy widows, marries them and kills them for their money. He then runs off (often in a stolen car) and repeats the process. He believes that he is doing God's work, as "God's book is full of killin's". He roams the countryside, preaching and leaving a trail of murdered women in his wake, until he is imprisoned for grand theft auto.

While in prison, he meets Ben Harper, who had robbed a bank, hidden the money and was sentenced to hang. However, despite the reverend's constant questioning as to the money's location, Harper takes the secret to the grave. After Harper's execution, Powell leaves prison and hunts for the money. He meets Harper's widow, Willa, and her children, John and Pearl. He ingratiates himself into the family by pretending to have been the prison chaplain and a good friend of Ben's; Willa and Pearl are smitten, but John doesn't trust him. Powell learns that the children know where the money is, and marries Willa so he can have access to the children and find the money. John refuses to tell him, however, as does Pearl.

After Willa learns the truth behind her marriage, Powell kills her and drops her body in a nearby river. After he threatens to kill John, Pearl reveals the secret: the money is in her doll. The children then run off, doll in tow, and ride down the river on their father's old skiff. John and Pearl drift down the river for days until they find a farm run by an old woman, Rachel Cooper, who takes care of homeless, orphaned, and abandoned children.

However, Powell has followed their trail and comes to the house one day claiming to be the children's father. Rachel is not fooled and pulls a gun on him; he leaves, but vows to return later. After nightfall, the desperate preacher charges into the farmhouse only to be shot by Rachel. Yelping in pain, Powell runs into the barn and is arrested the next morning (ironically, John then gives the money to the police). He is put on trial for multiple murders, including Willa's, and put to death.

In popular culture

Reverend Powell has become one of cinema's most influential villains, mainly due to his tattooed hands and slick, sinister charm. Mitchum's performance has reaped widespread acclaim; he later said Powell was his favorite role.

The tattoos on Powell's knuckles of the words "love" and "hate" have become one of the most iconic images in film history; it has been referenced and parodied in films ranging from "Do the Right Thing" to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", as well as television shows such as "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" and songs by groups such as The Clash and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

ee also

*"The Night of the Hunter" (1955)
*"The Night of the Hunter" (1991)