The Night of the Hunter Quotes
Rev. Harry Powell: [when he notices John staring at the words "love" and "hate" tattooed across his knuckles] Ah, little lad, you're staring at my fingers. Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and evil? H-A-T-E! It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low. L-O-V-E! You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. The right hand, friends, the hand of love. Now watch, and I'll show you the story of life. Those fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warring and a-tugging, one agin t'other. Now watch 'em! Old brother left hand, left hand he's a fighting, and it looks like love's a goner. But wait a minute! Hot dog, love's a winning! Yessirree! It's love that's won, and old left hand hate is down for the count!
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Willa Harper: I feel clean now. My whole body's just a-quiverin' with cleanness.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rachel Cooper : Get your state troopers out here. I got something trapped in my barn.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : There are things you do hate, Lord. Perfume-smellin' things, lacy things, things with curly hair.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : [ when he notices John staring at the words "love" and "hate" tattooed across his knuckles ] Ah, little lad, you're staring at my fingers. Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and evil? H-A-T-E! It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low. L-O-V-E! You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. The right hand, friends, the hand of love. Now watch, and I'll show you the story of life. Those fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warring and a-tugging, one agin t'other. Now watch 'em! Old brother left hand, left hand he's a fighting, and it looks like love's a goner. But wait a minute! Hot dog, love's a winning! Yessirree! It's love that's won, and old left hand hate is down for the count!
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rachel Cooper : A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Ben Harper : I got tired of seein' children roamin' the woodlands without food, children roamin' the highways in this here Depression, children sleepin' in old abandoned car bodies in junk heaps. And I promised myself that I'd never see the day when my young-uns had want.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : She'll not be back. I reckon I'm safe in promising you that.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : I can hear you whisperin' children, so I know you're down there. I can feel myself gettin' awful mad. I'm out of patience children. I'm coming to find you now.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rachel Cooper : I'm a strong tree with branches for many birds. I'm good for something in this world and I know it too.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rachel Cooper : You know, when you're little, you have more endurance than God is ever to grant you again. Children are man at his strongest. They abide.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Icey Spoon : [ about the conjugal bed ] When you've been married to a man for forty years you know all that don't amount to a hill of beans. I've been married to Walt that long and I swear in all that time I just lie there thinkin' about my canning.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Icey Spoon : [ about sex in marriage ] A woman's a fool to marry for that. That's somethin' for a man. The Good Lord never meant for a decent woman to want that. Not really want it. It's all just a fake and a pipe dream.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Willa Harper : I feel clean now. My whole body's just a-quiverin' with cleanness.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : Not that you mind the killings! There's plenty of killings in your book, Lord...
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rachel Cooper : John - ain't you going to say hello to your pa?
John Harper : He's not my pa!
Rachel Cooper : No, and he ain't no preacher neither!
John Harper : He's not my pa!
Rachel Cooper : No, and he ain't no preacher neither!
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : Lord, you sure knew what you were doing when you brung me to this very cell at this very time. A man with ten thousand dollars hid somewhere, and a widder in the makin'.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : There's too many of them. I can't kill the world.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Ben Harper : What religion do you profess, preacher?
Rev. Harry Powell : The religion the Almighty and me worked out betwixt us.
Rev. Harry Powell : The religion the Almighty and me worked out betwixt us.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Willa Harper : [ Willa and Harry's wedding night ] Harry?
Rev. Harry Powell : I was praying.
Willa Harper : I'm sorry. I didn't know. I thought...
Rev. Harry Powell : You thought, Willa, that the moment you walked in that door, I'd start to paw at you in that abominable way that men are supposed to do on their wedding night. Ain't that right, now?
Willa Harper : No, no, no.
Rev. Harry Powell : I think it's time we made one thing perfectly clear, Willa. Marriage to me represents the blending of two spirits in the sight of Heaven. Get up, Willa.
Willa Harper : Harry, what...?
Rev. Harry Powell : Get up. Now go look at yourself yonder in that mirror. Do as I say. Look at yourself. What do you see, girl? You see the body of a woman, the temple of creation and motherhood. You see the flesh of Eve that man since Adam has profaned. That body was meant for begettin' children. It was not meant for the lust of men! Do you want more children, Willa?
Willa Harper : I... no.
Rev. Harry Powell : It's the business of this marriage to mind the two you have now. Not to beget more. Alright, you can get in bed now. Stop shivering.
Willa Harper : [ praying ] Help me to be clean, so I can be what Harry wants me to be.
Rev. Harry Powell : I was praying.
Willa Harper : I'm sorry. I didn't know. I thought...
Rev. Harry Powell : You thought, Willa, that the moment you walked in that door, I'd start to paw at you in that abominable way that men are supposed to do on their wedding night. Ain't that right, now?
Willa Harper : No, no, no.
Rev. Harry Powell : I think it's time we made one thing perfectly clear, Willa. Marriage to me represents the blending of two spirits in the sight of Heaven. Get up, Willa.
Willa Harper : Harry, what...?
Rev. Harry Powell : Get up. Now go look at yourself yonder in that mirror. Do as I say. Look at yourself. What do you see, girl? You see the body of a woman, the temple of creation and motherhood. You see the flesh of Eve that man since Adam has profaned. That body was meant for begettin' children. It was not meant for the lust of men! Do you want more children, Willa?
Willa Harper : I... no.
Rev. Harry Powell : It's the business of this marriage to mind the two you have now. Not to beget more. Alright, you can get in bed now. Stop shivering.
Willa Harper : [ praying ] Help me to be clean, so I can be what Harry wants me to be.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Rev. Harry Powell : Now just tell me. Where's the money hid?
Pearl Harper : But I swore I promised John I wouldn't tell.
Rev. Harry Powell : John doesn't matter! Can't I get that through your head, you poor, silly, disgusting little wretch.
Pearl Harper : But I swore I promised John I wouldn't tell.
Rev. Harry Powell : John doesn't matter! Can't I get that through your head, you poor, silly, disgusting little wretch.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
[ repeated line ]
Rev. Harry Powell : [ singing ] Leaning... leaning... safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning... leaning... leaning on the everlasting arms.
Rev. Harry Powell : [ singing ] Leaning... leaning... safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning... leaning... leaning on the everlasting arms.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
[ Pearl reaches to touch Powell's switchblade ]
Rev. Harry Powell : No, no! Don't you touch that, little lamb. Don't touch my knife, that makes me mad. That makes me very, very mad.
Rev. Harry Powell : No, no! Don't you touch that, little lamb. Don't touch my knife, that makes me mad. That makes me very, very mad.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter
Birdie Steptoe : Man of my age needs a little snort in the morning, heat the boilers.
Movie: The Night of the Hunter