British star Charles Laughton didn’t start out directing when he first emerged in Hollywood, but proved himself to be an accomplished actor. However, Laughton had a strong desire to pursue directing, which producer Paul Gregory picked up on. Gregory introduced him to David Grubb’s bestselling novel The Night of the Hunter. Laughton was quick to jump on the idea, making his directorial debut in 1955. However, the film performed very poorly at the box office at the time of its release, despite being considered a classic nowadays. As the years went on, more acclaim followed the film, yet Laughton never returned to directing after The Night of the Hunter and focused on acting for the remainder of his career.
