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The film The Night of the Hunter (1955) was notably overlooked during the major competitive awards season in the United States upon its release, failing to secure nominations at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes.
However, one of its lead actors did win an award from a respected critics organization for his performance.
The only actor to win an award for their role in The Night of the Hunter was Robert Mitchum for his terrifying portrayal of the fake preacher, Harry Powell.
| Actor | Role | Awarding Body | Award Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Mitchum | Reverend Harry Powell | National Board of Review (NBR) | Best Actor | Winner |
The National Board of Review (NBR) awards operate differently than competitive awards like the Oscars. The NBR committee selects its winners directly rather than announcing a slate of nominees for the public to vote on.
In 1955, the NBR named Robert Mitchum as the winner for Best Actor. He was recognized for a dual achievement that year: his work in The Night of the Hunter and his role in Not as a Stranger.
Since the NBR does not publish a list of competitors or nominees, it is impossible to specify who he was "up against" in the way one would list Oscar nominees. His selection meant that the NBR committee judged his performance to be the best overall acting achievement of the year.
Despite stellar performances by the rest of the cast, including Shelley Winters (Willa Harper) and especially Lillian Gish (Rachel Cooper), no other actors in The Night of the Hunter received nominations from major U.S. competitive bodies (like the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, or New York Film Critics Circle).
The summary correctly states the film was overlooked, but could have added context about its later critical reevaluation and preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992.
The summary fundamentally misidentifies when and for which films Robert Mitchum won his National Board of Review Best Actor award. The award was in 1960 for 'Home from the Hill' and 'The Sundowners,' not in 1955 for The Night of the Hunter and Not as a Stranger. This is a critical factual error that undermines the entire premise of the response.
The Night of the Hunter (1955) received no acting award nominations or wins upon its release. The film was overlooked by major competitive award bodies including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and the New York Film Critics Circle. While Robert Mitchum's performance is now considered one of cinema's greatest, he did not win an award specifically for this role. Mitchum later won the National Board of Review Best Actor award in 1960 for his dual performances in 'Home from the Hill' and 'The Sundowners'—not for The Night of the Hunter. Similarly, despite acclaimed performances by Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish, neither received award nominations. The film was a critical and commercial failure upon release, only achieving recognition as a masterpiece in subsequent decades, leading to its preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992.