Yönetmen : Charles Laughton Oyuncular : Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, George Wallace, Gloria Pall Senaryo : James Agee Yapımcı : Paul Gregory

Ben Harper (Peter Graves ) 10.000 dolar için cinayet işliyor. Parayı sakl›yor ve kızı Pearl ile oğlu John'a paranın yerini kimseye söylememelerini tembihliyor. Anneleri ile bile bu konuyu konuşmalarını yasaklıyor. Hapiste asılmayı beklerken hücre komşusu Preacher (Robert Mitchum ) ile konuşmaya başlıyor. Paranın yerini soruyor ancak Ben bu tip olaylara hazırlıklı olduğu için cevap vermekten kaçınıyor. Preacher hapisten çıkınca Ber'in evini ve sakladığı paralarını bulmaya çalışıyor. Harry Powell marries and murders widows for their money, believing he is helping God do away with women who arouse men's carnal instincts. Arrested for auto theft, he shares a cell with condemned killer Ben Harper and tries to get him to reveal the whereabouts of the {dollar}10,000 he stole. Only Ben's nine-year-old son, John and four-year-old daughter, Pearl know the money is in Pearl's doll and they have sworn to their father to keep this secret. After Ben is executed, Preacher goes to Cresap's Landing to court Ben's widow, Willa. He overwhelms her with his Scripture quoting, sermons and hymns, and she agrees to marry him. On their wedding night he tells her they will never have sex because it is sinful. When the depressed, confused, guilty woman catches him trying to force Pearl to reveal the whereabouts of the money, she is resigned to her fate but the children manage to escape downriver, with Preacher following close behind.