"A very theatrical construct of noir. Black humor, nursery rhymes, expressionist lighting, a zoological boat ride, Shelly Winters underwater, and Robert Mitchum cackling when getting shot. I can hear Charles Laughton chuckling in every scene. Best use of frightening artifice. If Mitchum only acted in one movie, if Gish only appeared in one movie, they should be proud for this to be the one. As it is, Laughton only directed one."

"I absolutely love this film. Robert Mitchum is incredible as a serial killer roving about in the guise of a preacher. It's the only film Charles Laughton directed, which, on the evidence of this film, is a real shame, as he seemed to have a real flair for it. There are a lot of great performances, and you can't help but wonder if Laughton’s vast experience as an actor helped him get the best out of his cast."

"Back in high school, my best friend gave me a tattered paperback of Boy Wonder by the late/great James Robert Baker. We’d been into making movies, writing stories, and living imaginatively since kindergarten, and this gonzo, out-of-print novel about a young-madman-turned-Hollywood-super-producer had it all. Boy Wonder is the perfect summer read, a fount of crazed inspiration, laugh-out-loud funny, and to this day, one of the most seminal reading experiences I’ve had."