The Rainmaker

Watch: The Rainmaker

Unrated

12/13/19562h 1m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ It's about the magic that makes a woman beautiful when she's wanted by a man! ~

Overview:

Lizzie Curry is on the verge of becoming a hopeless old maid. Her wit and intelligence and skills as a homemaker can't make up for the fact that she's just plain plain! Even the town sheriff, File, for whom she harbors a secrect yen, won't take a chance --- until the town suffers a drought and into the lives of Lizzie and her brothers and father comes one Bill Starbuck ... profession: Rainmaker!

Director:

Joseph Anthony

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

con man
unrequited love
stranger
drought
spinster
pray for rain
western

Cast

Burt Lancaster

~ as ~

Bill Starbuck

Katharine Hepburn

~ as ~

Lizzie Curry

Wendell Corey

~ as ~

Deputy Sheriff J.S. File

Lloyd Bridges

~ as ~

Noah Curry

Earl Holliman

~ as ~

Jim Curry

Cameron Prud'Homme

~ as ~

H.C. Curry

Wallace Ford

~ as ~

Sheriff Howard Thomas

Yvonne Lime

~ as ~

Snookie Maguire

Jack Kenny

~ as ~

Townsman

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 9 year(s) ago
6
There once was an ugly duckling...

The Rainmaker is directed by Joseph Anthony and written by N. Richard Nash. It stars Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Wendell Corey, Lloyd Bridges, Cameron Prud'Homme and Earl Holliman. Music is by Alex North and VistaVision/Technicolor cinematography is by Charles Lang.

Starbuck (Lancaster) is a conman who arrives in the little town of Threepoint and promises to deliver the rain to end the town's crippling drought problem. More telling, perhaps, will be his impact on the Curry family...

N. Richard Nash wrote it as a television play and would then see it hit the Broadway stage, so he was the logical choice for screenplay duties here. The film very much feels like a play, with very pronounced acting and sharp dialogue, it's also - at just over two hours in length - far too long for a talky based production. Thirty minutes could quite easily have been shaved off here. There's also the contentious casting of the Oscar Nominated Hepburn, who in many people's eyes - myself included - is miscast and just doesn't sit right in the role, leaving it to Lancaster to bring the flight and breeze to light up the piece.

However, to enjoy the art of acting brings some rewards, it's also a pic of crafty humour and features a story of considerable humane substance. That one man, a scallywag, can have such a positive impact on a sterile backwater family, builds nicely to an ending that is a complete joy, a real smile raiser. It's also handsomely photographed by Lang, the colour lensing so smooth, and the production design, backed up by North's most appealing musical score, ensures you know that the makers cared about what they were doing. Relationships on set were initially rocky, but the principal stars would come to be friends and speak fondly of their time on the film. 6/10

Footnote: The material would also be turned into a musical titled 110 in the Shade.