JohnHowardReid A Hal Wallis Production. (Available on an excellent Paramount DVD). Copyright 1956 by Hal Wallis Productions. Released through Paramount Pictures. New York opening at the Astor: 12 December 1956. U.S. release: February 1957. U.K. release: 18 March 1957. Australian release: 25 July 1957. Sydney opening at the Prince Edward: 26 July 1957 (despite an enormous publicity blitz, ran only 3 weeks). 10,921 feet. 122 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An engaging confidence man brings back life to a drought- stricken countryside and to a charming but self-deprecating spinster.COMMENT: Paramount's publicity department took enormous pains to conceal the fact that The Rainmaker began life as a television play. Broadcast on CBS "Philco Playhouse" on 16 August 1953, it starred Darren McGavin. Broadway producer Ethel Linder Reiner saw the TV play as a likely stage vehicle for Geraldine Page. Author Nash needed little persuasion to adapt his play for Broadway where it opened at the Cort on 28 October 1954, running a satisfactory 125 performances. McGavin repeated the title role and in addition to Page the cast included Prud'homme (who reprized his part for the film), Richard Coogan and Albert Salmi. The director was the mysterious Joseph Anthony who I believe is the same Joseph Anthony who had a few small parts in Hollywood in the early 1940s. Presumably he then enlisted and when discharged turned to television and stage directing. The Rainmaker is his first film. The Matchmaker, Career, All in a Night's Work, Conquered City followed. A young actress named Yvonne Lime also makes her debut in The Rainmaker, but aside from Untamed Youth in 1957, she was never heard from again."The Rainmaker" is a small play. So how to transfer it to a big screen? Dress it up with VistaVision and Technicolor for a starter. And then? Wisely I believe (though many critics disagreed with me), it was decided to keep most of the "exterior" scenes within the confines of obvious stage sets, so that the viewer often has the impression of watching an actual Broadway play. The interior sets are by contrast highly realistic, but the change doesn't work because there's too much talk and there's nothing else the viewer can look at but the actors. Mind you, a lot of people liked this over-concentration, for Katharine Hepburn was nominated for Hollywood's most prestigious award for Best Actress (losing to Ingrid Bergman's Anastasia). But I found a lot of the dialogue too verbose, too repetitive, too obvious, too pretentious, too over- emphasized.Oddly, neither the often picturesque sets nor the skilfully atmospheric color photography were nominated for awards, though Alex North deservedly received a nod for his music score (losing in the Drama or Comedy category to Around the World in 80 Days).For all its expertise, both in front of and behind the camera, I thought The Rainmaker's whimsical little plot too slight to sustain its appeal over more than two hours. And in my opinion Wendell Corey (although hampered by close-ups of such intensity his facial make-up was obvious) came out of it best.There's a postscript to prove you just can't keep a middling play down. In 1963 author Nash turned it into a Broadway musical called "110 in the Shade". Inga Swenson, Robert Horton, Stephen Douglas and Will Geer starred. So Nash has made a fortune from this one idea, including $350,000 just for the movie rights.OTHER VIEWS: Here is Katharine Hepburn as an introspective spinster who, while still hoping for a husband, has secretly written herself off as a lost cause. Again she finds romance during a heat-baked dusty summer. But there the resemblance to "Summer Madness" ends.The setting this time is not an opulent Venice, but a dreary Western town caught in the throes of a drought. In a ranch on the outskirts of town, two brothers and their father scheme away, trying to marry off the un-wedded housekeeper daughter (Katharine Hepburn)."The Rainmaker" is an excellent piece of theater. It concentrates on six characters, providing meaty opportunities for the two leads and all four support players, makes forceful use of its one set, and keeps a basically simple story fired up within a tight time frame. Another plus is that it's difficult to categorize (a fantasy? a bucolic comedy? a sentimental romance?) and thus can be all things to all theater- goers. On the other hand, the cinema, alas, has a more searching eye than either the stage or television. My personal opinion (certainly borne out by the film's box-office failure in almost every country where "Summer Madness" was a huge success) is that "The Rainmaker" is so down-to-earth, it simply has no bond with the average, entertainment-seeking movie-goer. — JHR writing as George Addison.

SnoopyStyle Lizzie Curry (Katharine Hepburn) is a spinster taking care of her father HC and her two brothers (Lloyd Bridges, Earl Holliman). Deputy Sheriff File is a widower and holds a secret crush for Lizzie. The town is suffering from a drought, and everybody is desperate for water including the Currys. Then comes Bill Starbuck (Burt Lancaster) who claims to be a Rainmaker. Is he a huckster or is he real? More importantly, he could bring Lizzie out of her rut.Katharine is acting too big, but I guess it's the style of the era. Burt is masterful as the big showman. He has the big personality to pull it off. However his motivations are too unclear for the audience to root for fully. When you add Lloyd Bridges, there are truly big star power at work. And they can paper over any minor imperfections.

jotix100 Bill Starbuck is a cunning man that can enchant small town folks with the fake promises the products he peddles will do miracles. As we come to the story, he is trying to unload devices that will help folks with tornadoes, so prevalent in that part of the country. Unfortunately, he is found out and must flee before being arrested. The countryside in rural Texas is broiling under the strong summer sun. No rain has fallen in quite some time. The Currys, H.C., the father, Noah and Jim are at the train station to meet Lizzie, the daughter, and sibling that has gone on a trip and is coming home. The Currys are obsessed in finding her a husband. Lizzie, a woman of a 'certain age' seems resigned for her own old maid status.When Bill Starbuck arrives at the Curry ranch, he sees the three men in a field where a few dead animals lay on the ground because of the drought conditions in the area. Later, Starbuck arrives unannounced at the ranch. The Currys have invited the sheriff to come to dinner, something that was arranged to see if the lawman would click with Lizzie. The sheriff File never got over the way his wife left him for another man, so he is reluctant to begin any other relationship if he can help it.That night, Lizzie, realizing her prospects of ever getting any man interested in her, goes to the barn where Starbuck has been staying. Their meeting does not begin well, but Starbuck guesses what is causing this woman's troubles. Having a gift of gab, he convinces her she is her worst enemy and seduces her. Lizzie responds in kindness because for the first time in her life she has felt wanted for the first time in her life.Joseph Anthony directed the screen adaptation of Richard Nash Broadway play. The original cast included Geraldine Page and Darren McGavin as Lizzie and Starbuck. The film version was blessed with the unusual pairing of Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster. In fact, Ms. Hepburn had starred in "Summertime", released the previous year. It was, in a way, a variation on the same theme, but in another setting and context. Lizzie was a variation of the character she had played successfully, although not in the least intentionally. The only thing the movie does not avoid is the feeling it is nothing but filmed stage play.Burt Lancaster as Starbuck deserves a lot of credit for giving his character a lot of the poetry that it required. Director Joseph Anthony got a great performance of this actor. Katherine Hepburn's contribution to the film is enormous. Her chemistry with her co-stars was one of the best things in the film. Wendell Corey, Lloyd Bridges, Earl Holliman, and Cameron Prud'Homme rounded up the cast.

Stephen Alfieri "The Rainmaker" is all wet.Thanks to a badly miscast Katherine Hepburn (who is almost 50 here, and looks like she's trying to play 25-30, and a truly obnoxious performance by Earl Holliman, plus an awful directing job by Joseph Anthony turn what could have been an interesting story of how a woman discovers how to believe in herself, into a farce that is barely watchable.It seems as though Mr. Anthony did not trust the script (by N. Richard Nash, based on his play), and just told his actors that the bigger you play your roles, the better the film will be. I believe a director like Fred Zinnemann or George Stevens could have made this into a really glorious film.The story is a simple one. Bill Starbuck (played magnificently by Burt Lancaster, who looks as though he's warming up for "Elmer Gantry") is a huckster who convinces a family that for $100, he can make it rain, and thereby end a drought. What he actually does is end the drought in heart of Lizzie Curry, the daughter of the rancher who gave Starbuck the $100. He gets her to believe in herself, and in doing so he falls in love with her.The message of the film about believing in and loving yourself is very powerful. Hepburn does do a terrific job in these latter scenes. But her performance is so mannered and "over the top" in the first half of the picture, that you just don't buy the transformation.And Holliman seems as though he's about to go on auditions for "The Beverly Hillbillies" or "Hee-Haw".In the end, the film is worth seeing for Lancaster's performance only. But it is a magnificent performance.6 out of 10