The Rainmaker is a 1956 American western romance film directed by Joseph Anthony and adapted by N. Richard Nash from his 1954 play The Rainmaker. The film tells the story of a middle-aged woman, suffering from unrequited love for the local town sheriff; however, she falls for a con man who comes to town with the promise that he can make it rain. It stars Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Wendell Corey, Lloyd Bridges and Earl Holliman. Holliman won a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
| The Rainmaker | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph Anthony |
| Screenplay by | N. Richard Nash |
| Based on | The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Starring | Burt Lancaster Katharine Hepburn Wendell Corey |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang |
| Edited by | Warren Low |
| Music by | Alex North |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 121 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.1 million (US)[1] |
The Rainmaker has been remade twice: the first time as a television film of the same name in 1982 directed by John Frankenheimer; the second time in Hindi as Thodasa Roomani Ho Jayen in 1990.[2]
Plot
editDuring the Depression era in the Midwest, con man Bill Starbuck acts as a rainmaker, but is chased out of town after town. One day, he arrives in a drought-ridden rural town in Kansas and shows up at the door of spinsterish Lizzie Curry and the rest of the Curry clan. Lizzie keeps house for her father, H.C., and two brothers on the family cattle ranch. As their farm languishes under the devastating drought, Lizzie's family worries about her marriage prospects more than about their dying cattle. Prior to Starbuck's arrival, Lizzie was expecting Sheriff File, for whom she harbors a secret yen, though he declined the family's invitation to dinner. Starbuck promises to bring rain in exchange for money.[3] Against Lizzie's protests, H.C. goes for the deal out of desperation for rain even though he thinks Starbuck is a con. Starbuck is exposed, but the Curry clan stands up for him, leading to both Starbuck and File finally declaring for Lizzie. In the end, Lizzie gets her man, and of course, it rains.
Cast
edit- 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
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Katharine Hepburn | Nominated | [4] |
| Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture | Alex North | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Foreign Actress | Katharine Hepburn | Nominated | [5] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | [6] | |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Burt Lancaster | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Katharine Hepburn | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Earl Holliman | Won | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Written American Drama | N. Richard Nash | Nominated | [7] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Top Grosses of 1957", Variety, 8 January 1958: 30
- ^ Ghosh, Avijit (2013). 40 Retakes: Bollywood Classics You May Have Missed. Tranquebar Press. ISBN 978-9383260317.
- ^ http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm BLS Inflation Calculator
- ^ "The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1958". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "The Rainmaker". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild of America Awards. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.