The Rainmaker (1956)

Director:

Joseph Anthony

Writers:

N. Richard Nash (play)
N. Richard Nash (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 December 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller | Western | Comedy

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Lizzie Curry is on the verge of becoming a hopeless old maid. Her wit and intelligence and skills as...

Plot Keywords:

Con Artist | Drought | Rainmaker | Rain | Spinster

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Bill Starbuck, aka Bill Smith, Bill Harley, Tornado Johnson
Katharine Hepburn	...	Lizzie Curry
Wendell Corey	...	Deputy Sheriff J.S. File, Three Point Texas
Lloyd Bridges	...	Noah Curry
Earl Holliman	...	Jim Curry
Cameron Prud'Homme	...	H.C. Curry
Wallace Ford	...	Sheriff Howard Thomas (Three Point, Texas)
Yvonne Fedderson	...	Snookie Maguire, Jim's Girl (as Yvonne Lime)

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18257) | Norway:12 | West Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Kanab, Utah, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Elvis Presley took his first screen test for this movie, which led to reports that he was considered for a role as his movie debut. At least one source (the book "Elvis: His Life from A to Z" by Fred Worth and Steve Tamerius) says that this was not the case, although in an interview in 1956, Elvis did say that this was going to be his first movie.

Quotes:

Noah Curry: We don't believe in rainmakers.
Bill Starbuck: What DO you believe in mistah? Dyin' cattle?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Elvis (2005) (TV)

Striking a Poignant Chord

What's best, to live only in our dreams, only on the outside of them, or somewhere in between? N. Richard Nash has written a deceptively simple story about faith, reality, trust, and transformation in the script from his play, "The Rainmaker." Ably directed by Joseph Anthony, richly scored by Alex North, and lovingly played by Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster, this is a poignant and surprisingly moving drama. While the secondary love interest between Earl Holliman and Yvonne Lime become a bit cloying and hokey at times, the main theme is beautifully enacted by two enormously gifted stars. "The Rainmaker" is an entertainment winner, while offering much substantive food-for-thought.