Touches You

Thanks for the memories!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Katharine Hepburn takes the lead in The Rainmaker, in one of her finest performances. She's an old maid living in a small town, keeping house for her father and brothers, Lloyd Bridges, Earl Holliman, and Cameron Prud'Homme. She's secretly got a crush on Sheriff Wallace Ford, but he doesn't pay her any attention. The town is going through an unprecedented drought, and Burt Lancaster, a travelling conman, comes to town claiming to be a "rainmaker". As he tries to convince the town he's genuine, he also convinces old maid Kate that she's beautiful and desirable.While Kate's and Burt's acting really make the movie, the story itself is a classic. It was also adapted to a Broadway musical called 110 in the Shade, by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. The characters are real and vivid, and even though it's obvious it was adapted from a play—written by N. Richard Nash—it's still very enjoyable even for modern audiences. Who doesn't wonder with fear and sadness that they'll never find love, and who doesn't want to believe in that last scrap of hope even when it might be fake? I don't actually like the film, but I appreciate how beloved it is by others. I don't really care for Kate's character and choices, but it wouldn't be fair for me to write a negative review for personal reasons.The film is chalk full of famous moments: romantic, funny, and wise. "When a man makes a point of ignoring you, he ain't ignoring you at all," is one of my favorite lines. And while I won't spoil the ending for you, it is incredibly famous. You might have seen it before in classic film montages. Burt Lancaster's iconic final line, which unfortunately I can't quote here because it would spoil things, is my favorite part of the movie.

Wow, what a revelation this movie is! By it's title I was expecting it to be all about con-man and rapscallion Bill Starbuck (Burt Lancaster), but it takes a wonderful little detour into the home life of the Curry Family, and the attempts of Pop H.C. (Cameron Prud'Homme) and sons Noah (Lloyd Bridges) and Jim (Earl Holliman) to marry off sister Lizzie (Katharine Hepburn). Sensitive viewers may tackle a misty eye here for Lizzie's old maid outlook on life, as she tries to process the worldly advice of the would be Rainmaker. Lancaster's character bursts on the screen with all the manic energy of a fast talker and out-sized showman, but his insight into the human condition is decidedly accurate for Lizzie, who comes to see herself in a new light and believe in herself once again. 'All women are pretty in a different way, but they're all pretty' is the way he awakens Lizzie's self-confidence, and her transformation is a wonder to behold. The picture's valuable lesson for most everyone is that you can't get stuck inside your dreams or live outside of them, but find them somewhere in between. It's almost too simple a message, but it's one that works for the person who finds themselves here, there and nowhere.

There are two main faults with this movie. The lesser fault: (although it may contribute to the larger fault) is that the director (Joseph Anthony) had more of a history in stage work than films, and it shows. In fact, I didn't know of Anthony until watching this film, but even before I looked him up, this film felt very "stagey" to me.The bigger problem here is overacting by a number of the actors...and my guess is that that related directly to the film's director. Burt Lancaster sometimes tended to overact, such as can be seen in "Elmer Gantry" and here; he is better when he exhibits self-control such as in "Airport" and "Judgement At Nuremberg".Katherine Hepburn was always less likely to overact, and rarely does here. So her performance seems a little more realistic. Wendell Corey does alright here; less known, his performance is probably the most realistic in the film. Lloyd Bridges always more suited to television, but he was sometimes pretty decent in films; here, however, he also overacts. Although not as badly as Earl Holliman does here -- truly excessive. Cameron Prud'Homme as the father is okay...with a little overacting.Despite the preponderance of overacting, there are some good scenes here. Particularly notable are some of the scenes between Katherine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster when both drop the overacting and control themselves.The story is a decent one, although there are times that the musical scores almost makes you believe that the actors are about ready to burst into song.On balance, due to the deficiencies noted, I'll have to give this film a 6, which I consider to be below average. I'm glad I watched it...once, but I won't want to ever watch it again.

Such simple relationship advice you would not find anywhere else. Father and daughter, father and sons, strangers and lovers. Lizzy is magnificent as the woman before her time, the yokels around her have no idea she is such a catch, though independent yet true to her family, she only wants the right man in the end. But she has to teach deputy File, and the dreamer Starbuck what relationships is all about. While at the same time put up with the oldest brother(Noah) being a negative nay-bob(you are an old maid). Young Jim Curry also has to put up with being put in his place by his older brother "why do I always feel stupid when you talk to me Noah?". The play has been made into a musical (110 in the shade) with cowboys and yippees. But this movie script(1956) being more modern would make a blockbuster musical with it's romance genre. I only hope somebody does it in the future.