N. Richard Nash's play The Rainmaker has always attracted the most flamboyant of performers, and this 1956 film version is no exception. Burt Lancaster all but bursts from the screen with his arm-waving portrayal of a confidence artist who works the drought-ridden Southwest, promising to bring rain for a flat fee of a hundred bucks. During his latest campaign, Lancaster takes up residence in the home of farmer Cameron Prud'homme (repeating his Broadway role) and his three offspring: rambunctious Earl Holliman, suspicious Lloyd Bridges, and ugly-duckling Katharine Hepburn. In a scene which has since become a standard in high school acting classes, Lancaster works his carnival-huckster charm on Hepburn, convincing her that she's the most gorgeous creature on earth. Armed with new self-confidence, Hepburn stops her tomboyish behavior and becomes a delectable object of affection for local suitor Wendell Corey. After performing this "miracle," Lancaster's last-act ability to conjure up a cloudburst seems almost anticlimactic. The probing lens of the movie camera does little to hide the fact that virtually everyone in the film is too old for their roles, but The Rainmaker makes up its shortcomings with sheer unbridled energy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The most popular of playwright N. Richard Nash's explorations of reality vs. illusion, The Rainmaker comes to the screen with much of its power diluted. This is not due to any serious flaws in the production, but rather to the fact that Nash's highly romantic, intentionally artificial story and style plays much more naturally on-stage. Placed on film, the language seems a little stilted, the plot a little schematic; in addition, some modern viewers may not be totally comfortable with the implication that Lizzie needs a man to in some way spur her on to fulfilling her potential and completing her life. Despite its flaws, the screenplay does offer its stars two meaty roles with the appropriate "big" moments that they get to play all out, and Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn do not disappoint. She may be too old for the part, but most viewers will overlook this to appreciate her sensitive but powerful portrayal and her willingness to take Lizzie past mere vulnerability so that she borders on the pitiful before pulling back in a kind of unacknowledged shame. Lancaster puts his impressive physical presence to good use here, creating a Starbuck that really does seem a force of nature. Most importantly, there's a wonderful chemistry between the two; despite the manipulative nature of the material, it's hard not to get swept up in the romantic climax. The Rainmaker may miss out on being great drama, but as a showcase for its performers, it's hard to beat. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Cameron Prud'Homme - H.C. Curry; Wallace Ford - Sheriff Thomas; Yvonne Lime - Snookie; Dottie Bee Baker - Belinda; Dan White - Deputy; John Benson - Townsman; James F. Stone - Townsman; Tony Merrill - Townsman; Ken Becker - Phil Mackey; Joe E. Brown - Townsman
Set in a drought-ridden rural town in the West in Depression era America, the film tells the story of a pivotal hot summer day in the life of spinsterish Lizzie Curry. Lizzie keeps house for her father 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. Even the town sheriff, File, for whom she harbors a secret yen, won't take a chance on plain Lizzie. The arrival of a charming con man named Starbuck, promising to bring rain in exchange for $100, sets off a series of events which enable Lizzie to see herself in a new light.
Trivia
The Rainmaker was a one-hour television production in 1953 before being expanded into the play.
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.
