Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn Passionately Enhance The Rainmaker

Stage-to-screen transfers can often prove problematic, yet every now and then all the right components seem to magically come together. Based on a hit Broadway play by N. Richard Nash (who did the adapted screenplay) that could’ve had trouble betraying its theatrical origins, 1956’s The Rainmaker has the good fortune to obtain an incredible cast working at their peak powers, enlivening the production with such skill, focus and energy, a viewer is drawn into the storyline and the endearing characters immediately and stays with them throughout a two-hour running time, as the tale of a wandering con man, Bill Starbuck, and his impact on a community, specifically the Currys, a ranching family who Starbuck becomes deeply involved with. Director Joseph Anthony, knowing what a great deal of talent he had to work with, wisely keeps his major players, including Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Lloyd Bridges and Earl Holliman, front and center, with some amazing results. The Grade-A Paramount Hal B. Wallis production also features VistaVision, gorgeous Technicolor and an Alex North score to set the tone and heighten the entertainment value, resulting in a funny and emotionally rich experience for audiences.

As the title character, Lancaster’s galvanizing presence has seldom been as well-employed. Starting out as a trapeze artist before trying his luck on stage, Lancaster attained star status via his film debut in a key noir, 1946’s The Killers, and by 1956 had progressed as an actor and top leading man in an array of films, moving from a few other top noirs into mainstream successes starting at the outset of the 1950’s, including The Flame and the Arrow, 1952’s vastly enjoyable adventure The Crimson Pirate (wherein he and circus partner Nick Cravat pull off some incredible aerial routines), cast against type and moving in Come Back, Little Sheba, From Here to Eternity (1953’s big financial and critical hit, with Burt’s first Best Actor nod), Vera Cruz and a major 1956 smash, Trapeze, as well as venturing into independent production with Harold Hecht and James Hill, which quickly lead to the Oscar-winning Marty. As for Rainmaker, from the film’s opening frame, wherein Starbuck directly addresses the audience with unabashed assurance and a megawatt smile, it’s clear Lancaster is in complete control of his meaty assignment, bringing movie-star charisma and his compelling performance style to each scene.

A cousin to the star’s equally mesmerizing Oscar-winning work in Elmer Gantry, as Starbuck Lancaster displays his uncanny knack for taking a larger-than-life role, which in the wrong hands could come across as forced and phony, and making him a relatable, sympathetic figure. Starbuck eventually reveals insecurities aiding in his desperate drive to “make it rain,” and handles the various facets of the role with formidable skill, illustrating both Starbuck’s commanding, outsize emotions and his more introspective, sensitive traits, including the fact (as he details) he’s a dreamer at heart. Post-Rainmaker, Lancaster would add to his rich filmography, with the Oscar win for Gantry and nominations for more subtle work in Birdman of Alcatraz and his late-career comeback in Atlantic City ahead, as well successes including Separate Tables, The Leopard, Seven Days in May and Airport, and a touching swansong in Field of Dreams¸ prior to his passing in 1994.

As the film’s heroine Lizzie, a middle-aged woman searching for a different place in life outside of tending to her brothers and father, Katharine Hepburn utilizes all her considerable thespian abilities to forcefully depict a wide variety of emotions with heartbreaking clarity. Hepburn tackles all of Lizzie’s complexities, including her independent spirit, outspokenness, loneliness, insecurity, and humor in expert playing of the highest order. The legendary star appears to dive deep into the role in a manner rarely seen onscreen, allowing viewers to fully identify with Lizzie’s mindset and predicaments, while developing a great deal of compassion towards this unique outsider. Her spontaneous, direct line readings and intense, committed playing help create a fully realized portrait of Lizzie in all her moods, with Hepburn bringing originality to the plain-but-beautiful stereotype, believably conveying both Lizzie’s fears and strengths, leading to some stunning, moving moments in her big scenes with Lancaster, wherein Hepburn is so emotionally naked and captivating, a transfixed viewer can only look on with appreciative awe. As one of the leading film talents of several generations, Hepburn would have many triumphs prior to and post-Rainmaker, but her consummate work as Lizzie ranks high among her most unforgettable performances.

Earl Holliman scored a breakthrough with his remarkably endearing performance as Jim, Lizzie’s naïve, kind, energetic younger brother. After a stint in the U.S. Navy and a previous unsuccessful venture to Hollywood, the driven, self-confident young Louisiana native gained a place at the Pasadena Playhouse before making his film debut via a bit in 1953’s Scared Stiff, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The earnestly appealing Holliman quickly found work in a series of high-profile films, including Broken Lance and The Bridges of Toko-Ri, while in 1955’s terrific noir The Big Combo the nature of his character’s relationship with Lee Van Cleef’s goes about as far as possible in portraying a gay couple onscreen in the Production Code friendly 1950’s. In addition to Rainmaker, 1956 also brought outstanding work by Holliman in Forbidden Planet and in one of the year’s big ones, Giant, but it is his focused, appealing work as Jim that possibly represents his finest hour in film. Holliman does an incredible job of staying “in the moment” and interacting with his costars with great conviction, allowing himself to never be overshadowed by the dynamic Lancaster and Hepburn, while also lending a mature professionalism in combination with the natural enthusiasm and warmth he brings to Jim. The talented Holliman would continue to thrive in hit movies (Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Don’t Drink the Water and The Sons of Katie Elder among them), before raising his profile considerably in the 1970’s on television opposite Angie Dickinson in Police Woman.

After 20 years in films, Lloyd Bridges gained one of his best roles as Lizzie’s stern, blunt brother, Noah, just prior to Bridges’ greatest fame on television’s Sea Hunt. Noah as written is misguidedly too forthright with Lizzie, but Bridges also suggests the humanity of Noah, who wants his sister to face reality, or what he views as her reality concerning life as an “old maid.” Noah could come across as the villain of the piece, but Bridges shades the role with enough common decency and empathy that the audience understands he does ultimately want what’s best for Lizzie and the family, and is concerned Starbuck is out to take advantage of them all. Wendell Corey, perhaps at the peak of his career after first-rate work in Rear Window and The Big Knife just prior to The Rainmaker, lends a calm, thoughtful presence as File, the stoic, somewhat saturnine deputy who the Curry men view as a viable mate for Lizzie. Cameron Prud’Homme does much to help illustrate the loyal family dynamic existing within the Curry household, specifically with the strong, caring, protective nature he upholds towards Lizzie, which produces some touching father-daughter moments.  Finally, as virtually the only other female character, Yvonne Lime brings energy to her ingenue role as Snookie, and matches up well with Holliman in their comical scenes.

Released in December of 1956, The Rainmaker scored solid reviews and box-office returns, with $2,100,000 in film rentals (according to Variety). Hepburn would land a richly-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination, with Alex North’s score also cited. Lancaster lost out on a Best Actor nod in a competitive year filled with epics, but a bigger slight had to be Holliman not making the short list for Supporting Actor, after winning the Golden Globe, back when there were not a lot of Oscar precursors to indicate who might be nominated. Holliman remains one of the few Globe Supporting Actor winners to not go on to an Oscar nomination; props to the Globes for recognizing his singular accomplishment. The film has recently received a great Blu-Ray upgrade from Kino Lorber, with that VistaVision and Technicolor never looking better. Film lovers seeking a satisfying, memorable comedy-drama featuring some of the best acting of the period won’t be left all wet by opting to give The Rainmaker a chance. 

And a fond farewell to Gena Rowlands who, working alongside husband John Cassavetes, was a key figure in the independent film movement. Making her film debut in 1958’s The High Cost of Loving, the stunning and gifted Rowlands would gain one of the most rewarding careers during the next several decades, both in mainstream films and television and most significantly in tandem with Cassavetes via (among others) Faces, Minnie and Moskowitz, Opening Night and Oscar nominated turns in Gloria and her signature performance, A Woman Under the Influence. I was fortunate to see Ms. Rowlands in person at an interview several years ago, wherein she displayed the same humor, warmth and down-to-earth qualities that were integral components of her work. R.I.P. to a true cinema legend, Gena Rowlands.