Review: The Rainmaker (1956)

IMDb Synopsis: Lizzie Curry is on the verge of becoming a hopeless old maid. Her wit and intelligence and skills as a homemaker can't make up for the fact that she's just plain. Even the town sheriff, File, for whom she harbors a secrect yen, won't take a chance --- until the town suffers a drought and into the lives of Lizzie and her brothers and father comes one Bill Starbuck ... profession: Rainmaker.


For no particular reason, I really enjoy watching films adapted from plays. Some of the best ones include A Streetcar Named Desire, 12 Angry Men and The Petrified Forest. The Rainmaker was adapted from the N. Richard Nash play and stars Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster in the title role. A lot of reviews for this film are mixed, but I really enjoyed it.


I personally think a lot of people miss the point of The Rainmaker. The fact that it's a bit over-the-top and unbelievable at times it what gives it so much depth. Most of us have probably heard the term that you have to love yourself before anyone else can love you in return, and that's exactly what this film is about: Hepburn plays a repressed woman who fears she'll remain a spinster for the rest of her life, and Lancaster is the man who finally makes her believe in herself.


Some of the more skeptical viewers may find The Rainmaker to be unrealistic, but I thought it was quite lovely and inspiring. At least give it a viewing before you judge.

5/5 stars

Review: The Searchers (1956)

IMDb Synopsis: As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.

The 1950's was a great decade for films, particularly westerns. During this time, westerns such as High Noon, Shane, and Giant were all released. Another western from the fifties was John Ford's The Searchers, which the American Film Institute named the greatest western of all time, and for good reason. 

Two of the biggest names in westerns are John Ford and John Wayne, who made 24 films together over the course of 35 years. Up until the last few months, I'd never cared much for Wayne but he's definitely beginning to grow on me with every film I watch. John Ford is one of my favorite directors, and he definitely doesn't disappoint with this film.


Overall, The Searchers isn't my favorite western (that spot is reserved for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), but it deserves to be considered one of the greatest films of all time.

4.5/5 stars  

Review: The King and I (1956)

IMDb Synopsis: Musical about a widow who accepts a job as a live-in governess of the King of Siam's children.


I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of musicals. Sure, I like some, such as The Wizard of Oz, A Star Is Born and Mary Poppins, but most of my favorite films are found within the likes of dramas and film noirs. I'm glad to say, though, that The King and I is an exception.


This film is one of several to be adapted from one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Musicals, so it's no surprise that the musical numbers and the score are both wonderful. (The score actually won an Academy Award in 1957). My personal favorite of the musical numbers was "Shall We Dance"; you can view it here.


As for the acting, I thought Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner were both marvelous. I've seen Kerr is several films, as she is one of my favorite actresses, and she does not disappoint as Anna. This is my first time watching a Brynner film- he even won the Best Actor Oscar for this film- but it certainly won't be my last.


The color cinematography in The King and I is spectacular, but I don't expect any less from a Cinemascope film. Walter Lang's Academy Award nominated directing is great as well. Lang also directed another Rodgers and Hammerstein film, State Fair, which I don't care for very much.


Overall, I found The King and I to be a wonderful film, and one of few musicals that I can say I truly loved. Check it out if you haven't done so already.

5/5 stars