It stars montgomery clift, elizabeth taylor, eva marie saint, and lee marvin. Originally, i thought that raintree county was strictly taylors vehicle. Nat king cole sing the musical theme of the movie raintree county released in 1957. The twists and ties supposedly interconnecting these plotlines are poorly. And i love walt whitman and ross lockridge for the same reason. John shawnessy has just graduated from high school at the top of his class, with a promising career as a writer. Also in the cast are eva marie saint, and lee marvin.
Elizabeth taylor photographed by bob willoughby on the set of raintree county 1957 elizabeth taylor in raintree county. Personally i think its a surprisingly interesting film. The movie was lavishly conceived, made for the widescreen, with a great musical score by johnny green, starring elizabeth taylor, montgomery clift, eva. It has also been shown on turner classic movies cable channel. She is the burr under the saddle, the exquisite seductress that interfers with clifts heretofore regulated, almost predestined lifestyle upon his college graduation. Everyone expects great things of valedictorian john wickliff shawnessy montgomery clift, in particular his sweetheart, nell gaither eva marie saint, who admires johnny for his idealism, poetry and respect for truth and justice. Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at. In 1859, idealist john wickliff shawnessey montgomery clift, a resident of raintree county, indiana, is distracted from his high. Though clift is engaged to eva marie saint, what taylor wants, taylor gets, and she isnt above using the. Find release information for raintree county 1957 edward dmytryk on allmovie. Though clift is engaged to eva marie saint, what taylor wants.
Though the movie is set in california, portions of it were filmed in paducah and smithland, kentucky, around the cumberland and ohio rivers. Hard to know what to say about this lessthanstellar import dvd. Raintree county is a nearly 60yearold film, and it is based on a bestselling book from 1948. Raintree county 1957 stream and watch online moviefone. The large oak tree 5075 yards in front of the main house also played a role in the movie, with elizabeth taylor filmed underneath it do not attempt to recreate elizabeth taylors scene at the oak tree. That plan was dropped, because the movie theaters capable of projecting a 70 mm feature film were showing the same around the world in. The great swamp, the shawmucky river, the raintree, and even danwebster graveyardoverrun by myrtle, wild carrot, blackberries, and poison ivyaffirm the continuance of life amid tragic loss. Raintree county was filmed in 1956, premiered and released in late 1957 by metro goldwyn mayer towards the end of hollywoods golden age, as publicized by mgm, in the great tradition of civil war romance. Raintree county movie clear and i felt like i was right at the movie when it first came out. There was a great deal ofcomment on the books sizeand complexity. The film includes some of the civil war battle footage repurposed from raintree county.
It truly possesses that proverbial face that only a mother could love, and that is one of the clues to the movie s socially charged revelations. Fandango fanalert sign up for a fanalert and be the first to know when tickets and other exclusives are available in your area. Raintree county 1957 is set during the american civil war and was directed by edward dmytryk, who was known for his 1940s film noir. Raintree county is the story of john shawnessy, a poet and schoolteacher who loses both his wife and the great love of his life, goes off to fight in the civil war, tries to write a great american. Raintree county 1957 is a drama, romance movie starring elizabeth taylor and montgomery clift.
A look at raintree county, the book, the movie and the real place in henry county, indiana. Though clift is engaged to eva marie saint, what taylor wants, taylor gets, and she isnt above using the dirtiest of deceptions to win clifts affections. She was deemed one of the most beautiful women in the world. The movie is a problematical and often entertaining adaptation of ross lockridges lyrical, metaphorical novel. Raintree county soundtrack cd details and availability. The plot is based on hawthornes short story, the great stone face. In 1859, idealist john wickliff shawnessey montgomery clift, a resident of raintree county, indiana, is distracted from his high school sweetheart nell gaither eva marie saint by susanna drake elizabeth taylor, a rich new orleans girl. Overview of raintree county, 1957, directed by edward dmytryk, with montgomery clift, elizabeth taylor, eva marie saint, at turner classic movies. Reviewed in the united states on september 14, 2015. The title raintree county is familiar to americans more for the movie version mgm released in 1957 than for the novel itself. In this film, elizabeth taylor stars as a spoiled southern belle who falls in love with pacifistic indiana youth montgomery clift. Conceived as a gone with the wind for the cinemascope generation, raintree county wasnt quite as successful as its role model, but it still proved a moneyspinner for mgm. The plot drags along too much and at over 2 and a half hours, this film is much too long. When southern belle susanna drake elizabeth taylor visits indiana, she falls for john wickliff shawnessy montgomery clift, an abolitionist with strong.
Six decades after her breakout movie role, for which she won the academy award for best supporting. Immediately download the raintree county summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for. John wickliff shawnessy montgomery clift has just graduated from high school at the. In the town of freehaven in raintree county, indiana, the high school class of 1859 poses for a photograph. A student falls in love with a southern belle, but their relationship is complicated by her troubled past and the onset of the civil war. Elizabeth taylor was the undisputed queen of this type of movie, having already starred in giant and with cleopatra looming over the horizon, when she appeared with montgomery clift and eva marie saint in raintree county. Raintree county cast and crew cast photos and info. Everyone expects great things of valedictorian john wickliff shawnessy, in particular his sweetheart, nell gaither, who admires johnny for his idealism, poetry and respect for truth and justice. Raintree county 1957 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. For many it represents everything that was wrong with hollywood in the 50s, being overlong, overblown, overproduced and and overloaded with stars.
The novel was made into a 1957 film starring montgomery clift, elizabeth taylor, eva marie saint, nigel patrick, lee marvin, rod taylor and agnes moorehead. This product was very cheaply made and the color quality is poor. The making of the motion picture version of ross lockridge. Elizabeth taylor stars as a spoiled southern belle who falls in love with pacifistic indiana youth montgomery clift. He is a romantic, principled, and an idealist, believing the story of the golden raintree after which the county is named growing somewhere.
Raintree county soundtrack movie soundtracks for sale. Its the mid nineteenth century in freehaven, raintree county, indiana. Go to the internet movie database laserdisc database buy it at buy posters from buy posters from moviegoods buy this soundtrack. Raintree county is a 1957 american technicolor melodramatic film set during the american civil war, directed by edward dmytryk. During shooting her friend and leading man had a very bad. Perhaps any film version of the elegantly poetic book would be a compromise, but raintree county seems to suffer from a kind of curious detachment from the material.
It stars our favorite of the month, montgomery clift, and last months favorite, elizabeth taylor. The fictional town of waycross was based on straughn, indiana and the fictional raintree county was based on henry county, indiana. Raintree county is a 1957 american technicolor melodramatic film set during the american civil war, directed by edward. Premiere of film raintree county, louisville, united states of america usa. Many complained about the lackofdisciplineinthe writingwhile acknowledging itsforce and. Lockridges raintree county rises to that leveland, in my estimationsurpasses it. However, the disc plays normally without any problem and is. Raintree county 1957 rotten tomatoes movie trailers.
Houghton mifflin won an injunction against further seizures and eventually prevailed in united states district court houghton library, ross lockridge, jr. It was adapted from the novel of the same name by ross lockridge jr. With stars like elizabeth taylor, montgomery clift and eva marie saint, this wonderful story created by author ross lockridge jr. Eva marie saint as edie doyle and marlon brando as terry malloy in on the waterfront 1954. In 1859, idealist john wickliff shawnessey montgomery clift, a resident of raintree county, indiana, is distracted from his high school. He has a brief and passionate affair with susanna while she is visiting. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Elizabeth taylor and montgomery clift in raintree county 1957 elizabeth taylor and. Raintree county is an american version of tolstoys war and peace. Released 1957, raintree county stars montgomery clift, elizabeth taylor, eva marie saint, nigel patrick the movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 48 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. The title raintree county is familiar to americans more for the movie. The doll she loves the best is a horrible, twistedlooking thing. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing raintree county near you. In some scenes throughout the movie, despite the cinematographers skill, clifts nose and chin look different, and the entire left side of his face is nearly immobile.
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