The Rainmaker Blu-ray - Burt Lancaster / Katharine Hepburn

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Joseph Anthony
USA 1956

Under the spell of a wandering charlatan named Starbuck, a lonely ranch girl blossoms into full womanhood in The Rainmaker. Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) garnered an Oscar nomination as the (believably plain yet magnificently beautiful) tomboy rancher, with Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) brilliantly cast in the role of the smooth-talking con man who sells his rainmaking powers to unsuspecting, drought-ridden western towns. Writer N. Richard Nash (Porgy and Bess) meticulously enlarges his Broadway play to the big screen without losing any of the earthy, gut-wrenching emotions or the sheer, hilarious fun. The result is a genuinely appealing and beautifully executed romance directed by Joseph Anthony (The Matchmaker). Featuring Wendell Corey (I Walk Alone), Lloyd Bridges (Canyon Passage), Earl Holliman (Giant), Cameron Prud’Homme (Back from Eternity) and Wallace Ford (Flesh and Fury).

***

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 plain! Even the town sheriff, File, for whom she harbors a secret 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!

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 13th, 1956

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	2:01:38.749
Video	1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 40,338,835,658 bytes Feature: 38,718,885,888 bytes Video Bitrate: 38.49 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1590 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1590 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 40,338,835,658 bytes Feature: 38,718,885,888 bytes Video Bitrate: 38.49 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Writer Julie Kirgo • Theatrical Trailer (2:21) Blu-ray Release Date: October 25th, 2022 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2022): Kino have transferred Joseph Anthony's The Rainmaker to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "Remastered in HD by Paramount Pictures – From a 6K Scan of the 35mm VistaVision Original Camera Negative". It still has some alignment issues in the first 5-minutes or so, but eventually settles into a very nice image advancing notably over the 2005 Paramount DVD, reviewed HERE. VistaVision colors standout as much bolder and richer in this 1080P transfer. Flesh tones can be very warm and contrast seems adept. Overall this looked strong on my system - a highly pleasing bump over SD.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The Rainmaker has a small amount of aggressive moments but a wonderful score by Alex North (Man With the Gun, Under the Volcano, Viva Zapata, Spartacus, Man With the Gun, A Streetcar Named Desire) and Burt also sings She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain a cappella. It sounds very clean and supports the film experience well via the lossless transfer. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historian and writer Julie Kirgo. She talks about the Richard Nash's play (he also wrote Cry Macho - yes, Clint Eastwood's 2021 film), a lot on Burt, producer Hal Wallis and much of the crew and details of the careers and lives of the great supporting cast. She identifies the location as Kansas during the Depression. She discusses the conflicting acting preparation of Hepburn and Lancaster (memorizing lines), and the, majority, staged sets. She cites from Kate Buford's Burt Lancaster: An American Life. I always enjoy her thoughts and observations. There is also a trailer for The Rainmaker and a four other tangentially-related films.

I suppose it would be accurate to classify Joseph Anthony's The Rainmaker has a romance. It has a lot to due with Lizzie (Hepburn) accepting her value as a gal worthy of courting or marriage. There is plenty of humor with hammy Lancaster as Starbuck judged either a con-man or just a wayward, hopeful, soul. There is a great cast; Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Wendell Corey, Lloyd Bridges. Earl Holliman, Cameron Prud'Homme, and Wallace Ford among others. I enjoyed it so much more via the Kino Blu-ray - its solid HD presentation and informative Julie Kirgo commentary. I wish there were more films like 1956's The Rainmaker. Recommended!