Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965)

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Blistering performances.

6.4 on IMDb is very little to "Baby, the rain must fall" certainly a great film by Robert Mulligan. I watched for the first time when it was released and I confess that it is impressed. Everything seemed very real. In fact, the little girl Margaret Rose (the little actress Kimberly Block) has an interpretation so close to reality that only lacked exit the screen. It is an intriguing story regarding the character played by Steve McQueen (Henry Thomas) believe very close to the real McQueen, whose life also before he became a first magnitude star was not the most regular and happy. Poor Henry, tortured by her foster mother, which led him to never understand the world, placing itself always against everything violently. Her reaction was nothing more than what you have learned with his mother in punishment for no reason he received a lifetime. I think it was not bad. But the damage was done to her was too large relative to the well he saw. McQueen was a truly magnificent actor. Plays his part very secure and even in scenes where it appears as a singer is very well (your image because the voice is not his). The song he sings to his wife and daughter is very beautiful, exciting. Lee Remick (Georgette Thomas)was a gorgeous actress and extreme competence. The early part of the film in which she appears only with Margaret Rose, his daughter, is of high quality. High level of interpretation. And throughout the film she keeps huge regularity. Never fails. And Don Murray appears discreetly as police Slim, symbolizing balance, calm and tranquility that Henry could never afford to be with him. If there was a continuation of this wonderful movie, there would be great opportunity to Georgette, Margaret Rose and Slim being together, but that would be another story... and, please, where is Kimberly Block?

The movie had all of the components to be a great film: A list actors with McQueen, Remick, and Murray, legendary director and producer, a hit song, and a good screenplay. There were many problems but the glaring one was McQueen producing the worst lip-synching ever seen in a movie. Since McQueen could not sing and apparently had no feel for music it was decided to use Billy Strange to sing the songs and his voice is not a close match to McQueen's speaking voice.More puzzling is why the producers chose to use Strange's version of the title song over Glenn Yarbrough, who had a major hit with the title song, which plays over the credits of the movie.Since the major story line of the movie centered around the singing career of McQueen's character, the producers should have sought out an actor who could sing. The ironic back story of the film is Elvis Presley wanted to play Henry Thomas (McQueen) but he was never a consideration of the film's producers.However, Presley could have handled the music (the title song was in Presley's wheelhouse) and his best movie performances were playing characters like Henry Thomas. Despite McQueen's stature at that time, he was miscast in the film.Remick and Murray are the high points of the movie while a lot of McQueen's scenes were badly done. On top of the obvious lip-synching, the bar band scenes look awkward and unconvincing. Another problem area is the unrealistic fight scenes.A bright spot of the movie is capturing the bareness and weariness of rural Texas. Filming on location was a smart decision because it helped sell the futile feeling that Thomas felt while trying to escape his hopeless situation.It is an interesting film despite its flaws and has more strong points than weak points.

Horton Foote writes lovingly about Texas. In this film, the cast is star-studded with Steve McQueen as newly released parolee Henry Thomas and aspiring country singer. Lee Remick plays his wife Georgette. They have a daughter. The cast also included Don Stroud as the sheriff where he is the good guy. McQueen does a fantastic job in playing Henry Thomas. The writing is weak in some areas like Henry's actions after Miss Kate died and funeral. I never got the history about him and Miss Kate. It's an odd storyline. There is also the relationship between him and his wife that falls flat too. While I love the cast of McQueen, Stroud, and Remick and the supporting cast like Ruth White as well, the writing seems weak like it needs more to explain the history among the characters. The film is fine otherwise but off in some parts because of the writing.

This is the kind of film which seems to struggle to find an audience outside of its immediate setting – in its case, the American Deep South. It's basically a familial drama where husband and wife are driven apart by the former's troubled persona – especially due to his own inclination to violence and the enigmatic relationship with his eminent but dying guardian. Director Mulligan had created an all-time classic with TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962): this updates the atmosphere (including a failed attempt to replicate the Gothic touch associated with Robert Duvall's Boo Radley character in that film) but still throws in a little girl at the core of the story. Steven McQueen goes through the whole 'Rebel Without A Cause' act to little lasting effect – the performance is even more hurt by the fact that, playing a wannabe rockabilly singer, he's forced to mimic to a number of tunes (including the title number). Similarly, co-stars Lee Remick and Don Murray have typical roles, and John Wayne regular Paul Fix also has a nice bit as a benign Judge. The film notches up some tolerable intensity with scenes where McQueen is beaten up, feverishly tries to dig up the old lady (for whatever purpose) and finally escapes custody – if only for a short while; otherwise, the greatest points of interest here are Ernest Laszlo's moody cinematography and Elmer Bernstein's eclectic score.