Raintree County (film)

Raintree County
Raintree County
	Theatrical poster
Directed by	Edward Dmytryk
Screenplay by	Millard Kaufman
Based on	Raintree County ; by Ross Lockridge Jr.
Produced by	David Lewis
Starring	Montgomery Clift; Elizabeth Taylor; Eva Marie Saint; Nigel Patrick; Lee Marvin
Cinematography	Robert Surtees
Edited by	John Dunning
Music by	Johnny Green
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	October 2, 1957;
Running time	188 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5,474,000
Box office	$9,080,000

Raintree County is a 1957 American epic historical romance western film adapted from the 1948 novel of the same name by Ross Lockridge Jr. The film was directed by Edward Dmytryk and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Set in the American South against the backdrop of the Antebellum South and the American Civil War, the film tells the story of a small-town Midwestern teacher and poet named John Shawnessy, who meets and marries a beautiful Southern belle named Susanna Drake; however, her emotional instability leads to the destruction of their marriage. The leading roles are played by Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint, Nigel Patrick and Lee Marvin.

In July 1947, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had purchased the film rights of Ross Lockridge Jr.'s unpublished manuscript for Raintree County for $150,000. Carey Wilson was immediately signed as producer, and prominent actors were considered for leading roles. In January 1948, the book was released and became a national bestseller. In the following year, filming was delayed for two years as the project had grown too expensive. In 1955, the project was revived with Taylor and Clift signed for the two leading roles. Filming began in April 1956 and wrapped in October 1956. It would also mark the first use of a 65-millimeter widescreen process originally called MGM Camera 65.

Raintree County had its world premiere at the Brown Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky on October 2, 1957. In December 1957, the film was given a wide release in the United States, where it received negative reviews from film critics, who praised the production values and the performances of Clift and Taylor, but were critical of the film's plot. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Actress (Taylor), Art Direction–Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, and Best Score.

^ ^a ^b Mannix, Eddie (1962). The Eddie Mannix Ledger. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study. OCLC 801258228.

[Mannix-1] Mannix, Eddie (1962). The Eddie Mannix Ledger. Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study. OCLC 801258228.

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