NF Anybody seen "Raintree County"

[leftyhunter]

Never heard if this movie nor is it mentioned on CWT other then briefly in a now closed trivia thread.
It was a big budget picture that cost 5.4 million and sold over 9 million dollars in ticket sales. It might of been shown on TV.
It had a high quality cast of Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Eve Marie Saint. We won't see actors of that caliber again.
Leftyhunter

 

[BrianB]

If you ever go down to Port Gibson, MS, visit the ruins of Windsor. Windsor was one of the most spectacular residences in the US in the mid-19th Century. It burned in the 1890's but the ruins are still there to see.

Anyway, part of the movie Raintree County was filed at the Windsor Ruins. The large oak tree 50-75 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 Taylor's scene at the oak tree- Lots of fire ants and poison ivy!).

 

[Copperhead-mi]

Never heard if this movie nor is it mentioned on CWT other then briefly in a now closed trivia thread.
It was a big budget picture that cost 5.4 million and sold over 9 million dollars in ticket sales. It might if been shown on TV.
It had a high quality cast of Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Eve Marie Saint. We won't see actors of that caliber again.
Leftyhunter

It is scheduled to be shown on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on March 3, 2019 at 12:15 AM EST

 

[Kurt G]

IMDB gives it a 6.4 . The only thing I remember is that it was the only movie I remember seeing DeForest "Bones" Kelly in.

 

[leftyhunter]

IMDB gives it a 6.4 . The only thing I remember is that it was the only movie I remember seeing DeForest "Bones" Kelly in.

Deforest Kelly was in a fair amount of movies but not has a leading man. There is a mid 1950s film noir staring Robert Ryan set in mid 1950s Tokyo where Kelly had a major part .
Leftyhunter

 

[Jimklag]

Never heard if this movie nor is it mentioned on CWT other then briefly in a now closed trivia thread.
It was a big budget picture that cost 5.4 million and sold over 9 million dollars in ticket sales. It might if been shown on TV.
It had a high quality cast of Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Eve Marie Saint. We won't see actors of that caliber again.
Leftyhunter

I've seen the movie a few times on TV. My wife is a fan. Montgomery Clift was a school teacher of anti-slavery persuasion and Liz Taylor was a spoiled southern belle a la Scarlett O'Hara and Eva Marie-Saint was a goodie two shoes. I remember few plot details other than it was somewhat soap opera-ish. Kinda like Peyton Place set in the Civil War era, I think it's setting is just north of the Ohio River (Indiana maybe).

 

[Kurt G]

Thanks for the information .

 

[mofederal]

I have seen it several times. I like the book better, but I usually do. I was bothered by Montgomery Clift's changing looks do to the car accident. It was something that could not be helped at the time I suppose now it could be fixed digitally. Otherwise it was an ok film. Lee Marvin had a large part in it. I would like to see it again as I liked the story.

 

[Kurt G]

The soap opera-ish description is how I remember it as well.

 

[James N.]

As I remember, it was BOR-ING! The only things I remember were a young Lee Marvin as one of the characters and original conversion muskets (flintlock-to-percussion) carried by some of the soldiers. I think this was mainly a potboiler romance that somewhat incidently happened to be set during the Civil War. There was another much better-known big-budget "epic" it was made to compete with but unfortunately I forget which one.

 

[leftyhunter]

As I remember, it was BOR-ING! The only things I remember were a young Lee Marvin as one of the characters and original conversion muskets (flintlock-to-percussion) carried by some of the soldiers. I think this was mainly a potboiler romance that somewhat incidently happened to be set during the Civil War. There was another much better-known big-budget "epic" it was made to compete with but unfortunately I forget which one.

No risk if I can get the film on Netflix. Lee Marvin is a great actor especially in the 1964 film " the Killers" alongside Ronald Reagan, Angie Dickeson, Clu Kluger and Claude Akins
Leftyhunter

 

[mofederal]

The reason why I liked the book better, it being much different and having with background details of the character. Another difference is it was a book and not a scripted movie being made to compete against others. I think Gone With the Wind still had a heavy influence on any movie using the Civil War era as it's basis.

 

[mofederal]

Raintree County was actually filmed at various locations in the South, including Dunleith and Elms Court mansions, Windsor Ruins in Mississippi. Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee near the Kentucky border, and in two locations in Kentucky. The Liberty Hall Historic Site on Wilkinson Street in Frankfort and settings in and near Danville. So at least it looks better than being filmed at some backlot in Hollywood.

 

[O' Be Joyful]

I've seen it a few times. One little known fact, they used the same beards in Gettysburg.

 

[JOHN42768]

Have not seen it in years. I watch for it in March. Thanks

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

It's a long boring movie with a few moments of excitement. About the only good thing I can say is it's locations look better because unlike most movies back then it wasn't filmed in California, it being filmed in the South makes it look way better for a CW movie. But I imagine everyone who has seen a CW movie from back then has seen footage from it, the battle footage from Raintree County was used in another movie or two, the main one I can think of is Shenandoah, with the battle scenes in the beginning being the same battle footage from Raintree County.

I've read somewhere that Raintree County was intended as a Northern version of Gone with the Wind, and some aspects of the movie seem to confirm it to me, but I'd say the result was a far cry for movie going audiences. One funny thing about it is Montgomery Clift, he was an alcoholic at the time, and through some series of unfortunate events he had a wreck during filming that disfigured one side of his face thus making them have to only film where the wound couldn't be seen, and to top it all off his medications supposedly made him "fall of the wagon". For example he supposedly went screaming off the set or his hotel room, (I can't remember which) and was found running around a nearby by town butt naked. After that police were kept around him for the remainder of filming to keep him from running wild again.

The movie is little remembered today, and I'm willing to bet the stars of the movie wanted to keep it that way, but it did get top marks for sound.

 

[donna]

I have always liked Raintree County. Of course always been a big fan of Elizabeth Taylor. I think I have seen all her movies. She was my Granny's favorite actress.

Also liked Montgomery Cliff. He made several great movies, including "From Here To Eternity."

 

[Irishtom29]

It was the first movie shot in MGM Camera 65, the same anamorphic 65mm multi track magnetic sound format used in Ben Hur. The format allowed a very wide 2.76 to 1 aspect ratio but Raintree County was released only in 35mm prints with a 2.35 to 1 aspect ratio. However the 65mm to 35mm print down made for a most excellent print. This system was later known as Ultra Panavision and when shot with non anamorphic lenes was called Super Panavision.

Unfortunately the technical aspects are the most interesting things about the movie. Some rather generic 65mm battle scenes from Raintree County were grafted into the 3 strip Cinerama MGM movie How The West Was Won; their aspect ratio was actually wider than that of 3 strip Cinerama but still the scenes stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[Irishtom29]

Scene from Raintree County that was also used in How The West Was Won. Note the width.

 

[Pollaco]

I havent seen this movie in years. If I remember correctly I'm pretty sure that I found the movie somewhat boring. I've seen bits and pieces of it but not in one setting, its more than I could endure. I have found the Ruins of Windsor , in Mississippi, a whole lot more fascinating than the movie.