Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965)

So much average

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Absolutely brilliant

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

"Baby the Rain Must Fall" is a film about a super-dysfunctional family. The husband is a screw-up who seems to be determined to destroy his life. Although married to a pretty and amazingly long- suffering wife who has put up with him, he doesn't seem to appreciate her in the least. And, time and time again throughout this film he knows what choices to make and yet he chooses the wrong path. Although on parole and recently out of prison, he just seems determined to be sent back...all the while trying to make it big in a tiny town by singing with his rockabilly band.If you are looking for a fun film, this sure ain't it!! But, if you are looking for good acting and an interesting portrait of a jerk and his young family, it's worth seeing. Well made...just not exactly a pleasant viewing experience.By the way, if you do see it, in the opening portion where they show Steve McQueen singing the title song, look for a young Glen Campbell on the left. Also, it's pretty obvious by the voice that it ain't McQueen singing...and they should have at least chosen a singer whose voice was closer to his.Also, the summary on IMDb says that the child is an infant. Nope. She appears to be about 4 years-old...not an infant at all.

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.

Man Steve Mcqueen can't do southern accents. Whoever told him he could shoulda been run outta Hollywood.The only good thing that came outta this one was Lee Remick. She's just gorgeous and plays the single mother very well.This is a sad tale about a girl who married a guy who went to jail and after he gets out she decides to go be with him to start a life with their daughter. When she gets there though, she slowly starts to realize why he was in jail. Not the reason but why he is the way he is and that basically...he's just trouble waiting to happen.His whole life after jail is trying' to be an Elvis songwriter type and there's one of the major flaws in this. He doesn't even look close to singin' the songs he's suppose to be singin. Overdub city lol. It's terrible.By the end you realize that his foster mother who took him is the main reason why he's just a trouble makin' guy. She was a lonely ole biddy who just wanted someone around. I mean how good could a mother be if on her death bed she tells you that you never been anything but rotten/bad. Great mother figure there.Only see this one for Lee Remick or to fill out your Steve Mcqueen catalog.

"Baby the rain must fall" is a slow-moving intimate story;so if you're looking for an action-packed movie such as many of McQueen's ,you probably won't get something out of it.Filmed in stark black and white ,in a dreary landscape ,with a sky so low it might crumble and fall on the unfortunate couple.Lee Remick ,excellent as ever ,portrays a strong woman ,who had to cope with many setbacks and who however succeeded in raising her little girl.And most of all,she stands by her man,she 's convinced that he will be a famous singer/songwriter some day.Mac Queen is moving as the father -the scene when he says goodbye to her is really harrowing- but less credible as a singer (Clint Eastwood did a better job in "honky tonk man" ) .Like in some other movies by Robert Mulligan ,there is a mysterious side ,something threatening in the dark : Mulligan's flair for eerie disturbing atmosphere was already present in "the spiral road" and would emerge again in later works such as " the stalking moon" and its "enemy" as omnipresent as he is almost invisible and "the other" in which he creates terror in the midday sun.Here "Miss Kate" represents the repressed hidden terror back in the hero's childhood .This lady only appears on her death bed and there's an almost unbearable desecration scene."Baby the rain must fall" never takes the easy way out:for instance ,no romance between Remick and Don Murray,the nice deputy and the end of the movie can be seen as the beginning of a new "cycle" : the heroine will wait till her husband is released,then they 'll try to pick up the pieces till...