The Rainmaker

Summary: 1963 Granada Television production for ITV of the American play The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash.
Theatre play: The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash (1913-2000) [more information]
Play synopsis: 'Set in a drought-ridden rural town in the West in Depression-era America, the play tells the story of a pivotal hot summer day in the life of Lizzie Curry. Lizzie keeps house for her father and two brothers on the family cattle ranch. She has just returned from a trip to visit pseudo-cousins (all male), which was undertaken with the failed expectation that she would find a husband. As their farm languishes under the devastating drought, Lizzie’s family worries about her marriage prospects more than about their dying cattle. A charming confidence trickster named Starbuck arrives and promises to bring rain in exchange for $100. His arrival sets off a series of events that enable Lizzie to see herself in a new light.' Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rainmaker_%28play%29.
Production history: 'The play opened on 28 October 1954 at the Cort Theatre in New York and ran for 125 performances. It was directed by Joseph Anthony and produced by Ethel Linder Reiner. The play was translated into more than 40 languages and made into the 1956 film The Rainmaker, starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn. The story was also made into a Broadway musical, 110 in the Shade.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rainmaker_%28play%29.
Date of transmission: Tuesday 21 May 1963
Time: 9.15-10.45pm
Series: Play of the Week
Channel: ITV
Production company: Granada Television (1956-)