Joseph Anthony directed this film, which N. Richard Nash adapted from his own television play and stage production. Burt Lancaster, Katharine Hepburn, Wendell Corey, Lloyd Bridges, Cameron Prud'Homme, and Earl Holliman lead the cast. Alex North composed the music, and Charles Lang was in charge of VistaVision/Technicolor cinematography. Lancaster portrays Starbuck, a charlatan who shows up in Threepoint, a town suffering from drought, claiming he can bring rain. His influence on the Curry family proves to be just as significant. Because Nash originally created the story for television and then brought it to Broadway, he was a natural choice to write the screenplay. The movie has a very theatrical feel, with noticeable performances and snappy dialogue; however, at over two hours, it’s excessively long for something so dependent on conversation. Easily thirty minutes could have been cut. Also, Hepburn's casting is questionable – I felt she wasn’t quite right for the part, leaving Lancaster to inject some energy into the proceedings. Despite this, appreciating the actors’ performances has its benefits, and there's clever humor interwoven with a story of genuine human feeling. The idea that one rogue individual can have such a positive effect on a stagnant family builds toward an ending that is genuinely uplifting. Lang’s photography is beautiful, the colors are rich, and the production design, combined with North’s pleasing musical score, shows that those involved cared about their work. There were some initial difficulties during filming, but the main actors eventually became friends and spoke warmly of their experience. It earns a 6/10. Note: The story was later adapted into a musical called *110 in the Shade*.

Source on TMDB