The Rainmaker (1957)

Under the spell of a wandering charlatan named Starbuck, a lonely ranch girl blossoms into full womanhood. Katharine Hepburn garnered an Oscar nomination* as the "believably plain yet magnificently beautiful" tomboy rancher, with Burt Lancaster brilliantly cast in the role of the smooth-talking con man who sells his rainmaking "powers" to unsuspecting, drought-ridden Western towns. Playwright N. Richard Nash meticulously enlarges his hit Broadway play to the big screen without losing any of the earthy, gut-wrenching emotions or the sheer, hilarious fun. The result is a genuinely appealing and beautifully executed romance. A must-see for Hepburn fans.

• classic