One of my all time favorites.

Must See Movie...

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

A Hatful of Rain has a strong acting and a great script. The film's biggest asset, however, is its maturity. Make no mistake, this is a serious movie and not just because it is about addiction. If you are familiar with other Zinnemann films, you have already been exposed to the unflinching psychological realism that defines his work. Zinnemann's films are honest. Where some directors would cut away from a difficult scene, Zinnemann zooms in. This may be one of the least escapist films you could find, not because it is a tragedy, but because it is a reality. There is some truth to the complaints about this film's staginess, but overall it delivers as as a great late '60s serious film.

It's the story of two middle aged brothers, Johnny (Don Murray) and Polo (Anthony Franciosa) and the secrets they keep from their overbearing, self-centered dad (Lloyd Nolan). Given the era of the 1950s, the underlying secret is quite dark and foreboding. And the clever script leads viewers down the garden path for the first twenty minutes or so.Based on a stage play, "A Hatful Of Rain" builds drama, step by step, toward a riveting climax. Along the way, we get to know the personalities of these three men plus Johnny's wife, Celia (Eva Marie Saint). All of these characters are three-dimensional and very human. They deal with conflicts and disappointments as best they can.My main complaint is that the film is a bit lengthy; several segments could have been shortened or cut out altogether. Also, the villains, who show up after about twenty minutes are stereotyped; their appearance ends the mystery. I would have preferred that they seem less villainous and their motive less obvious, to prolong the mystery a bit longer. Finally, the background music is manipulative, but that's not unusual in 1950s film dramas.Casting is pretty good, though I could have wished for someone other than Don Murray as Johnny. Still, acting is terrific; all of the performances are convincing and believable. And although this isn't what I would describe as a noir story, the B&W noir lighting together with the wet streets and rain are ideal, given the film's depressing subject matter.Character driven and with excellent performances, "A Hatful Of Rain" provides viewers with a terrific drama, built around a human interest topic that was generally forbidden during the 1950s. Highly recommended.

When I was in drama school, they were still talking about the verisimilitude and grittiness of this film, from subject matter to acting, and young thespians were dashing around eagerly doing "cuttings" as class exercises or more fully rendered stage presentations.If memory serves, the play and ensuing film grew from a an Actors Studio improvisation, but I can't verify that. But even the suggestion of that underscores its no-nonsense believability. It hit home then, and it does so now, with a vengeance.A rarity for its time _ 1957 _ the film's blunt depiction of the effects of morphine addiction on a returning Korean War vet was said to be medically and sociologically accurate.The film stars Eva Marie Saint, Don Murray, Anthony Franciosa (Oscar nominee for Best Actor), Lloyd Nolan and Henry Silva, and was adapted by Michael V. Gazzo, Alfred Hayes, and Carl Foreman from the play by Gazzo. (Foreman, who was blacklisted at the time of the film's release, had his name added to the credits by The Writers Guild of America in 1998, 14 years after his death). The film was directed by the much-respected Oscar-winner Fred Zinnemann ("High Noon," "From Here to Eternity," "A Man for All Seasons," "Julia"). The setting is a housing-project apartment in New York City near the Brooklyn Bridge. Johnny Pope (Murray) is a soldier just back from the Korean War, where a stay in a military hospital has left him addicted to morphine. His emotional distance and restlessness alienate him from the apartment's other residents _ Johnny's pregnant wife Celia (Saint) and his brother Polo (Franciosa). Celia is convinced that Johnny is having an affair, completely unaware that the truth is far more complex. Compounding the matter, Johnny and Polo's father, John Sr. (Nolan), arrives in town and stays with them in the small apartment.This is a fascinating film, both for its content and as a social document of the time in which it was made. It's well worth your time.

I check at least once a month to see if this fabulous film has finally been released on video. Just like the way that "Days of Wine and Roses" tackled the subject of alcohol addiction, this film tackled the subject of drug addiction like none other before or since. Terrific performances by all, especially Don Murray and Anthony Franciosa as the two brothers, each held to a different standard by a overbearing father played by Lloyd Nolan. There is also an appearance by a very young William Hickey of "Prizzi's Honor" fame in one of his first roles. This film is a window back in time to life in New York City in the 50's. I urge whoever owns the rights to this film, please release it on DVD