Lana Turner fumed that MGM made her year's salary with just one loan out to Fox for this film. It stands as the last flowering of the studio system at its peak. Sets,costumes,special effects. Although the India sequences were done by doubles,it still conveyed the sense of a foreign country. Darryl Zanuck liked his features on the back lot so he could keep eye on them and watch the costs. Apparently,this lesson was lost on Cleopatra. Anyway,the photography is great,the cast capable,the special effects very good. One complaint is that Joan Caulfield is a little mature to be playing lovestruck young girl. She was around Lana's age,but,hey,she was married to the producer. Lana used her costume designer from Mgm,Helen Rose,for her Lady Edwina clothes. Very Nice. Did anyone notice Lana's character seemed to be based on Barbara Hutton? The jaded rich woman eternally seeking love,buying and discarding men. Obviously,she bought Michael Rennie for his title. He's disgusted,I suppose,but not above being bought. The 50's mores had a turnabout for Lana's character that satisfied the censors. (in the original,Lady Edwina dies of fever.)Eugenie Leontovitch makes a compelling Majarani. Richard Burton is appropriately wooden as the Indian Doctor Lana fools around with. Fred MacMurrary is capable as the alcoholic doc. The wicked woman renouncing her past apparently was a popular out for the movies. Susan Hayward used it in Demitrious and the Gladiators,.
Review of The Rains of Ranchipur
