A Hatful of Rain
A Hatful of Rain is a 1957 American drama film about a young married man with a secret morphine addiction, based on a 1955 Broadway play of the same name. It is a medically and sociologically accurate account of the effects of morphine on an addict and his family. The frank depiction of drug addiction in a feature film was a rarity for its time.
| A Hatful of Rain | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Fred Zinnemann |
| Screenplay by | Michael V. Gazzo Alfred Hayes Carl Foreman (uncredited) |
| Based on | A Hatful of Rain 1955 play by Michael V. Gazzo |
| Produced by | Buddy Adler |
| Starring | Eva Marie Saint Don Murray Anthony Franciosa Lloyd Nolan |
| Cinematography | Joseph MacDonald |
| Edited by | Dorothy Spencer |
| Music by | Bernard Herrmann |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | 20th Century Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,820,000 |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US) |
The film stars Eva Marie Saint, Don Murray, Anthony Franciosa, Lloyd Nolan, and Henry Silva. It was adapted by Michael V. Gazzo, Alfred Hayes, and Carl Foreman from the play by Gazzo. Foreman was blacklisted at the time of the film's release. The Writers Guild of America added his name to the film's credits in 1998, 14 years after his death. It was directed by Fred Zinnemann and features a strong musical score by Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann was asked by 20th Century Fox to rescore his prelude for the film as the original was considered "too terrifying".
Franciosa was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.