Raintree County (1957)

Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles: [to John and Flash, sitting in the woods not far from Confederate lines] Comrades in arms, a toast. To all the men who go out and die, and merely because they have the rotten luck to be born one side or another of a mountain or a creek...
Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles: [Takes a swig] And here's to sleep...
Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles: [Takes another swig] Let's get a good night of it. Because tomorrow, crusader, you're starting a journey, to a new and unknown land: a place called Hell.

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John Wickliff Shawnessy: [People are gathering in the town center] What's going on here?
Ellen Shawnessy: You haven't heard? They've attacked Fort Sumter. It means war sure as anything.
T.D. Shawnessy: I'm not so sure. Now, say what you will, Americans will never fight each other. We'll settle our difficulties peacefully.

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Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles: [to the photographer, who has just taken the graduating class portrait] Mr. Sterling, you have made us immortal.

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The first preview for this film was held January 24, 1957 at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara, the film ran 3 hours and 6 minutes. On March 19, 1957 the New York Times reported that retakes would begin later that month so "that certain dramatic points will be emphasized by re-shooting in close-up and that extra footage will be added to achieve smoother transitions in the sprawling drama." When the film was ready for release two options were offered to exhibitors, either the 168 minute version as a two screenings a day feature or a continuous performance version that ran 151 minutes.
The all-too-brief scenes which Clift filmed for "Raintree County" just before his accident represent the only color footage in films available of him before he was disfigured. All of his previous movies had been shot in black and white.
The town of Freehaven of the mythical Raintree County was created in 1956 on MGM's vast Backlot #3 at Jefferson and Overland Boulevards in Culver City, California, by re-designing a portion of an old western set and adding some new buildings such as the Freehaven Town Hall and its clock tower. In 1971, MGM's Lot #3 was demolished to make way for a new apartment and condominium complex which became known as "Raintree Estates," named for this motion picture. Several Chinese Golden Raintrees were planted around the new residential property and many of the complex's streets and buildings were named for various MGM productions.
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