The FULL movie...
https://ffilms.org/baby-the-rain-must-fall-1965/
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/news/traveling-in-texas-by-foote/
Marie has superbly provided the 'superimpositions' for this project and her own work is highly recommended: www.popspotsnyc.com
Please Email if you have any anecdotes or photographs about the film...
Lee Remick and Steve McQueen share a joke...
McQueen got pulled over more than once for speeding through town in his sports car.
The Oasis Motor Hotel was built at the same time as the movie. McQueen had the huge pool put in for him.
BAY CITY...where the crew was based at a local hotel
The film producers created a Sound Stage at the USO building to shoot a lot of the movie. It was a big deal in town...the building is now known as the 'Bay City Service Centre.'
2105 Avenue M, Bay City, Texas 77414
Relaxing in Bay City...
Corner 6th Street / Avenue K, Bay
City...
{STANLEY'S store, 1400 8th Street, Bay City TX 77414}
The prison shown in the movie is actually the GRAIN STORAGE buildings in MARKHAM
405 Farm to Market Road 1468, Markham, TX 77456 to the EAST of Bay City...
Summary of Locations
2003 map on glossy paper
so some reflection. #1 Ahldag house site #2 Bolton St location #3 McQueen
running down dirt alley next to R B Hand hardware store. This alley does not
exist any longer and never longer than a couple of blocks as it dead ended
into railroad tracks #4 most probable site of Cochran subdivision where
farm house stood in one scene
There were FOUR houses used in the film. One in COLUMBUS and three in WHARTON...
HOUSE (1) - Miss Clara & Slim's home...WHARTON
The house is on the National Historic Register as THE DR GREEN DAVIDSON HOUSE...
Miss Clara and Slim's home where they baby sat the child, Margaret Rose...
Movie scenes: First scene babysitter sitting on the porch plucking beans while Margaret Rose asks her about the cemetery.
Another is Slim, the sheriff and Steve McQueen are looking up at sycamore tree.
Another is where Steve McQueen freaks out and tries to dig up his step mother from the grave.
Lastly, is where he's been arrested and allowed to visit the grave one last time and see his wife and daughter. Then he tries to run...
Miss Clara...
The 'fake' cemetery was where the "oval shape" in the grass is positioned...
The 'fake' cemetery is full of houses!!
{A piece of paper on the floor gives the actor their position for the camera shot...}
This house was on North Richmond Street and Bolton Street (Highway 60) in Wharton and it had a cemetery nearby in the film but this was fake. They built the set because in 1965 films had to get permission from every family in the cemetery to film there. The other house is 'hidden' over the RIGHT shoulder of this young actress...
Don Murray and Kimberley Block...
Steve McQueen 'skipping' with Kimberly Block...
{Photographed in COLUMBUS cemetery and not in the 'fake' cemetery in Wharton}
Miss Clara can be seen sitting on a chair on the porch of her house in the background...
WHARTON, TEXAS...
The isolated country rental house scenes where Henry, Georgette and Margaret Rose live together were suppose to be filmed near Bay City, just inland of the Gulf coast, and south of Wharton and Columbus.
But the house was actually a few blocks away from the Wharton County Courthouse. It looked abandoned like no one lived there...
Suggested location for the house:
"Sonny and Freddie Ullmann farmed the land at that time (1965)" - circled black...
Location clue: Wharton Water Tower in the distance on the left -
Located in CLOUD STREET...
The Water Tower was knocked down two or three years ago...
HOUSE (2) - Georgette, Henry and Margaret's home...NEAR WHARTON on the FM1299/Alabama roads
{The shadow of the camera can be seen on the wall on the left}
Setting up the camera for the planting of the Chinaberry Tree film scene...
Chinaberry tree...
The Director's reflection can been seen in the rear window...
Reflection of the film crew can be seen in the side door on the black car...
The black car above drives along the S.Alabama Road, Wharton...
McQueen with his wife, Neile...
{A piece of paper on the floor gives the actor his position for the camera shot...}
{NO RUG ON THE STEPS}
{RUGS ON THE STEPS TO KEEP THE ACTORS COMFORTABLE...}
THE FILMING MAINLY TOOK PLACE ON THE PATCH OF GRASS NEXT TO THE PLOUGHED FIELD...
WHARTON, Texas...
Writer HORTON FOOTE photographed by William Claxton on location in Wharton, Texas 1963...Foote was born in Wharton.
The Texas premiere was held in Wharton on February 4th, 1965 at the now demolished Rio Theatre, 435 W.Milam St., Wharton, TX 77488 (closed 15th June, 1975 & demolished 20th November, 1997)
Horton Foote:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4944791/Horton-Foote.html
WHARTON, TEXAS...
COLUMBUS. TEXAS...
Confederate Memorial Museum, Courthouse Square, Columbus, Texas, with the Stafford building in the background...
The Real Estate building is number 1102-1104, now Columbus State Bank...
LOCATION...provided by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce...
1138, Milam Street: KATHLEEN WICK INSURANCE SERVICES...
Opposite the KATHLEEN WICK INSURANCE SERVICES is this white tower with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce to the right...
JERRY PARKER CHEVROLETS is now the COLUMBUS STATE BANK drive thru...
HOUSE (3) - Mr & Mrs Tillman's house where Henry Thomas had a spare room...COLUMBUS
It’s here:
On the corner Travis St/Spring St in Columbus. Colorado County Courthouse in the background, Spring Street side.
The place where Lee Remick is waiting for her husband to arrive at Travis street, facing the house where McQueen is photographed sitting under the porch.
The RED cross is the location of where Steve McQueen sat for this photo shoot...
Location clue: the suitcase...
Steve McQueen outside Columbus, Texas, 1963...
AT HOME, PALM SPRINGS REHEARSING...
Musician Billy Strange at Steve McQueen's house in Palm Springs to teach him to play the guitar for his character...
Steve McQueen with the famous singer Glen Campbell...
Glen Campbell in a scene with Steve McQueen...
Film Location: The Old Wagon Wheel, Wharton...
The Old Wagon
Wheel
3802 Highway 59
Loop North Wharton
77488 USA
The Wagon Wheel got turned into a liquor store and eventually torn down a few years ago.
The Bar scenes with the overhead outdoor lights and the white lattice were taken outside the Pecan Gardens north of Wharton on Highway 59. There is only a concrete slab left where the building stood
Step Mother's house: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_9R-eqwD1Xs
HOUSE (4) - Miss Kate Dawson's home...now demolished: the house was located at 219, E.Burleson Street...WHARTON
BLOCK 6 - ALHDAG HOUSE...
AHLDAG HOUSE
The crew is at the corner Burleson/Resident streets, in front of the "Ahldag House" {219 E.Burleson St.}
According to photographer, William Claxton, the crew were shooting in Wharton, Texas on November 22nd 1963 when the radio announced the assassination of President John F Kennedy's in Dallas. Everyone gathering around the radio was stunned. Especially Steve McQueen, who took it very hard and kept very quiet for the rest of the stay in Texas.
William Claxton took this photograph and a road sign can be seen in the background...
Road sign reads: E.BURLESON ST. 200 / S.RESIDENT ST. 100...
The 1953-54 Wharton City Directory shows 219 E.Burleson St. was where Fred Wutherich lived...
"Ahlday House" today...
E.Burleson St. dead ends into S.Resident St.
On the RIGHT - "R.B.Hand Co. Auto Parts" became "HI-Lo Auto Parts" with Keonig welding on the LEFT.
Now "Big G.Auto Glass" on North Richmond Road...
Thank you to: Dayna and Brianna from the Victoria Public Library, Texas for their time and efforts in confirming this location...
Shows
1965 version of dirt alley where McQueen runs next to R.B.Hand Co. hardware
store
THE FINAL SCENE...
The Black car (above) approaches the junction with the STOP sign on the wrong side of the road...
From the driver's view in the Black car as it approaches the STOP junction with the STOP sign on the correct side of the road...
DELETED FILM CLIP
Episode #24
