Who’ll Stop the Rain [Dog Soldiers] *** (1978, Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty, Anthony Zerbe, Richard Masur, Ray Sharkey) – Classic Movie Review 6636

Director Karel Reisz obscures his gripping Seventies story about heroin-smuggling among Vietnam veterans by putting his energies into conjuring up atmosphere and character, making this a depressing study of troubled characters in a downbeat drama rather than exciting thriller.

But the acting by Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld and Michael Moriarty – indeed the whole cast – is consistently impressive, and the spectacular final confrontation brings the stark drama where it needs to be – right out front.

Nolte is great as Ray Hicks, a former US Marine Vietnam veteran tricked into helping his  buddy John Converse (Moriarty) by smuggling heroin into the United States, where he has to hand over the goods to his wife Marge Converse (Weld). However, Ray and Marge end up on the run after the deal turns bad.

Anthony Zerbe is on fine form as the main bad guy Antheil, and so are Richard Masur and Ray Sharkey as his men, Danskin and Smitty.

Also in the cast are Gail Strickland, David O Opatoshu, Charles Haid, Joaquin Martinez, James Cranna, Timothy Blake, Shelby Balik and Jean Howell.

Herb Jaffe, Judith Rascoe and Robert Stone’s screenplay is based on Robert Stone’s 1974 novel Dog Soldiers. Who’ll Stop the Rain [Dog Soldiers] is shot in Technicolor by Richard H Kline, produced by Gabriel Katzka and Herb Jaffe, scored by Laurence Rosenthal, and designed by Dale Hennesy (art director on Logan’s Run).

The film is retitled Who’ll Stop the Rain after the song written by John Fogerty and sung by Creedence Clearwater Revival, whose Proud Mary and Hey Tonight are also on the soundtrack.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6636

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