Review of Baby the Rain Must Fall

What horrified me about this story was that the judge, the neighbors and most of the town knew this man as a little boy was being beaten on a regular basis by the woman the judge gave him to. The judge even laments years later after Henry's many problems and imprisonment that he wishes he had not given the boy to this woman, who apparently had power because of money, but no money when she dies in the film. At any point he could have removed the boy and found him a better home. Was this woman above the law? He says he thought it was better than an orphanage when Henry as a small child ends up at the police station crying, apparently abandoned by his parents or parent. Now Henry cannot keep from acting out his years and years of suffering even though out of jail, working, singing again in band and with his wife again and his child he never knew till now. He does not know why he is like that and what is wrong with him. This is about more than being just a bad person who cannot go straight. At one point someone says they asked this woman why she beat Henry so much and her answer it was good for him, he needed it. So they do nothing to help him. No one helped him as a child and now as a adult they do not help him when they all know he was beaten all of the time and still fears this woman years later even though she is elderly. Excellent acting and a haunting, tragic story.