Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor during rehearsals of Raintree County Raintree County is a novel by Ross Lockridge, Jr.. It tells the story of a small-town Midwestern teacher and poet who meets and falls in love with a beautiful Southern belle; however, her emotional instability leads to the destruction of their marriage. The novel was made into a 1957 film starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, DBE, (born February 27, 1932) is an Academy Award winning actress. She has long resided in the United States (and was once a dual American citizen), but she has always been a British subject.