The Rains Came (1939)

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Philip Dunne (screenplay) and
Julien Josephson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 September 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Plot:

An Indian aristocrat Rama Safti returns from medical training in the U.S. to give his life to the poor folk of Ranchipur...

Plot Keywords:

India | Plague | Rain | Disaster | Earthquake

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Myrna Loy	...	Lady Edwina Esketh
Tyrone Power	...	Maj. Rama Safti
George Brent	...	Tom Ransome
Brenda Joyce	...	Fern Simon
Nigel Bruce	...	Lord Albert Esketh
Maria Ouspenskaya	...	Maharani
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Mr. Bannerjee
Mary Nash	...	Miss MacDaid
Jane Darwell	...	Aunt Phoebe (Mrs. Smiley)
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Mrs. Simon
Henry Travers	...	Rev. Homer Smiley
H.B. Warner	...	Maharajah
Laura Hope Crews	...	Lily Hoggett-Egburry
William Royle	...	Raschid Ali Khan
C. Montague Shaw	...	Gen. Keith (as Montague Shaw)
Harry Hayden	...	Rev. Elmer Simon
Herbert Evans	...	Bates
Abner Biberman	...	John, the Baptist
Mara Alexander	...	Mrs. Bannerjee
William Edmunds	...	Mr. Das
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Abdo	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Sonie Charsaky	...	Princess (uncredited)
Zebedy Colt	...	Boy Piano Player (uncredited)
Guy D'Ennery	...	Mr. Durga (uncredited)
Dominie Duval	...	Girl (uncredited)
Fern Emmett	...	Hindu Woman (uncredited)
Rosina Galli	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Officer (uncredited)
Jamiel Hasson	...	Aide-de-Camp (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Adele Labanset	...	Princess (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Connie Leon	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Lal Chand Mehra	...	Jama Singh, Rajput Chant Singer (uncredited)
Rita Page	...	Esketh's Maid (uncredited)
George Regas	...	Rajput (uncredited)
Pedro Regas	...	Offical (uncredited)

Directed by
Clarence Brown

Writing credits
Philip Dunne		(screenplay) and
Julien Josephson		(screenplay)
Louis Bromfield		(novel)

Produced by
Harry Joe Brown	....	associate producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(as Arthur Miller)
Bert Glennon		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Barbara McLean

Art Direction by
William S. Darling		(as William Darling)
George Dudley

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Otto Brower	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Sol Halperin	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Booth McCracken	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
Edmund H. Hansen	....	sound department head (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special effects scenes stager
Edmund H. Hansen	....	special effects sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph LaShelle	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Harold Lloyd Morris	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Major George Remington	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Charles E. Whittaker	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1948) (Austria) (theatrical)
• M.P.E.A. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

103 min | 105 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #5320)

Filming Locations:

Balboa Park, San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The first movie to win an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

Goofs:

Continuity: Even though Rama and Lady Edwima are caught in the same thundershower on the same street, when they arrive at Mr. Das' music school, his clothes are wet while hers are amazingly dry. Also's the wet spots on Rama's clothes migrate to different areas from scene to scene as they move from room to room in the school.

Quotes:

Thomas 'Tom' Ransome: [showing Lady Esketh the Maharajah's summer palace] That's a Rembrandt. That's a Buddhist prayer wheel.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Boom! Hollywood's Greatest Disaster Movies (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

God Save the King!

All that a wonderful movie should be

I've only seen it for the first time but one can sense it's a great film and has everything one can look for in an excellent story. I settled into it instantly. Vaguely it reminded me of Somerset Maugham's exotic tales of the white man dwelling in far-flung, remote lands.

At the beginning there is a lot of erratic misplaced feelings but eventually romance enters the lives of those who least expect it.

When I saw the floods I too thought of the tsunami tragedy a few years ago, quite a reminder even though this movie dates back more than five decades, the realities of life's tragedies, both human and the natural disaster kind are much the same as ever.

Most other viewer's comments have already given the details of the story so I needn't repeat everything here. It was a surprise to note how well George Brent did in his acting ability for this role, very well done, in my opinion.

Have actually bought the book too and plan on reading it very soon.