[5]
Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, and George Brent star in this drama set in 1938 British India. Loy plays the bored wife of an aristocrat who begins flirting with two different men to spice up her life: Power, as a doctor with a bright political future; and Brent, as a womanizing drunkard who was in a relationship with Loy once before. Making matters more complicated is a young daughter of missionaries (Brenda Joyce) who desperately wants to be with Brent, too. Relationships are headed certain directions when a simultaneous earthquake, flood, and outbreak of cholera devastate the region, tossing characters’ fates up in the air.
The first half of The Rains Came is a slog to get through. None of the lead actors are engrossing enough to carry the film, and we’re never sure whose story this is. Loy does her best, especially in later scenes, but Power (despite his good looks) is a dreadfully dull actor. Joyce is obnoxious in her doe-eyed, love-struck role. Brent gives perhaps the most engaging performance, if only because his hedonistic, lackadaisical attitude is so relatable.
The film picks up, as one might expect, when the earthquake and flood strike. The special effects earned an Oscar and hold up pretty well nearly ninety years later. The back half of the story gets slightly more interesting as Loy and Power’s characters begin to fall in love, even as outside forces try to break them up. Those forces don’t have to try long, however, because fate throws another tragic curveball, affording Loy a nice death bed scene.
The Rains Came is a mixed bag, remarkably unpredictable but lacking enough charm or personality to be truly memorable. Arthur Miller’s cinematography is a highlight, as are Maria Ouspenskaya (The Wolf Man) as the cool-headed wife of the Maharaja, and Jane Darwell as a somewhat uncouth missionary.
Directed by Clarence Brown. With Nigel Bruce, Joseph Schildkraut, Mary Nash, Henry Travers, and H.B. Warner.
Academy Award: Best Special Effects
Oscar Nominations: Best Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound Recording, Score (Alfred Newman)