The Rains of Ranchipur (1955) DVD-R

Starring Lana Turner, Richard Burton, Fred MacMurray, Joan Caulfield,
Michael Rennie
Directed by Jean Negulesco

Print: color
Runtime: 104 min.
Genre: drama

India. The spoilt and stubborn Edwina Esketh, comes to a small town with
her husband. She falls in love with an indian doctor, Dr. Safti. She also
meets an old friend of hers, the alcoholic Tom Ransome. An awful
earthquake is followed by days of rain.

The Rains of Ranchipur is a 1955 drama movie made by Twentieth Century Fox. It is based on the novel “The Rains Came” by Louis Bramfield. The movie The Rains of Ranchipur was made in color, Cinemascope and had four-track stereophonic sound. It is a remake of the 1939 black and white movie “The Rains Came”. This film was also made by Twentieth Century Fox. The ending differs in both the movies. Lord Alan Esketh is a penniless Englishman who has married a wealthy American woman for her money, Lady Edwina. Both of them travel to Ranchipur in India to purchase horses. He is aware of his wife’s tendency to have affairs with other men. They meet the elderly Maharani of Ranchipur from whom they want to buy a prize stallion. She tells them that she is hosting a party in their honor. Edwina meets Tom Ransome, her childhood friend, an engineer who has become an alcoholic in Ranchipur. At the village’s American mission, Fern Simon receives an invitation to the Maharani’s party. Since her mother does not want her to go alone, she introduces herself to Tom and asks him to take her and he agrees. At the party, Edwina meets Dr. Safti and is attracted to him. Fern explains to Tom that she does not want to marry, which is her mother’s wish but she wants to attend teaching school in the United States and asks him to lend her money to do so.

The Maharani, noting Edwina’s interest in Safti orders her not to encourage him, but Edwina does not listen to her. Soon, Alan and Edwina accompany Safti on a safari where he saves Alan’s life. Alan also informs Edwina that he wishes to divorce her. He comes to know about Safti’s feelings for her when Safti confesses that he has fallen in love with her. Later, Alan tells Safti about Edwina and states that she plays with the feelings of others. Tom and Fern develop a closer relationship with each other. The Maharani comes to knows of Safti’s feelings for Edwina and orders her to leave Ranchipur. Tom too requests Edwina to go back as he feels that she will destroy Safti who is a good and decent man. Soon, an earthquake rocks the village of Ranchipur and the area is flooded. The dam breaks down due to the rains and tremors. Edwina collapses and Tom realizes that she is ill. He starts looking after her. Safti is more concerned about the health of the people in the village and is at the hospital looking after the injured.

Fern and Tom take Edwina to the Mission where she is cared for by the reverend’s wife. Alan is sent for and he requests Safti to be with Edwina when she needs him the most. It is also revealed that Alan truly loves Edwina. Safti states that the village people need him more than Edwina does. The village is still flooded which makes going from one part of the village to another difficult. Suddenly an explosion rocks the village which makes the floods subside. It is revealed that Tom had risked his life to clear the narrows. On hearing this, Fern expresses her love to Tom. Edwina realizes that Safti had preferred to help the village people rather than stay with her. She is heartbroken and decides to leave Ranchipur with her husband, Alan. The movie, The Rains of Ranchipur stars Richard Burton and Lana Turner in the roles of Safti and Edwina. It is photographed in color and runs for a duration of 104 minutes. The film, The Rains of Ranchipur was directed by Jean Negulesco.