 The mutual broadcasting system in cooperation with Family Theatre Incorporated presents Some Rain Must Fall, starring William Lundigan and Betty Arnold. Jimmy Gleason is your host. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Ever walk through the streets of a big city and notice how many people hurry along, wrapped up in their own thoughts? It leaves you with a feeling that a big city with millions of people around can sometimes be the loneliest place in the world. Yes, in the reverse of that picture, the most cheerful place in the world is a happy home. There's no word that means so much. So many things to each of us as the simple word, home. It means companionship and love and the kindness of those who love us. It means all the wonderful things of life. The beautiful things that we cherish. Beautiful things like a mother and a father and little children who kneel and offer their simple prayers to him who gives mankind so many blessings for which to be thankful, among them the blessings of little children. To have peaceful, prayerful, happy homes, that is the purpose to which Family Theatre is dedicated. Dedicated with the hope that your home, your family, will enjoy all of God's wonderful blessings. The rain was over the city that night, the driving cold rain of October. The wind out of the northeast took the rain, took it and shook it like a wet scourge against the granite and steel the city. And somewhere in that late October evening, there was a kind of sad sound in the world. As of wasted things, wasted life, and wasted dreams. And a girl walked slowly out of the rain, up the steps into the old cathedral. And she knelt with the rain still on her, on her face and hair. Suddenly she was weeping. And this is the saddest of all sad sounds. The stifled pain locked in the throat of a girl who weeps in an old cathedral. Excuse me, miss, I saw you in there and I waited for you out here on the steps. It's really raining tonight, isn't it? Yeah. You were crying, miss. I couldn't help noticing you. Oh, that's nothing. Sometimes I do that. Cry? Yes. Is the subway near? It's not far. A couple of blocks over. So I better be careful. No, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Please. Don't walk away, miss. I just wanted to talk to you. All right. I have plenty of time anyway. More time than I can use. Why am I talking to you like this? I asked it to, I guess. I think you're kind. You're the first person I've met in months like that. Don't ever stop being kind. Now it's time I got started. Where are you going? That's what I'd like to find out myself. Where am I going? Well, you're going somewhere. Bus terminal. I slept in a bus terminal the last two nights. Oh, I see. Maybe you never thought things like that could happen. Yeah, but a bus terminal. I can't get a room. That is with the rent I can afford to pay. It isn't good to be out and no place to go. Maybe I can get used to it. You can get used to anything if you try. I think I could find a place for you. You? Where? The house where I stay. Downstairs or Lolly and Kurt. They're friends of mine. You'd like them. They have a little room next to their place that they never use to stay there. No. Oh, I just wanted to help. Now, wait a minute. It isn't much. It's warm. It's out of the rain. They're strangers. They wouldn't want it. I don't know you and what do you know about me? Nothing. That doesn't matter, does it? Yes. Yes, it does. You can leave after the rain's over if you want. They'd like to have you. I know Kurt and Lolly. They'll help. I don't know. All right. I guess it's going to keep raining. I'd better get along. It's pretty late. Wait. I think it's going to keep raining, too. I shouldn't be afraid. You've been so kind. Maybe you understand better than most. You could explain to them. You don't have to worry. I'll stay with Lolly and Kurt. Until the rain's over. Okay. Okay. That's the way it'll be. My name's Jeremy Foster. Mine's Evie. Evie Morris. Here, I'll give you my coat to hold over. It's cold. But you'll need you. I don't need a coat. Not now. The windows are clean, I think. My three days is a long time for it to rain steady. I should go. Three days is too long to impose on someone like this. Maybe it won't stop for a week. Don't worry about it, kid. I'm not worrying, Lolly. I'm not afraid. Not anymore. You've been so kind. Letting you use your extra room and talking to me like this. And Jerry. He's so good, Lolly. Yeah. Jerry's a good boy, Evie. You say he's a writer? Oh, he does stories and poems. Things that don't sell. He didn't have that janitor's job. He's got it starved to death. I see. Well, I guess I gotta start cleaning. I'm sort of in the way. Don't say that. I like people around. Jerry said he'd look. Try to find something for me to do. I'd have to work, Lolly. Jerry's getting used to having you here. He'd want you to stay. Him coming down to talk to you every day is the most we've seen of him in a long time. Don't go right away, Evie. Evie, Evie, where are you going? I can't stay any longer, Jerry. You've been very kind, but I... But it's still raining. Well, I hate to impose, Jerry. I think I should try to find some work and some other place to stay. We'll find something when the rain's over, Evie. And you aren't imposing. Don't think about that. Lolly likes you. She'd want you to stay and... I guess I do, too. Thank you, Jerry. You know, I've been thinking about how hard you work. You're always there in your room all day writing and at that office building cleaning. Someday I won't have to work at the office building. Someday someone will like what I write. That'll mean a lot to you, won't it, Jerry? Life, Evie. All the grand things you can do when you know you're on the way up. When you know you're saying something worthwhile, it makes a difference. It'll come soon. The stories you write and the poems. There must be someone who wants beautiful things like that. Why don't you write a book? No. Write a book, Jerry. Look, Evie, you've got to be good to write a book. You can do it. Just put it together in the right way. Maybe I will someday. What time is it? I think it's about eleven. I guess I should go. I wanted to see you about getting half a day's work. Do you think you will? I asked Mr. Denton. He said he thought so. You look so tired, Jerry. You're doing too much. All morning now you've been writing, and I bet you were at it late last night. Yes, Evie, but I'm thinking now about a new story. Maybe a long story about rain and a girl and a cathedral. Oh, Jerry, that's just like us. Evie. Yes? Will you be here when I come back? I should go. I don't like to impose on you. Evie. When I come back. Yes, I'll be here, Jerry. Haughty Evie, come on in, kid. Hello, Lollie. I don't want to bother you if you're working. Of course, nothing important, honey. Just letting out an old rag of mine. Got to make it last a little longer. I want to be washing. It's a nice day. Yes, it's nice today. The sun's out. Getting along all right? Fine. Just fine, Lollie. Only I was wondering. Do you think if I asked Mrs. Meacham, would there be any chance of getting something for new curtains? Curtains? For that little closet you're living in? No, no, Lollie. For upstairs in Jerry's room. I thought if I could get something, you know, fix it up a little. Yeah, that's an idea. And maybe a table. A little one to put a flower on. A flower? Here? I mean, a pot with a plant in it and flowers on it. It'd be nice by his window. It gets lots of sun. When the sun shines. Yeah, I guess it would be kind of silly. Mrs. Meacham doesn't know me. Maybe she wouldn't like it. Mrs. Meacham wants permanent people here. She'll keep them if she gets them, even if it does mean a little table and a couple of curtains. Jerry's permanent. Been here three years. Well, do you think she will then? Shall I ask her? No, no, you leave her to me. There are ways of getting around Mrs. Meacham. We'll get your table and curtains. Oh, if only you could, Lollie. What about the flower? That plant for the table? I'll get it. I'll get it somehow. Do you think Jerry will like it, Lollie? Sure, kid. He'll like it. I was afraid changing things around like this, putting up new curtains and all, might make him... Oh, I've lived in this house since before Jerry came here. Curt and I know him real well. He don't get mad. Not at anything. I wanted to make it nice. Where's your flower? I haven't got it yet. Pot's no good without a flower, is it? It cost quite a lot. I suppose so. Well, you did a good job, baby. Considering what you had to work with, hard to do much with an old room. It was fun. You're beginning to fall for Jerry. Oh, Lollie, don't be silly. I'm not. But I think I know love when I see it. Six weeks and you're in love with the guy. No, I'm not. You stayed, didn't you? Well, I didn't know where else to go, Lollie. And so kind to me, you and Curt and Jerry. Jerry wanted you to stay, and then you found out that you wanted to stay. Yes. I knew it one day. The day had stopped raining. Was he glad? I think so. He must have been, Lollie. He laughed and he said, the sun's out, E.D. The sun's out. Let's go down to an old cathedral. You're good for him, E.V. For Jerry. I need you now more than his writing, even. Remember what I said. Don't go away. Hey, he'll like the way you fix things, E.V. It's wonderful, E.V., wonderful. I thought I'd done all the worst to do to it, but... I guess I didn't know. I'm glad you like it, Jerry. Oh, I do, E.V., I do. It's funny what you can do with one room, isn't it? Oh, Lollie, it isn't finished yet. There should be a flower for the little table for the window. With the sun coming in on it. Something you can take care of and see growing every day when you put water on it, getting tall in the sun and then... And full of color for a while. Yeah, green, cool, soft green with touches of flame in it. What kind of a flower, E.V.? I don't know, Jerry, but it would be nice. Yeah. It'll be nice to watch it grow beautiful in the sun. Oh, well, E.V., I didn't know you'd be waiting out here. It's kind of late. It's nice and quiet out here on the porch. Cool, too. I was waiting for you, Jerry. Did something wrong? No, nothing's wrong. I wanted to see you and talk for a minute. Well, it's pretty late. But it's real nice out tonight, isn't it? I've been sitting here watching the streetlight on the corner. And dreaming? A little. Remembering mostly about the rain and about cathedrals. That was a long time ago. I saw you walking up the street. You were just a tall shadow. I could tell it was you from the way you held your head and walked like you were glad about something. I am. I was going to show this to you in the morning, but I want you to see it now. Here. Oh, Jerry, the flower. I'll turn the porch light on so you can see it. Oh, no, no. I can see it. I can see how beautiful it is. I looked all over for it. What kind is it? I didn't even ask. I thought it was stars at night. I thought of a name for it. On the way home, I called it star over. And the leaves are the darkest green I've ever seen. And it's got flowers on it already. I know I can see them. Oh, Jerry, your room's finished now. It's got everything. Yeah. It's got everything now. Jerry. You don't talk about your writing anymore. Oh, I don't know, Evie. I'm just curious about the story. The rain and the girl in the cathedral. Yeah, I don't know what happens to them. Maybe they fall in love. Yes. Only, only they don't know it for quite a while, huh? They don't talk about it until... Until one night, and the girl waits for him and they talk. And, and he's been a dreamer while she had gone through the sufferings that, that make people practical. And when they talk, the mist drifted away and his dreams became real. And she forgot all the dark, ugly things of the past. And she knew they were gone forever. And the boy knew he'd never be lonely again. He knew there'd be something besides words now to fill the emptiness around him. They talked in the darkness, and suddenly the girl said, I love you. Evie. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. Do you know what the boy said then? What? Honey, I wanted to hear you say it. I wanted to talk about it, but I couldn't find the words, and I was afraid. I kept thinking maybe I wouldn't know how to take care of you. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to make you unhappy. I'd like to give you a home and everything, everything, Evie. But I, I'm not even a second rate hack writer. I'd like to build a cathedral and I get nothing with pasteboard bungalows. Jerry? Jerry, I'll take a pasteboard bungalow. Tired, kid? Just a little, Lolly. You're not scared, are you? Jerry'll be happy about it. But maybe it'll be trouble for him, Lolly. His job's only half a day and he works so hard. If I know Jerry, he'll be glad. And why not? You both like kids? Sure he'll be glad. He'll want to quit writing and work all day full-time because he'll think he should. If a man wants to write, he'll write, no matter how much other work he does. Don't worry about it. He's worried now because he doesn't know how the story should finish, but I know he's got to keep on with it. Sure, honey. He'll keep on with it. I'll have to buy things. It'll take a lot. It'll be a time later on to worry. Yes, I suppose I'm silly to think about it now. Sure. There's lots of time. And God always takes care of things. Jerry, why don't you rest? You've been writing for hours. Well, I want to try and get this story finished, Evie. How's it coming now? I don't know. You haven't told me much about it, Jerry. Well, sometimes when I'm writing it seems as though I... I hear... What, Jerry? Well, as though I hear music. Real music? Outside somewhere? No. No, I know it sounds crazy, but it's here in the room. Yes. And I sit here watching the shadows on the ceiling, watching and thinking. About the boy and the girl in the cathedral. Yeah, about the boy and the girl and the baby. Go on, Jerry. It's beautiful. For him, it used to be an empty room with not a sound in it. And then she came. There was a violin playing somewhere at night. He could hear it like it was soft in the distance, coming from downstairs where she was sleeping. But it was... it was far away and lost. I did that, Jerry. He loved her then. I guess that was it. I didn't know it was like that, Jerry. Then they were married and he kept hearing it. But it had changed. It was all strings and reeds. Sweet, soft music, making you a strange kind of beauty. And then? Then the boy and the girl and the baby. Glorious music, deep and soft and sweet, like an organ in the cathedral. And it isn't far away or lost. And he hears it like it was a flood inside, tied up against his throat. And he wants it to go on and on because it's never happened to him before. And he's afraid. He wants it to go away. And he doesn't want it to go away. Oh, Evie. Evie, it's no use trying. I've got to get a job. No, Jerry. I've got to have things ready. Your work, Jerry. Our book. I don't know if I can ever finish it. Right now, nothing is as important to me as my family. Oh, Jerry, I didn't want it that way. I didn't want you to think that way. Yeah. You're soaking wet. Yeah, I know about it. I'll change. Rain pretty steady all day. And you shouldn't have, Jerry. You'll take sick. I've got to find something, Evie. Did you, Jerry? Did you find something? No, I'm not experienced at anything. Oh, Jerry, you've got a cold being out in the rain all day like that. Oh, no, it's all right, Evie. Your forehead's worn, too. Evie. Yes, Jerry. Evie, the star over. The flower I bought to you. What's happened to it? I don't know. It was all bright and green a couple of days ago. The sun was shining on it. It looks sick now. Did you water it? Every day, Jerry. But it has to have sun. It won't grow nice if it doesn't have sun. Is it sick, Evie? Is it dying? You know, dear, it can't be sick. It'll be all right when it stops raining. Yeah. Yeah. When it stops raining. Please, Jerry, not the book now. It'll wait. Don't start on it now. It's nearly finished. I know, dear, but tonight, maybe, you can work on it tonight. After you get warm again. All right. I was just looking at it. It's going to be a beautiful book. Yeah. A big one, too. If it's ever finished. Jerry, it's late, dear. It's after midnight. It is. I didn't know it. Tomorrow. Let it go till tomorrow. I can't. It's got to be finished. Jerry, what's the matter? What happened to you? Nothing. What can I do? Jerry, what can I do? I can't breathe. Evie, dear, help. I can't breathe. The doctor wants you to go in now, Evie. Jerry's been that way so long, Lolly. I was just lying there, not saying anything. But he's fighting. He's fighting, Lolly. He wants to stay. Jerry's critical sick, Evie. He's dying, Lolly. I know what I know. Evie, Evie, kid, don't say that. Jerry's been so good, Lolly. Surely God knows that. He can see you listen. He wants Jerry to live. Evie, listen to me. The doctor says Jerry's reaching a crisis. And you want to be with him. I've got to be with him, Lolly. He won't be able to see you. Maybe he can't hear you, neither. But you've got to make him know you're there. He's got to know you're with him, wanting him to get well. It'll help him, Evie. Yes, I'll try. Jerry, I'll try. Oh, don't cry, honey. You can't let him feel you're afraid. Everything's just like it was. Talk about something. Get to him somehow. He's good, Lolly. He's done so much. He said he hoped the baby would be a boy. Talk about the baby, Evie. Everything has to do with the baby. He'll hear you. Come here, Lolly. I've got to make him hear. It's no use, Evie. Evie, I'm on the way out. You need the sun. The sun's out again, Jerry. It's cold. I know. It's cold. Jerry, listen to me. It isn't cold anymore. There's music in the room. You heard it, remember? Try to remember. It was warm, you see. It made the room warm. You? Music? Oh, you heard. Oh, Jerry, you heard. Yes, darling, it was warm, you see. It was soft and deep like an organ in its people. You said it was like that, Jerry. Strings and reeds. It was like... An organ, Jerry. Don't you remember, darling? Our room was a cathedral. It's in the room, Jerry. It's here. It's warm, you see. I can hear it too. We can hear it together now. Oh, Jerry. Jerry. Oh, Evie. Yes, Jerry. I'm... I'm all right. Don't cry, honey. Evie? Yes, darling. Evie, I can finish that book. Yes, of course, darling. Evie, I can see it now. What's the story about the boy or the girl? Yeah. Yeah, of course. Evie, it's our life, yours and mine and the baby's. I can see people like us, millions of them. And the men and women and children laughing and crying, hungering for something, reaching, reaching for something, reaching out of their fevers and out of their sickness and weakness and loneliness, but reaching always out and up for something beyond the stars. And it will be the world's most beautiful boy. We could never grow without the rain, Evie. Without the rain and pain. Oh, Jerry. Oh, thank you, God. The sun is out again. Like the people in tonight's play, we all pass through seasons of trial and suffering. Seasons when some rain must fall. But most of us can gladly say that the joyful days outnumber the sorrowful. Yes, and we're always glad to remember the kindness, the thoughtfulness of those who help us over the rough spots. Why, when you think about it for a moment, you begin to see that the rain and the pain are all part of a wonderful plan. A plan that brings out the strength and goodness, the kindness and courage in the world and in us. Yes, and a happy family is part of God's plan. A plan that means a family living together and understanding and affection. A family where everyone is doing a little to make everyone else happy. That's the way it should be. The way it can be with God's help. So ask God for His help. Pray together as a family, and you'll be together in love and understanding. Because a family that prays together stays together. Before saying good night, I'd like to thank William Lundigan for his performances, Jerry, Betty Arnold for the portrayal of Evie, and Anne Morrison for her performances, Lally. Our thanks also to Jonathan Goodhue for writing tonight's play, and to Max Tarre for his music. Mel Williamson directed and John Ryder produced the program. Next week our Family Theater stars will be Brenda Marshall and William Holden in Song for a Long Road. Your host will be Gene Lockhart. This is Jimmy Gleason saying good night and God bless you. This series of the Family Theater broadcast is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this kind of program. By the Mutual Broadcasting System which has responded to this need and by the actors and technicians of the motion picture and radio industries. This program is heard overseas through the facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio Services. Dick Wynn speaking. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.