The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV Series) The Day It Rained Forever (1990) User Reviews

"And I know there's a story out there coming right this way."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 1 March 2022]

The story seems to be a bait and switch. Despite the title, it's not raining, and it hasn't rained for an entire year in this remote desert location. Three elderly gentlemen agonize over that fact, with one of them (Robert Clothier) just about deciding to give up, heading to his bedroom, and waiting for death to arrive. What's odd is that the men expect it to rain on this day, August 29th, the day it does rain every year, although there's no explanation for that phenomenon. Then suddenly, what sounds like thunder rolling in turns out to be a broken-down, old model car making its way to their Milled Buck Hotel with its single gas pump, which is subsequently run over by Blanche Hillgood (Sheila Moore) feeling somewhat lost. Following minor pleasantries and a welcome dinner, Blanche decides to play her harp that the men brought in from her car. The sound of the harp's strumming heralds a beautiful rainfall that's more than welcomed by the trio. It's as if an angel arrived at just the right moment to put their one hundred plus degree misery to bed.

You Can Feel the Heat

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 2 April 2015]

Three old men sit in front of an aging hotel. Vincent Gardenia is the owner and there are no guests, other than his two friends, who haven't paid anything in years. And it is hot! They talk about how the temperature had dropped from 110 to 102 degrees. They are waiting for some rain. Apparently, it rains on the same day every year. This time, however, nary a drop One of them goes up to his room, saying he has had enough and will die. The other guy has been packing his bag to go to Ireland where it rains all the time. It is so sad. Until a lady shows up. She is driving an old car and runs into one of their gas pumps. They invite her in. She is a pretty, sixty-five year old teacher and in her car is a harp (big time angel image). Two of them get dressed up and they have dinner together. She tells them stories of her life and they are taken with her. She goes to see the man upstairs and tells him he needs to get dressed and come down. Then something happens that is metaphorical and dramatic. Really nice story.

This is not what the series should have been about.

[fedor8 · 20 May 2022]

Starts off well but it soon becomes apparent that this story is going absolutely nowhere. There is nothing here that is fantasy, horror or sci-fi; or anything else remotely connected to the supernatural. It's just a slightly soppy melodrama.

Bradbury in one of his many sappy moments. I prefer his horror side, much more.