Overview
At a time of paralysing drought in a small Texas town, Lizzie Curry’s father and two brothers worry as much about her potential future as an old maid as they do about their dying cattle. As the dry heat rages, they try unsuccessfully to find her a husband. Suddenly, a handsome, sweet-talking man named Bill Starbuck appears in town. Claiming to be a “rainmaker,” Starbuck promises – for $100 – to bring rain to the desiccated town. Though some remain skeptical, the Currys finally consent, banging on big brass drums to rattle the sky. Meanwhile, Starbuck turns his magic on Lizzie, convincing her that she possesses a beauty of her own. Despite herself, Lizzie believes it, just as her father believes that this mysterious stranger might actually bring rain.