FAQ

Set in 1942, shy and dowdy secretary Ruth Wood (Jane Wyman), who lives with her emotionally frail mother Agnes (Josephine Hutchinson), meets friendly soldier Pvt Arthur 'Art' Hugenon (Van Johnson) while he is on leave in New York City. They strike up a friendship that soon blossoms into love and the promise of marriage, but Art is suddenly called to action. Fortunately, he is carrying with him his lucky charm, an old Roman coin that Ruthie bought for him at a public auction and that has brought him nothing but luck ever since.

Miracle in the Rain is a novella by American novelist Ben Hecht, first published in the April 3, 1943 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Hecht also wrote the screenplay for the movie.

For another woman. Harry Wood (William Gargan) mentions a woman named Valerie for whom he left Agnes because Valerie inspired him. However, when Valerie discovered that Harry was not a genius composer, she ducked out on him.

Ruth's cold continues to worsen, confining her to her bed. One rainy night, while her mother sleeps, Ruthie slips out of the house and makes her way to the church in order to light candles for Saint Andrew. Standing on the church steps, drenched by the rain, she hears someone calling her name and turns to see Art running up the steps towards her. He takes her into his arms, and they express their undying love for each other. Art takes the Roman coin from around his neck and gives it to Ruth. He then disappears. Ruth tries to follow him but collapses on the steps. The church priest finds her lying there and carries her inside, telling an altar boy to call for an ambulance. Meanwhile, Ruth's friend Grace (Eileen Heckart) has gone looking for Ruth, thinking that she might have gone to the church. As she cradles Ruth in her arms, Ruth awakens long enough to ask where Art is before passing out again. The priest notices that Ruth is clenching a coin in her hand, and Grace realizes that Art must have brought it back to her. In the final scene, as the camera pans out, a voiceover says: 'This, a story of New York and of an antique Roman coin...that's the way we heard it. We like to believe it's true.'