Rain
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Rain
Plot
The pleasures of the flesh confront the discipline of the Lord's teachings in this screen adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's story Miss Sadie Thompson. Sadie Thompson (Joan Crawford) is a sassy streetwalker who lands in Pago Pago in the South Pacific after an epidemic grounds the ship on which she's booked passage. Sadie's shapely legs, free spirit, and quick wit soon attract the attention of a group of American soldiers stationed on the island; while most are motivated by simple lust, the naive Sgt. O'Hara (William Gargan) falls head over heels for Sadie, thoroughly unaware of her checkered past and shameful profession. Rev. Alfred Davidson (Walter Huston), a fire-and-brimstone preacher bent on bringing salvation to the soldiers, is fully aware of Sadie's occupation and moral code, and is determined to convince her to change her ways. Sadie slowly but surely is softened by Davidson's conviction, but the preacher soon finds himself affected by her sensual presence; O'Hara also learns the truth about Sadie, but hatches his own plan to reform her -- marriage. While a box office failure in 1932, Rain has gone on to become a cult favorite, thanks to Crawford's vivid performance as Sadie and director Lewis Milestone's adventurous visual style. ~ Mark Deming, RoviReview
In the first sound film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's play, young MGM "flapper" star Joan Crawford's turn as Miss Sadie Thompson revealed that she could play more than just a spirited modern girl. As the South Seas prostitute reformed and then violated by Walter Huston's fire-and-brimstone preacher, Crawford matches Huston's intensity and reveals the depth of emotions behind Sadie's slatternly, free-wheeling façade. The lush, nocturnal tropical setting with its copious precipitation and Polynesian drum music enhances the sensuality of the conflict between spirit and carnality, while director Lewis Milestone's mobile camera and telling visual touches (like Sadie's choice of shoes) offset the potential staginess of a theatrical adaptation. A flop in 1932, Rain has since recovered its artistic reputation, particularly for Crawford's then-shocking "realism" as Sadie. The play was first adapted as Sadie Thompson in 1928 with Gloria Swanson, then re-made again in 1953 as Miss Sadie Thompson with Rita Hayworth. ~ Lucia Bozzola, RoviCast
- Joan Crawford - Sadie Thompson
- Walter Huston - Rev. Alfred Davidson
- William Gargan - Sgt. O'Hara
- Guy Kibbee - Joe Horn
- Walter Catlett - Quartermaster Bates
Credit
Richard Day - Art Director, Nate Watt - First Assistant Director, Lewis Milestone - Director, Duncan Mansfield - Editor, Alfred Newman - Composer (Music Score), Oliver Marsh - Cinematographer, Lewis Milestone - Producer, Joseph M. Schenck - Producer, Maxwell Anderson - Screenwriter, John Colton - Screenwriter, John Colton - Play Author, Clemence Randolph - Play Author, W. Somerset Maugham - Short Story Author| Railways of Italy (1990 Film), Railway on the Ice Sea (1910 Film) | |
| Rain (2001 Film), Rain (2001 Film) |
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Rain
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Rain (1932 film)
| Rain | |
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 DVD cover (based on original film poster) |
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| Directed by | Lewis Milestone |
| Written by | Story: W. Somerset Maugham Play: John Colton Clemence Randolph Adaptation: Maxwell Anderson |
| Starring | Joan Crawford Walter Huston William Gargan Beulah Bondi |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | October 12, 1932 |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Rain is a 1932 South Seas drama film directed by Lewis Milestone with portions filmed at Santa Catalina Island, California. The film stars Joan Crawford as prostitute Sadie Thompson and Walter Huston as a conflicted missionary who wants to reform Sadie, but whose own morals start decaying. Crawford was loaned out by MGM to United Artists for this film.
The plot of the film is based on the 1923 play Rain by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, which in turn was based on the short story "Rain" by W. Somerset Maugham. Actress Jeanne Eagels had played the role on stage. Other movie versions of the story include: a 1928 silent film titled Sadie Thompson starring Gloria Swanson, and the heavily sanitized Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), which starred Rita Hayworth.
In 1960, the film entered the public domain in the USA due to the copyright claimants failure to renew the copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.[1]
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Contents
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Synopsis
A boat, which was en route to Apia, is temporarily stranded on the South Pacific island village of Pago Pago due to a possible cholera outbreak on-board. Among the passengers are Alfred Davidson, a self-righteous missionary, his wife, and Sadie Thompson, a prostitute. Thompson passes the time partying and drinking with the American Marines stationed on the island. Sergeant Tim O'Hara, nicknamed by Sadie as "Handsome", falls in love with her.
Her wild behavior soon becomes more than the Davidsons can stand and Mr. Davidson confronts Sadie, resolving to save her soul. When she dismisses his offer, Davidson has the Governor order her deported to San Francisco, California, where she is wanted for an unspecified crime (for which she says she was framed). She begs Davidson to allow her to remain on the island a few more days; her plan is to flee to Sydney, Australia. During a heated argument with Davidson, she apparently experiences a sudden religious conversion and agrees to return to San Francisco and the jail sentence that is waiting for her there.
The evening before she is to leave, Sergeant O'Hara asks Sadie to marry him and offers to hide her until the Sydney boat sails, but she refuses. Later, while native drums beat, the repressed Davidson succumbs to Sadie's allure and accosts her. The next morning, he is found dead on the ocean shore — a suicide. Thompson switches back to her old self and goes off to Sydney with O'Hara to start a new life.
Cast (in credits order)
- Fred Howard as Hodgson
- Ben Hendricks Jr. as Griggs
- William Gargan as Sergeant Tim O'Hara
- Mary Shaw as Ameena
- Guy Kibbee as Joe Horn
- Kendall Lee as Mrs Robert MacPhail
- Beulah Bondi as Mrs Alfred Davidson
- Matt Moore as Dr Robert MacPhail
- Walter Huston as Alfred Davidson
- Walter Catlett as Quartermaster Bates
- Joan Crawford as Sadie Thompson
Reception
Rain was not well-received -- either critically or financially -- upon initial release. The unglamorous role for Crawford, and bold story (religious hypocrisy being its main theme), caught Depression-era audiences off-guard.
Motion Picture Herald commented, "Because the producers have made such a strong attempt to establish the stern impressiveness of the story, it is rather slow. In its drive to become powerful, it appears to have lost the spark of spontaneity....Joan Crawford and Walter Huston are satisfactory."
Variety noted, "It turns out to be a mistake to have assigned the Sadie Thompson role to Miss Crawford. It shows her off unfavorably. The dramatic significance of it all is beyond her range.... [Director] Milestone tried to achieve action with the camera, but wears the witnesses down with words. Joan Crawford's get-up as the light lady is extremely bizarre. Pavement pounders don't quite trick themselves up as fantastically as all that. In commercial favor of Rain is the general repute of the theme and Miss Crawford's personal following, but the finished product will not help either."
References
- ^ Pierce, David (March 29, 2001). "Legal Limbo: How American Copyright Law Makes Orphan Films" (mp3 in "file3"). Orphans of the Storm II: Documenting the 20th Century. http://www.sc.edu/orphanfilm/orphanage/symposia/audio/index.html. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
External links
- Rain at the Internet Movie Database
- Rain is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
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