Sadie Thompson - 1928 Film #10

Production: Raoul Walsh and Gloria Swanson. Distributed By United Artists
Director: Raoul Walsh
Screenplay: Raoul Walsh (adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's short story "Rain" and the 1921 play adaption Rain by John Colton and Clemence Randolph). 
Titles and Editing: C. Gardner Sullivan
Cinematography: George Barnes, Robert Kurrle, and Oliver Marsh.
Art Direction: William Cameron Menzies
Players: Lionel Barrymore (Alfred Davidson), Blanche Friderici (Mrs Alfred Davidson), Charles Lane (Dr. Angus McPhail), Florence Midgley (Mrs Angus Mcphail), James A. Marcus (Joe Horn, The Trader), Sophia Artega (Ameena), Will Stanton (Quartermaster Bates), Raoul Walsh (Sergeant Timothy "Tim" O'Hara), Gloria Swanson (Sadie Thompson). 
Uncredited: Charles Sullivan (Marine).
Drama - Black and White 
1929 Oscar Nominations:
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Gloria Swanson
Best Cinematography: George Barnes.


"Hang me and be Damned"  


The fight between this film and the hays office is legendary. The films star Gloria Swanson and director Raoul Walsh fought tooth and nail to have Rain made into a movie, Swanson even invited William Hays over for luncheon to talk things out. Back then the film industry was censored by the Hays Office, named after former chairman and presbyterian elder William Hays. The code banned anything they considered immoral, the codes inforcers felt free speech did not extend for movies and didn't think of having a rating system like we do today, which was put to use in 1968. They wouldn't allow swearing, homosexuality, mixed races and clergy men could not be characterized as villains and villains had to be punished in order to suggest the "crime doesn't pay" method. It's a wonderful thing that this film was released in first place. You don't need to be a genius to figure that the villain  of the film is intended to be a man of god, The Hays office swore they watched Sadie Thompson thoroughly and gave it the go ahead, despite Gloria Swanson obviously mouthing "You'd rip the wings off of a butterfly, you son of a bitch!". 
In 1922 John  Colton and Clemence Randolph had put W. Somerset's short story onto the stage giving it the title of Rain (The original short Story would soon change its title from Miss Thompson to Rain) with Jeanne Eagels as Sadie the show ran for 256 performances . Obviously a popular production, Gloria Swanson even went to see it few times herself. Popular or not the Hays office made it strictly off limits for film makers. That didn't deter Gloria Swanson and Raoul Walsh who wanted to start filming, they settled on leaving out the profanity and renaming Reverend Davidson to Mr. Davidson and William Hays allowed them to begin. Problems arouse again when they brought the rights to the story, buying it for $60,000  (instead of $100,000) giving the authors the impression they weren't going to use it by getting Joseph Schneck to buy the rights. Maugham and the playwrights were fuming and intended to sue, but never did. 


W. Somerset Maugham's  story of Sadie Thompson has been translated to the screen three times, this was the first adaptation and the most electrifying and greatest of the three. In 1932 Joan Crawford starred in the stories first talkie adaptation titled Rain. Then a couple of decades later Rita Hayworth starred in Miss Sadie Thompson,  released in 3.D in 1953. Due to the production code Miss Sadie Thompson is just a watered down unsuitable musical. In 1928 Gloria Swanson was her prime, a major star of the silent screen. Cecil B. DeMille had transformed her from an unhappy actress working in Sennett comedies to a provocative romantic leading lady as well as fashion icon. She will be best remembered today as the fallen silent movie star Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's 1950 film Sunset Blvd. Norma Desmond was the best role of her career, but Sadie Thompson is not to be swept under the carpet, this is an enthralling drama with superb performances all around.

 Arriving from San Francisco on ship to the Island of Pago Pago is the jazzy, boisterous young ex prostitute Sadie Thompson. She hopes to relieve herself from her past and never return to her roots. Bound for the same destination is a Mr. Davidson, a hypocritical preacher of morals. He hopes to teach the island natives a thing or two about sin. 
In Pago Pago Sadie immediately absorbs all the attention of a group of officers and falls for the handsome Tim O'Hara. She soon learns that there is an out break of small pox and has to stay quarantined in a small local hotel, among the people staying there is Mr. Davidson. He is quick to try to redeem Sadie of her wicked ways and becomes the hotel's fun police. Sadie tries to ignore Davidson and his insufferable demands to have Sadie atoned. Davidson threatens that if she doesn't repent he will report her to the governor and have her sent back to San Francisco where she will serve time in prison, guilty or not. Tim O'Hara wishes to marry Sadie and confidently assures her that she won't have to go back home and that she will set sail to Sydney, Australia to stay with his relatives. But Davidson gets the Governor to make her go back to Cisco. Sadie and O'hara plea with governor to let her go to Sydney. But to no avail the Governor will only let her leave if Davidson says its ok. So staunch and raveled in a superiority complex Davidson will not let her for she will not do what he has asked. Until one harrowing rainy night in her leaky room Sadie becomes afraid and gives into Davidson and converts into a christian. He has now made her believe that she has to go back to San Francisco in order to redeem herself. She spends three days in her room praying, throws out her make up and becomes a modest woman. Tim O'Hara turns up with an offer for Sadie to leave immediately but she refuses. Tim tries to attack Davidson but now Sadie so convinced of Davidson, defends him. Davidson struggles with his repressed sexual feelings towards Sadie and his beliefs and in the end gives up completely by killing himself in the ocean.  
The ending of the film is missing but has been carefully reconstructed with stills so the story does go on successfully. 
Director Raoul Walsh plays Sadies love interest Tim O'hara, the moments between these two playing around being happy gives the film a nice balance. A contrast to when the moments of darkness appear to take away the couples glee, Sadie is playing with Tim's hat and the old fashioned and hatful reformer Mr Davidson is looking on giving a scornful glare which makes the two weary and stop having fun. That was his power in the house, its not like these two are children they are grown adults.  The scenes between Gloria Swanson as Sadie and Lionel Barrymore as Mr Davidson are the most gratifying explosive moments in the film as you can imagine. Second to Sunset Blvd this is Gloria Swanson's best performance. This was the first silent movie I had seen Lionel Barrymore and oh how he can express evil on his face, its like he casts a great big dark shadow everywhere he goes.