Rain (1932 film)

Infobox Film
name = Rain


image_size =
caption = DVD cover
(based on original film poster)
director = Lewis Milestone
producer =
writer = Story:
W. Somerset Maugham
Play:
John Colton
Clemence Randolph
Adaptation:
Maxwell Anderson
narrator =
starring = Joan Crawford
Walter Huston
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = United Artists
released = October 12, 1932
runtime = 92 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0023369

"Rain" is a 1932 motion picture directed by Lewis Milestone. 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 "Miss Thompson" by W. Somerset Maugham.

Other movie versions of the story include: a 1928 silent film titled "Sadie Thompson" starring Gloria Swanson, and the 1953 film "Miss Sadie Thompson" starring Rita Hayworth.

ynopsis

A boat, which was en route to another port, is temporarily stranded on the South Pacific island village of Pago Pago due to a possible Cholera outbreak on-board. Discharging among others, Alfred Davidson, a self-righteous missionary, his prim, proper wife, and Sadie Thompson, a prostitute. Sadie spends her time "partying" and drinking with the American soldiers 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 about her ways. He decides he will reform Sadie and save her soul. However, when she rebels and dismisses his offer, Davidson has the governor order her deported to San Francisco, where she apparently commited a crime years earlier. She begs Davidson to allow her to remain on the island a few more days; her plan is to flee to Sydney, Australia instead. During a heated argument with Davidson, Sadie suddenly experiences a 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 is under Davidson's spell and refuses. Later, while native drums beat, Davidson succumbs to Sadie's beauty and accosts her. The next morning, he is found dead on the ocean shore—a suicide. Now disillusioned with Davidson's teachings, Sadie switches back to her old self and plans to go off to Sydney with O'Hara to start a new life.

Cast

* Joan Crawford.... Sadie Thompson
* Walter Huston.... Alfred Davidson
* William Gargan.... Sergeant Tim O'Hara
* Beulah Bondi.... Mrs. Alfred Davidson
* Matt Moore.... Dr. Robert MacPhail
* Kendall Lee.... Mrs. Robert MacPhail
* Guy Kibbee.... Joe Horn
* Walter Catlett.... Quartermaster Bates
* Ben Hendricks Jr..... Griggs
* Fred Howard.... Hodgson

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."

Modern audiences and critics have been kinder, some citing this film and role as one of Crawford's best.

External links

*imdb title|id=0023369|title=Rain