Rain (1932)

A prostitute newly arrived in the South Pacific finds herself at odds with a stern missionary determined to save her soul.

Director:

Lewis Milestone (uncredited)

Writers:

John Colton (play), Clemence Randolph (play) (as C. Randolph)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Walter Huston, Fred Howard

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Sadie Thompson
Walter Huston	...	Alfred Davidson
Fred Howard	...	Hodgson (as Frederic Howard)
Ben Hendricks Jr.	...	Griggs (as Ben Hendricks)
William Gargan	...	Sergeant O'Hara
Mary Shaw	...	Ameena
Guy Kibbee	...	Joe Horn
Kendall Lee	...	Mrs. Macphail
Beulah Bondi	...	Mrs. Davidson
Matt Moore	...	Dr. Macphail
Walter Catlett	...	Quartermaster Bates

Storyline

For residents on the idyllic South Seas island of Pago Pago, life is simple until a boat arrives carrying two couples, the Davidsons (who are missionaries), the MacPhails and a prostitute named Sadie Thompson. Davidson is more than just a religious zealot; he's a mad man. When the boat, which was en route to another port, is temporarily stranded on the island due to a possible Cholera outbreak on-board, Sadie spends her time "partying" with the American soldiers stationed on the island. Her behavior, however, is more than the Davidsons can stand and soon Mr. Davidson confronts Sadie about her evil ways and offers salvation. When Sadie rebels and the attempted redemption does not go as planned, Davidson arranges to have her sent back to San Francisco, where she fled some years ago due to mysterious personal issues. Davidson soon becomes unhinged and thus begins a series of surprising events which culminate in disaster.

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Plot Keywords:

pago pago | prostitute | missionary | title same as play | south pacific | 

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Taglines:

A woman without shame. A woman without soul.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Regn

Filming Locations:

Isthmus Cove, Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Feature Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min (Turner library print) 76 min (1938 Atlantic Reissue)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first sound adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham story. Previously made as the silent Sadie Thompson (1928). Subsequently made as a musical, Miss Sadie Thompson (1953).

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Goofs

At the beginning of the film where the ship's passengers are handing over their passports and shore passes to be checked, the serial number on all the passes is the same.

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Quotes

Sadie Thompson: You don't think I want to stay in this rain-hole, do ya?

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Connections

Version of Sadie Thompson (1928)

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Soundtracks

Wabash Blues
(1921) (uncredited)
Music by Fred Meinken
Lyrics by Dave Ringle

User Reviews

A basically underrated movie

Unlike most people, I like both this movie and Crawford's performance, though the sudden and complete change to and from her religion-inspired catatonic state is a bit too rash and unconvincing (not due only to her acting: the film is so constructed). Huston plays a very sinister character. His brainwash on Sadie Thompson is appalling, and the scene when she succumbs while he recites the Lord's Prayer is most disturbing. Milestone's dynamic camera work is indeed overdone, but it is clear that it was a somewhat naïve attempt to counteract the tendency to sluggishness of the early talkies (compare with 'Anna Christie' with Garbo, for instance). The director gives the rain an important role as a powerful surrounding element of nature, almost trying to treat it as a living character, much like what Sjostrom did in 'The Wind'(1929); it doesn't entirely come through, but it was a worthy effort. The quick editing on Crawford's entrance (repeated in the end) is also impressive.