Rain (1932)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Writers:

John Colton (play) and
Clemence Randolph (play) ...

Release Date:

12 October 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A prostitute finds redemption in some Hawaiian isle thanks to a hard missionary man.

Plot Keywords:

Missionary | Cholera | Soldier | Porch | Bible

Cast

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

Runtime:

94 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Wide Range Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #1318-R, 29 August 1935 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company:

Feature Productions

Trivia:

This was Joan Crawford's least favorite film because of its poor box-office returns.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Camera's shadow falls across the backs of the missionaries as they sit around the table in the general store.

Quotes:

Mrs. Davidson: I'm sorry for him and I'm sorry for you
Sadie Thompson: And I'm sorry for the whole world, I guess.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984)

Soundtrack:

St. Louis Blues

Sadie and the Preacher

RAIN (United Artists, 1932), directed by Lewis Milestone, from the short story about sex, sin and salvation by W. Somerset Maugham, stars Miss Joan Crawford (courtesy of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Company), in one of her most prestigious movie roles to date. With 1932 being the year of "the fallen woman" on screen (BLONDE VENUS, CALL HER SAVAGE, THREE ON A MATCH, etc.), RAIN stands in a class by itself. Originating as a 1922 stage play starring Broadway's legendary Jeanne Eagles, it first appeared on screen during the silent era as SADIE THOMPSON (United Artists, 1928), starring Gloria Swanson and Lionel Barrymore. In spite of its then controversial subject matter, it did well at the box office, earning Swanson an Academy Award nomination. Four years later, it was remade as RAIN, and since it would have been logical to have both Swanson and Barrymore reprise their roles with spoken dialogue in place of title cards, Crawford and Walter Huston, forceful screen personalities, have turned out to be good substitutes. Unfortunately, lightning or heavy rains didn't strike twice, for that Crawford's sound adaptation reportedly became a box-office flop. The fault might have been for its bad timing, remaking a film so close to its original, and Jeanne Eagles still being in the memory of those who have seen her on stage, yet had RAIN been distributed a few years later, it would have met with problems with the censors and production code, thus, not having that spark and solid dialogue (minus the swear words used in the play and silent version which could not be heard, unless one is an avid lip reader), that this version has, and yet, it probably wouldn't have had that "filmed stage play" look either. A couple of times during the course of the story, the camera shifts back to give full focus of a room and focal point to a character, leaving a viewer with the feeling of waiting for the curtain to come down and hear the sounds of applause until the curtain rises up towards the second act. In spite of all, this is a motion picture taken from a stage play. The camera does take time out for some location viewing of the Cataline Islands, where portions of the film were reportedly lensed.

For the benefit of those who are totally unfamiliar with the Maugham story and/or the movie itself, the plot is set in Pago Pago, the Samoan island where a group of steamer passengers are forced to remain because of a minor epidemic on board. And due to the heavy rains, they find they must stay a little longer than anticipated. Among the passengers entering the island's general store/hotel run by Joe Horn (Guy Kibbee) and his native wife (Mary Shaw) are Doctor Robert MacPhail (Matt Moore), a philosopher, and his wife, Nina (Kendall Lee); Alfred and Martha Davidson (Walter Huston and Beulah Bondi), a missionary couple, among others. Entertaining the Marines in her state room is Miss Sadie Thompson (Joan Crawford), a prostitute, who enjoys the company of men, playing loud floozy music and cigarette smoking. She quickly catches the eye of Sergeant Tim O'Hara (William Gargan), who becomes interested in her, but the disapproval of Davidson, who objects to her immoral ways such as drinking and smoking on the Sabbath. At first Davidson forces himself upon her to reform, but all he finds is that his religious persistence annoys her and that Sadie can be equally demanding and powerful as he. Sadie tries to meet him half way when she learns that she must return to San Francisco and serve a three year prison term, and becomes bitter when Davidson won't give in to her pleas. Eventually Davidson does succeed in saving Sadie's immortal soul by cleansing her from her sins, but in turn, Davidson soon finds himself being lead into temptation and unable to be delivered from evil.

Also seen in the supporting cast is Walter Catlett as Quartermaster Bates, who adds to some of the few lighter moments on screen, as does the reliable Guy Kibbee (on loan from Warner Brothers). Besides Ben Hendricks Jr. and Fred Howard in smaller roles, the cast also includes unbilled performers playing natives. Beulah Bondi should not go unnoticed in her sympathetic role as Davidson's wife. A big difference from her unsympathetic performance in her debut film in the screen adaptation to the hit 1929 play, STREET SCENE (1931). She's a natural.

For many years, RAIN has earned the reputation as being one of Crawford's mistakes. On the contrary, she was perfectly cast in her role, and cannot see her doing it any other way. It's Crawford's performance that keeps the story together. The first hour of the film, she appears with cat eyes, heavy makeup, curly hair, cigarette, birth mark under the left side of her chin and wearing a tight checkered dress. Her transformation scene which occurs an hour from the start of the film, works out well, having Crawford's character cleansed from her sins and appearing pure at heart. Co-star Walter Huston almost upstages her every which way he can, and he, too, gives the performance of not playing but being the Reverend Davidson. The famous scene where Davidson recites the Lord's prayer with the swearing Sadie suddenly reciting the prayer with him, is one of the film's true memorable moments. This scene itself became a clip used for the mid 1970s TV show, DON ADAM'S SCREEN TEST, for young upcoming actors to re-enact this particular scene and win a trip to Hollywood and a part in an upcoming TV show or movie. Up to this time, RAIN was winning a new audience.

Lewis Milestone, the director, was given a difficult task in keeping the pace moving but circling the camera around and moving it at all different angles so not to focus on the central characters for any length of time. The opening show in which one drop of rain falls to the ground, leading to other drops and finally a focus on heavy rains filling the rain barrow, sets the pace to what is to follow, a plot development of a group of peaceful people being gathered together for a few days, with tension building with the disturbance of Sadie Thompson, who fights back like lightning whenever something or someone, like Davidson, who stands in the way of her lifestyle. Milestone's directing technique might not meet with much appreciation today, but his overlooked method as to how to develop the story and characters on a set stage are evident here, in spite RAIN's reputation as being a talk-athon with little or no action. There is action, the action being the buildup with words, and how the dialogue is spoken and presented. Along with the dialogue, Milestone full takes advantage of this new medium of sound with the use of repeated rain heard falling on the ground and rooftops.

I first came across RAIN when it made a special television presentation on WNEW, Channel 5, in New York City in June 1973. But before the movie started, it was honored by a special guest giving a brief background to about the film to the viewers. The host was Joan Crawford herself! After giving her fond recollections about the production (whether it be true or not), the movie began with its opening titles and its now memorable Alfred Newman underscoring. Reportedly released at 93 minutes, RAIN was shown on a 90 minute time slot, and played at a 90 minute time slot, commercial breaks and all, for the next few years, thus, the print used being the shorter 77 minute reissue. By the 1980s, in the wake of VCRs and video cassettes, RAIN, now a public domain film, has become available through numerous distributors, fortunately many at its original 93 minute print. However, some video transfers aren't good, some come off quite dark, others with bad sound quality. Cable television presentations were somewhat better, especially when it aired during the early years of Arts and Entertainment and the Learning Channel, up to American Movie Classics from 1991 to 1999. It occasionally turns up during the very late hours on an independent public broadcasting channel, including WLIW, Channel 21, in Garden City, N.Y., but after repeated viewings over the years, I feel true restoration, in fact, is in order.

Columbia updated the Maugham story to post World War I in 1953 as MISS SADIE THOMPSON starring Rita Hayworth and Jose Ferrer, with the addition of Technicolor and songs. But of the three screen incarnations of Sadie Thompson vs. The Reverend Davidson (The Prostitute and the Reformer), RAIN is the best known and revived, and although the film itself has aged, the story hasn't.