RAIN (1932) Joan Crawford, Walter Huston, Fred Howard | Drama | B&W

Rain is a 1932 pre-Code drama film that stars Joan Crawford as prostitute Sadie Thompson. Directed by Lewis Milestone and set in the South Seas, the production was filmed in part at Santa Catalina Island and what is now Crystal Cove State Park in California. The film also features Walter Huston in the role of a conflicted missionary who insists that Sadie end her evil ways, but whose own moral standards and self-righteous behavior steadily decay. Crawford was loaned out by MGM to United Artists for this film.

The plot of the film is based on the 1922 play Rain by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, which in turn was based on the 1921 short story "Miss Thompson" (later retitled "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 Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), which starred Rita Hayworth.

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

A westbound ship en route to Apia, Samoa, is temporarily stranded at nearby 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 experiences a religious conversion and agrees to return to San Francisco and the jail sentence awaiting 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 at an uninhibited native dance, the repressed Davidson checks on Sadie and is overcome by lust for her. The next morning he is found dead on the beach – a suicide. Davidson's hypocrisy and weakness allows Thompson to return to her old self and she goes off to Sydney with O'Hara to start a new life.

CAST & CREW
Joan Crawford as Sadie Thompson
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 MacPhail
Beulah Bondi as Mrs Davidson
Matt Moore as Dr Robert MacPhail
Walter Huston as Alfred Davidson
Walter Catlett as Master Bates

Directed by Lewis Milestone (uncredited)
Screenplay by Maxwell Anderson
Based on Rain 1922 play by John Colton and Clemence Randolph
Miss Thompson 1921, story by W. Somerset Maugham
Produced by Lewis Milestone
Cinematography Oliver T. Marsh
Edited by W. Duncan Mansfield
Music by Alfred Newman
Production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (studio credits only)
Distributed by United Artists
Release date October 12, 1932
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $591,000
Box office $704,000

NOTES
In 1960, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.

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