Sadie Thompson is a 1928 American silent drama film that tells the story of a "fallen woman" who comes to Pago Pago to start a new life, but encounters a zealous missionary who wants to force her back to her former life in San Francisco. The film stars Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, and Raoul Walsh, and it is one of Swanson's more successful films. Due to the public's apathy towards silent films, a sound version was prepared in the latter half of 1928. While the sound version has no audible dialog, it features a synchronized musical score with sound effects along with a theme song.
Due to the subject matter, the making of the film was extremely controversial. However, it was a financial and critical success for Swanson. The film was based on the 1921 short story "Rain" by W. Somerset Maugham and the 1922 play, based on the story, by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, starring Jeanne Eagels.
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Plot
A smoking, drinking, jazz listening, young prostitute named Sadie Thompson (Gloria Swanson) arrives at Pago Pago (American Samoa), on her way to a job with a shipping line on another island. At the same time, 'moralists' arrive, including Mr. and Mrs. Davidson (Lionel Barrymore and Blanche Friderici). They all end up staying in the same hotel, where the Davidsons plot to teach the natives about sin and Sadie entertains a bunch of Marines.
Sadie begins to fall in love with Sergeant Timothy O'Hara (Raoul Walsh), who is not fazed by her past. He tells her that he has a best friend who married a former prostitute, and the couple now lives happily in Australia.
Davidson sets about trying to redeem Sadie, much to her disgust. He tricks her into telling him about her past in San Francisco, and once she refuses to repent, he declares that he will go to the governor and have her deported. Sadie is terrified of the threat, but O'Hara assures her that it will not happen. He tells her he wishes she would go to Australia and wait for his term of service to finish, after which they can get married. She agrees.
Davidson gets his way, however, and Sadie is livid. She and O'Hara go to the governor, begging him to let her go to Australia instead of back to San Francisco. Davidson has managed to get O'Hara punished for being immoral, but Sadie will be able to go to Australia if Davidson approves. Sadie pleads with him, but to no avail. She eventually confesses that, if she goes back to San Francisco, there is "a man there who won't let her go straight", which is what she wants to do. Davidson figures out this statement means that there is a warrant for her arrest back in San Francisco. Sadie claims that she was framed and she is innocent, but will go to prison if she is sent back.
Davidson still refuses, saying she must atone for her past. Sadie pleads and pleads and eventually offers to repent. Davidson, however, says that the only way to fully repent is for her to go to prison. Sadie runs to her room, crying out for Davidson. Davidson returns, and Sadie confesses she is afraid. Davidson then tells her that, if she repents, there will be nothing to fear and he begins to pray with her. Sadie converts to Christianity.
Sadie prays for three whole days. She has put away her old things and has become a modest woman. O'Hara returns and finds Davidson is gone, apparently "trying to stop the locals from dancing on the beach". O'Hara tells Sadie that he has a fishing boat waiting to take her and her things to a ship that will then take her to Australia, where they can marry and be free. Sadie is extremely afraid and refuses to go, saying that the "old Sadie is dead" and she must go to San Francisco and prison to repent.
Music
The sound version featured a theme song entitled “Good Time Sadie” by Seymour Simons.
Production
In 1927, Swanson released The Love of Sunya her first independent film for United Artists, which was filmed on her terms in New York City, and it was the opening night film of the Roxy Theatre. The production had been a disaster, and Swanson felt it would receive a mediocre reception at best. On the advice of Joseph Schenck, she relented and returned to Hollywood to prepare for a new picture. Feeling she would never have as much artistic freedom and independence as she had at that moment, Swanson decided she "wanted to make my Gold Rush," referring to a recent film by Charlie Chaplin, which became perhaps his most celebrated work. Schenck pleaded with her to do a commercially successful film like The Last of Mrs. Cheyney. Swanson felt it too formulaic and decided to call upon director Raoul Walsh, who was signed with Fox Film Corporation at the time.
Walsh had been known for bringing controversial material to film. At their first meeting, Swanson suggested a film based on the John Colton and Clemence Randolph play Rain (1923), which in turn was based on the story by W. Somerset Maugham titled "Miss Thompson" (1921). Swanson had seen Jeanne Eagels perform the role on stage twice and enjoyed it.
However, because of its content, the play was on the 'unofficial blacklist' and had quietly been banned from being made into a film a year earlier. To try to avoid issues with the code, Swanson and Walsh decided to leave out profanity, rename 'Reverend Davidson' to 'Mr. Davidson', and claim it was for the sake of morality to produce the picture, as Irving Thalberg had produced The Scarlet Letter (1926) at MGM.
Swanson invited Will Hays for lunch and summarized the plot, naming the author and the sticking points. According to Swanson, Hays made a verbal promise that he would have no problem with the making of such a film. Swanson set about getting the rights to the play by having Schenck pretend to buy it in the name of United Artists, never to be used. Thus they were able to get the story rights for $60,000 instead of the original $100,000. When news broke as to just what was intended with the play, the three authors threatened to sue. Swanson later contacted Maugham requesting that he write an original story that served as a sequel. The sequel would involve following what became of Sadie in Australia. Maugham agreed to write a new story (for $100,000) but a sequel never was made.
Release and reception
Upon its release, critics praised the movie and Swanson's performance. Contemporary film critics have cited Swanson's performance as one of her best.
The film was a financial and critical success, and it was the only silent, independent film of Swanson's to do well at the box office. In fact, it was one of her financially successful films, along with the sound films The Trespasser and Sunset Blvd. It made $1 million in the United States and $7 million internationally. However, at Kennedy's advice, Swanson had sold her distribution rights for the film to Schenck because Kennedy felt it would be a commercial failure. He also did not care for the image Swanson portrayed in the film. By this point, Queen Kelly had been a disaster, and Swanson regretted it.
The film made the top 10 best pictures of the year list as well.
Censorship
When Sadie Thompson was released, many states and cities in the United States had censor boards that could require cuts or other eliminations before the film could be shown. The Kansas censor board ordered cuts of all scenes reflecting upon the reformer's conduct.
Awards and honors
Swanson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, and George Barnes for Best Cinematography at the 1st Academy Awards for this film, The Devil Dancer and The Magic Flame. Swanson did not attend the ceremony, and always felt it was like "comparing apples to oranges."
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated
Restoration and home media
The film was thought to have been lost for years. After Swanson's death in 1983, the sole known surviving print of the film was discovered by her estate; it had been stored in Mary Pickford's personal archive. By that time, the final reel had become damaged. The film was bought by Kino International, which hired Dennis Doros to reconstruct the final reel. Doros used the original title sequences, still photos and footage from the 1932 adaptation (which cinematographer Oliver T. Marsh also shot) to substitute for the lost footage. A new score by Joseph Turrin was composed for the film.
Kino's version has been issued on DVD and online via Netflix, as well as shown on Turner Classic Movies.
Other film adaptations
1932: as Rain, starring Joan Crawford, Walter Huston, Guy Kibbee and Beulah Bondi; adapted by Maxwell Anderson, directed by Lewis Milestone
1946: as Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A., starring Francine Everett and Don Wilson, adapted by True T. Thompson, directed by Spencer Williams
1949: a film noirish "Sadie Thompson" dance number from the Marx Brothers film Love Happy features Vera-Ellen dancing with a group of World War II Marines led by Paul Valentine
1953: as Miss Sadie Thompson, starring Rita Hayworth, José Ferrer, Aldo Ray and Charles Bronson; adapted by Harry Kleiner, directed by Curtis Bernhardt; nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song (for Lester Lee and Ned Washington's "Sadie Thompson's Song (Blue Pacific Blues)")