About This Item
Rain is the 1932 classic starring Joan Crawford and Walter Huston. The production was filmed in part at Santa Catalina Island in California. A westbound ship en route to Samoa is temporarily stranded at Pago Pago due to a cholera outbreak on board the ship. Among the passengers are Alfred Davidson, a self-righteous missionary and his wife Sadie Thompson, a prostitute. Sadie spends her time drinking and partying with the American marines stationed on the island. Sergeant Tim O'Hara, nicknamed 'Handsome' by Sadie, falls in love with her. Due to her wild behavior, Davidson has Sadie deported to San Francisco where she is wanted for an unspecified crime for which she says she has been framed. Sadie begs Davidson to allow her to stay for a few more days. After that she plans to flee to Sydney, Australia. During a heated argument with Davidson, Sadie experiences a religious conversion and agrees to return to San Francisco and the jail sentence awaiting her there. On the evening she is to leave Sergeant O'Hara asks Sadie to marry him and offers to hide her until the Sydney boat sails, but Sadie refuses. Later, while native drums beat at an uninhibited native dance, the repressed Davidson is overcome with lust for Sadie and enters her room, intent on raping her. Sadie's screams are drowned out by the beating drums. The next morning Davidson is found dead on the beach with his throat cut, an apparent suicide. Davidson's hypocrisy and weakness allow Sadie to return to her old self and she goes off to Sydney with Sergeant O'Hara to start a new life. This classic touches upon taboo subjects of the time and brings them into focus. Memorable performances from Joan Crawford and the great Walter Huston. (93 minutes - 1932 - Black & White - 4 3).
