Rain

Rating:
Summary: wonderful Crawford and Huston
Review: the first time i saw the film was when i saw it in the sale in virgin mega stores.so i picked it up and put it on straight away a soon as i got home and i was totally amazed with Crawfords wonderful performance and also was amazed with Hustons performance too.in RAIN Crawford plays a prostertute called sadie tompson , who has ran away form her old life in san francisco.but as soon as she arrives at this hotel at pongo pongo she already gets into trouble as soon as she enters the hotel by this preachers wife .but later she has a run in with the preacher (huston). which isn't good for her . huston hypnotises her with prayers and it makes her want to go to san francisco.but huston in the ends slashes his throat and sadie turns back to normal.its one of the best films crawford has ever made.

Rating:
Summary: wonderful Crawford and Huston
Review: the first time i saw the film was when i saw it in the sale in virgin mega stores.so i picked it up and put it on straight away a soon as i got home and i was totally amazed with Crawfords wonderful performance and also was amazed with Hustons performance too.in RAIN Crawford plays a prostertute called sadie tompson , who has ran away form her old life in san francisco.but as soon as she arrives at this hotel at pongo pongo she already gets into trouble as soon as she enters the hotel by this preachers wife .but later she has a run in with the preacher (huston). which isn't good for her . huston hypnotises her with prayers and it makes her want to go to san francisco.but huston in the ends slashes his throat and sadie turns back to normal.its one of the best films crawford has ever made.

Rating:
Summary: story with surprises...
Review: The reader can discover an exotic world through the eyes of the Macphails. He can very well feel the umcomfortable experiences and situations with which the two married couples are confronted after their arrival at Pago-Pago. That part is very well described. After the appearance of Miss Thompson the story becomes interesting, more and more until the climax, Mr. Davidson's death at the very end. And there are also some other unexpected turns and surprises in the story which make it interesting to read. The end is open and the reader can imagine himself what has happened to Mr. Davidson. This open end gives the reader the impression to have read a quite interesting book even if it is not so exciting in the beginning. Also the rain produces a lot of tension. But some parts are also a little bit to long. Next to the main story there are also other small stories. For example the hidden fight of Mr. Macphail against Mr. Davidson. I think the writer of this book also writes his opinion about the very enthusiasm missionary in this story. It is exaggerated a bit, for example the shocking methods with which the missionary couple tries to convert the natives. And the thinking of the people to that time after the second world is also obviously in this book. The natives are going to discriminated from the white people, they are regarded as not real human...In the whole the book is surelly a bit a special one but also a good desicion to read.

Rating:
Summary: Good acting, but suffers from staginess
Review: There must have been a popular play adaptation of this story that inspired the filming. The direction is purely point-and-shoot, with only a few shots of rain falling on different areas of the island to break the monotony.

Also, the actors are projecting their voices far too much. I understand that in 1932 sound was in its infancy, but I have seen other films of the period where there was natural-sounding dialogue.

The placement of the characters appears to have been gathered from the stage version, as well. No one's back ever is to the camera, and people walk while talking and not at other times.

The acting, however, given the other situations, is exemplary. Joan Crawford is good (though not great) as Sadie, however Walter Huston appears to be playing a one-note zealot, at least until the one scene when he falls prey to his baser instincts. He uses dramatic facial expression to show this change, but unfortunately, it only looked to me as if he were about to turn into Mr. Hyde.

The other characters are really just spouting dialogue and we aren't told much about them, other than the proprietor of the General Store where the action takes place, Joe Horn. He is the most interesting character in the film.

It was very slow going (I was not previously familiar with the storyline), but after the first half hour, I began to follow and was entertained.

I think that it is at the very least a good look at cinema history: to see early Joan Crawford work from when she was a sex symbol, and to catch Walter Huston before son John directed him to an Oscar in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Although in order to appreciate director Lewis Milestone's true ability, see All Quiet on the Western Front, The Front Page, or the Lon Chaney, Jr./Burgess Meredith version of Of Mice and Men.

Rating:
Summary: JOAN CRAWFORD AS A SULTRY SOUTH SEAS SIREN...
Review: This 1932 vintage film has a young and sultry Joan Crawford in the role of South Seas trollop Sadie Thompson. Walter Huston is compelling as the fire and brimstone preacher, who wants to run this fallen woman out of town on a rail. Beulah Bondi is excellent as the preacher's prudish wife whose sensibilities are upset by Sadie Thompson's very presence in the small, cramped South Seas island hotel where they are all staying, awaiting a ship that is to take them to their final destination. Seeking to save Sadie's soul, the preacher manages to brow beat Sadie into repentant submission to his will, only to be done in at the last by his own answer to the call of the wild.

This is an interesting film that shows the ideosyncracies of earlie talkies. Look for some odd camera shots used in order to segue into the next scene. Listen to the pounding of the torrential rain that can be heard almost throughout the entire film (hence, its name). Listen to the beat of the native drums, working to set a mood when necessary. All in all, a very well done film for its time. Joan Crawford fans will love it, as will all lovers of vintage films.


Rating:
Summary: A Gem of a Movie
Review: This movie seems somewhat slow and lumbering at first (95% of it takes place in the same claustrophobic location) - similar to other films of the age, but the story line is tight and the cast is first rate. Crawford is at her best in this movie, before she "learned" how to act badly; Huston and the rest of the cast also do a superb job. Perhaps the best aspect of this movie is the mood it is able to create without seeming to try. The cinematography is primitive, but well done; reminds me a great deal of The Letter.

Rating:
Summary: Panned Then, Redeemed by Time
Review: This movie was a critical flop at the time of its release, but history has been kinder. Crawford gives one of her best peformances as a bawdy prostitute who falls under the spell of a zealous preacher. Moody, frighteningly believable in spite of the period mannerisms, this ranks as one of the best films of its era and a great study in filmmaking, too. Surpasses even the short novel by Somerset Maugham.

Rating:
Summary: Panned Then, Redeemed by Time
Review: This movie was a critical flop at the time of its release, but history has been kinder. Crawford gives one of her best peformances as a bawdy prostitute who falls under the spell of a zealous preacher. Moody, frighteningly believable in spite of the period mannerisms, this ranks as one of the best films of its era and a great study in filmmaking, too. Surpasses even the short novel by Somerset Maugham.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting story
Review: Throughout her life Joan Crawford supposedly denounced "Rain" as one of her biggest career mistakes. Apparently a flop at the time of its release in 1932, this film has recently experienced something of a renaissance. Now, critical opinion has changed and many critics now conclude that Crawford sold herself short in panning the film and her performance in it.

Now on DVD, this film contains an interesting story with fine acting (admittedly the acting is a little stagey, but in 1932 that tended to be the style, as talkies were in their infancy and actors were still getting comfortable with how to project, emote, etc. for film).

What makes this film interesting is the controversial subject matter it dealt with. In many ways it tackled stuff that, once the Production Code went into full swing, would become verboten. These subjects include prostitution, criminality, religious fanaticism, hypocrisy, rape and suicide. And it deals with these controversial subjects in a sensitive and intelligent manner.

Briefly, a group of travelers are stranded on the tropical island of Pago Pago. One of these is Crawford. She plays Sadie Thompson, a prostitute on the run from the law in the United States. She was framed for a crime she didn't commit and has fled the US rather than face three years in prison.

Also in the group of travelers is a missionary and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson (played by Walter Houston and Beulah Bondi, respectively). While it is never clear exactly what church they represent, it is clear that what they do represent is self-righteous intolerance for anyone or anything that isn't exactly the way the Davidsons think they should be. They object to Sadie and everything she stands for - to them she is a "wanton woman" in need of redemption. In fact, saving Sadie's soul becomes Mr. Davidson's pet project.

Meanwhile, Sadie begins a relationship with a sailor she calls Handsome (played by William Gargan). She is torn by the forces around her - Handsome's love (he wants to marry her) and Davidson's pronouncements that she needs to suffer and be saved. What is Sadie to do? And in her nuanced performance as Sadie, Crawford makes this dilemma shine through. Sadie does not like what she is, but she doesn't know what else to be or how to change. Sometimes she's not even sure she wants to change. She knows she hasn't led an exemplary life, but she is confused about what path to take. And in a strange way, she is repelled by Mr. Davidson, yet drawn to him at the same time. Sadie is certainly NOT a one-dimensional character.

I won't give away the ending, but suffice it to say that thrown into this volatile mix is the fact that the holy and righteous Mr. Davidson also isn't quite as holy and righteous as he claims to be. Mixed in with his desire to "save" Sadie is also his sexual desire for her. In certain ways this reminds one of the story of Jim Bakker and Jessica Hahn. And like that story, in this story lechery sets in motion the makings for Davidson's downfall.

Definitely worth seeing.

Rating:
Summary: Rain (1932)
Review: Title: Rain
Release Date: 1932
Running Time: 93 minutes
Directed by: Lewis Milestone
Starring: Joan Crawford as Sadie Thompson
Walter Huston as Rev. Alfred Davidson
William Gargan as Sgt. "Handsome" O'Hara
Bealah Bondi as Mrs. Davidson
Guy Kibbee as Joe Horn
Matt Moore as Dr. MacPhail

Rain is a movie that was produced in 1932, prior to the Hayes Production code that radically changed Hollywood when it took effect in 1934. The movie, which was filmed on Santa Catalina Island, deals with passengers from a steamer that are quarantined for cholera on the South Seas island of Pago Pago. The passengers, consisting of the Reverend Alfred Davis (Huston), his wife (Bondi), their adult daughter, and prostitute Sadie Thompson (Crawford), take up rooms at the island's general store that is owned and run by Joe Horn (Kibbee). The steamer's arrival is proceeded by the onset of the rainy season.
The free spirited Sadie Thompson has just left Honolulu's red light district en route to the South Seas. She takes a room downstairs in the store and quickly sets up shop with some local Marines to the immediate consternation of the Rev. Davidson and his family. No one else, including Mr. Horn and Dr. MacPhail seem to care. Sadie and her guests first draw the attention of Mrs. Davidson and her daughter by playing records and dancing on the Sabbath. Mr. Davidson (Huston in a powerful, creepy performance) soon takes it upon himself to "save" Sadie and thus change her lifestyle. The minister uses the power of his stateside organization to pressure the local administration to aid him in his quest. Through his efforts Sgt. O'Hara, who is in love with and wants to marry Sadie, is thrown in the Brig and the other soldiers discouraged from visiting the store. Davidson also talks the island's governor into deporting Sadie back to San Francisco (from which she fled to avoid being arrested for an unspecified crime). The storeowner Horn, while sympathetic to Sadie's plight, is forced to put up with the annoying tirades of the Davidson's because he fears losing his reputation and business if he doesn't. He continually cautions Sadie to beware of Davidson and the power that he wields. Dr. MacPhail meanwhile, manages to remain nuetral, although it seems that he too finds the Davidson's overbearing and Sadie victimized.
Eventually Davidson manages to brainwash Sadie into changing her ways and being saved. She soon agrees to be sent back to the States and face her prison sentence (even though she indicates that she was framed). Before she can leave though, Davidson (who is not as morally pure as he would let on) gives in to temptation and rapes her, breaking the spell of the brainwashing and leading to a suprise finale.
This movie was poorly received by the movie going public in 1932, but has come into its own since then. The movie's message is all the more powerful today given the recent resurgance of conservative religious extremism to the political mainstream. The Davidson's prudish ways and their desire to enforce them upon the rest of the world are nauseating. Sadie, while far from a moral angel, is a fun loving, happy go-lucky person who is satisfied to live her life as she pleases without interfering with anyone elses right to do the same. Her life is nearly ruined by the Davidson's moral crusade.
Apparently Milestone didn't want Crawford (who was on loan to him from MGM) to play Sadie, however she more than handles the part. The movie itself takes place almost entirely on the first floor of Horn's general store during a continuous rainstorm. This limited setting is carried out by good camera movement and better acting. The screenplay was based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham. All of the actors give good performances and the script is very good.
The DVD itself (the copy I viewed was from Alpha Video)was a good and very viewable transfer with no extras and good cover art. It was very worth the price and is especially recommended for persons interested in pre-code Hollywood or those who want to see some of the dangers posed by religious extremism.