Sadie Thompson

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Sadie Thompson is a 1928 film which tells the story of a "fallen" woman who comes to the island of 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. It stars Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, Blanche Frederici, Charles Lane, Florence Midgley, James A. Marcus, Sophia Artega, Will Stanton and Raoul Walsh.

The movie was adapted by Raoul Walsh and C. Gardner Sullivan (titles) from the play Rain by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, which was adapted from the short story Rain by William Somerset Maugham. It was directed by Walsh.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Gloria Swanson) and Best Cinematography.

Lip readers can tell that Swanson, in character as Sadie Thompson, swears several times, but since the title cards do not reflect the swearing, the movie was released uncensored.

Rita Hayworth in the 1953 version

The movie was remade several times:

• 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

• 1953 - as Miss Sadie Thompson, starring Rita Hayworth, José Ferrer, Aldo Ray and Charles Bronson; adapted by Harry Kleiner, directed by Curtis Bernhardt. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music, Song (for Lester Lee and Ned Washington for "Sadie Thompson's Song (Blue Pacific Blues)".