Sadie Thompson

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Sadie Thompson is a 1928 film which tells the story of a "fallen" woman who comes to Pago Pago on the island of Tutuila 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 1923 by John Colton and Clemence Randolph originally produced at the Garrick Theatre on May 12, 1925. Their three act play had been adapted from the short story originally titled Miss Thompson as written and then serialised in April 1921 by William Somerset Maugham but later published as Rain (also in 1921).

The original movie, directed by Walsh, 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.

Image:Sadie_Thompson.jpg
Rita Hayworth in the 1953 version

Additional film adaptions include: