MISS SADIE THOMPSON
US, 1953, 91 minutes, Colour.
Rita Hayworth, Jose Ferrer, Aldo Ray.
Directed by Curtis Bernhardt.
The second film version of Somerset Maugham's story. Maugham visited Pago Pago in 1916 and wrote a short story about Miss Sadie Thompson in 1920. It was dramatised for the theatre, especially for actress Jeanne Eagles in the mid-twenties (echoes of this are seen in the biography of Jeanne Eagles starring Kim Novak.) It was filmed with Gloria Swanson as a silent film.
It was then directed by Lewis Milestone, who had achieved fame as the director of All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) with the emerging actress Joan Crawford in the lead. An early as 1932 Joan Crawford shows all the characteristics of the strong kind of women that she was to play over many decades. Walter Huston in very good as the tormented missionary. There was an up-dating of the story to the World War II period and songs were added to make it a Rita Hayworth vehicle in the mid-fifties. The title reverted to the main character, Miss Sadie Thompson. Jose Ferrer in very good as the tormented missionary this time. Aldo Ray has a good role as an ingenuous sailor. The story was set at a time when the missions were spreading in the South Pacific and there were mixed reactions of people, Maugham taking a view critical of the missionaries imposing their ideas and behaviour on the people of the South Seas and making them change. He shows this by the valid dramatic presentation of a missionary betraying his ideals and becoming a victim of conscience even as he is trying to convert the saloon and dance-hall girl from Honolulu. The story has a valuable message for any time - the clash between pride and sensuality and the danger of hypocrisy. The earlier version is the more straight forward one, the second version has the essence of Maugham's story but in geared towards presenting Rita Hayworth.
Seas and making them change. He shows this by the valid dramatic presentation of a missionary betraying his ideals
and becoming a victim of conscience even as he is trying to convert the saloon and dance-hall girl from Honolulu. The story has a valuable message for any time - the clash between pride and sensuality and the danger of hypocrisy. The earlier version is the more straight forward one, the second version has the essence of Maugham's story but in geared towards presenting Rita Hayworth.
1. This film was a big hit of the 1950s. Does it seem now outdated? Or still modern enough? Why?
2. The original name of this piece was 'Rain'. The film used the symbolism of rain. Does this add to the significance of the film?
3. Did the film portray the war situation well? What atmosphere did the war situation give the film?
4. The film was presented as a kind of morality play, with good on the one hand and bad on the other with Sadie in the middle. The irony was the good (Mr Davidson) appeared good but was bad, Sadie appeared bad but was good. Does this morality play add significance to the impact of the film?
5. What kind of person was Sadie Thompson? How average a kind of a person? How bad? (Rita Hayworth's performance in the early fifties was considered hot and sexy?) Did she need cleansing?
6. The atmosphere of Puritanism on the island: drinking, dancing on Sundays? How did the atmosphere of Puritanism add to the morality play impact and drama?
7. What kind of person was Mr Davidson? Was he presented in any way as admirable? His religious zeal, the tradition of his family preaching on the island? Why was he so obsessed with religion? The irony of his appearing good but being bad?
8. O'Hara - what kind of person? Typical GI? Typical American? How single and naive? Did he really love Sadie? Why did he turn on her? What future could he offer her?
9. Why was Davidson so concerned about Sadie's conversion? Did the film make her conversion credible? What were the motives of her change of heart?
10. How bitter was the disillusionment of Sadie by Davidson? Could you understand how she became so bitter?
11. Were you shocked at Davidson's suicide? Why did he kill himself? Did the other characters explain this satisfactorily?
12. How did Sadie learn to cope with all this? How had this changed her life? What future did she have?
13. Was the happy ending satisfactory?
14. The film was rather melodramatic. What impression did it make? Just a musical entertainment with some drama? Or did it have something really worthwhile to offer on good and evil?
