Miss Sadie Thompson (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Set in South Pacific's New Caledonia (though filmed in picturesque Kuai, Hawaii), 'Miss Sadie Thompson' is a watered-down adaptation of Somerset Maugham's Rain, starring Rita Hayworth in the titular role & Jose Ferrer as Alfred Davidson. Sadie is a lowly, but beautiful bar girl from Hawaii who's looking to move to Australia. Alfred Davidson is a religious zealot who tries to save her soul, yet loses his own soul along the way. And Sgt. Phil O'Hara (likeable Aldo Ray) is a love-struck Marine who takes a stab at Sadie, as well. All 3 are "sinners". All 3 look for personal salvation in the recent wake of WWII. Melodrama ensues.
Meh. To satisfy the Hollywood censors of the time (1953), Sadie was no longer a prostitute (as written by Somerset Maugham) but a nightclub singer 'with a past' {haha}. Furthermore, Alfred Davidson was not a sadistic minister, but a pious preacher. See, this is a story of sin & redemption; and with the Hollywood Production Code out in full force, there was only so much "sin" that director Curtis Bernhardt could convey onscreen. So several musical numbers were also inserted to spice up the blahhh proceedings. But none of them particularly rivet; and Rita Hayworth's singing was dubbed, anyway. The musical numbers include The Heat is On, Hear No Evil, Seek No Evil, & the Oscar-nominated Blue Pacific Blues.
Funny enough, even with the watered-down material, heavy changes to the script, & inserted musical numbers, this film STILL drew criticism from some critics (at the time) for being lewd, crude, filthy, & rotten. That's unbelievable to me; because the proceedings seemed SO tame as I watched them. Now, the movie is not a complete bust. The color cinematography is rich. The locales are obviously beautiful. I wanted to stay at the beachside hotel where the film is set. Jose Ferrer & Aldo Ray act well. And Rita Hayworth de-glamorizes herself for this role. She's very good, here. Beguiling. And she impressed Somerset Maugham, himself. But my adoration ends there, I'm afraid. As the film ended, I simply shrugged my shoulders as if to say, "Okay, saw that. What's next?"
Meh. To satisfy the Hollywood censors of the time (1953), Sadie was no longer a prostitute (as written by Somerset Maugham) but a nightclub singer 'with a past' {haha}. Furthermore, Alfred Davidson was not a sadistic minister, but a pious preacher. See, this is a story of sin & redemption; and with the Hollywood Production Code out in full force, there was only so much "sin" that director Curtis Bernhardt could convey onscreen. So several musical numbers were also inserted to spice up the blahhh proceedings. But none of them particularly rivet; and Rita Hayworth's singing was dubbed, anyway. The musical numbers include The Heat is On, Hear No Evil, Seek No Evil, & the Oscar-nominated Blue Pacific Blues.
Funny enough, even with the watered-down material, heavy changes to the script, & inserted musical numbers, this film STILL drew criticism from some critics (at the time) for being lewd, crude, filthy, & rotten. That's unbelievable to me; because the proceedings seemed SO tame as I watched them. Now, the movie is not a complete bust. The color cinematography is rich. The locales are obviously beautiful. I wanted to stay at the beachside hotel where the film is set. Jose Ferrer & Aldo Ray act well. And Rita Hayworth de-glamorizes herself for this role. She's very good, here. Beguiling. And she impressed Somerset Maugham, himself. But my adoration ends there, I'm afraid. As the film ended, I simply shrugged my shoulders as if to say, "Okay, saw that. What's next?"