MOVIE REVIEW : Final Reel Restored to Gloria Swanson’s Silent ‘Sadie’

The Vagabond Theater on Wilshire Boulevard is presenting through Saturday Gloria Swanson’s 1928 silent version of “Sadie Thompson” along with “Sunset Boulevard.” One of the finest of the late silents yet long unavailable, “Sadie Thompson” has for years been missing its final reel. Two years ago Kino International underwrote a restoration, supervised by Dennis Doros, in which production stills were used to fill out the missing footage.

Having left Paramount for United Artists, Swanson was determined to put her clotheshorse days behind her. It was director Raoul Walsh’s inspired idea that Swanson should do a screen version of “Rain,” a legendary portrayal of the shady lady stranded in Pago Pago, based on a Somerset Maugham short story. Acting as her own producer and signing Walsh to co-star as the marine sergeant “Handsome” O’Hara as well as to direct, Swanson embarked upon a project which required her to go to such courageous, daring and cunning lengths as to seem absurd today. Having charmed Hollywood’s morality czar Will Hayes, Swanson had to make only one small concession--to change Rev. Davidson to Mr. Davidson--a change which makes the ominous, self-appointed guardian of public morals seem all the more hypocritical.

With her enormous expressive eyes, Swanson is a terrific Sadie, the good-time girl who has fled San Francisco, where clearly she worked as a prostitute, for reasons she would rather not reveal. Her Sadie, vulnerable beneath a breezy, uninhibited facade, is a triumph of subtle yet wide-ranging silent-screen acting, and Walsh’s virile O’Hara is a perfect foil, as is Lionel Barrymore’s remorseless, spirit-crushing Davidson. Yet Swanson is not actually as ideal a Sadie as Joan Crawford was to be a mere four years later. Sadie’s hearty earthiness, innocent vulgarity and scarred-by-life quality was very close to the real Crawford. On the other hand Swanson’s less-flashy, more refined Sadie shows the actress at her sexiest, free at last from the heavy makeup and bizarre trains and headdresses of her De Mille period.

Swanson had hoped to film in Pago Pago, but when that proved impossible she hired William Cameron Menzies, the distinguished pioneer production designer, to create a convincing South Seas village, principally on Santa Catalina Island. Swanson may have been the prime mover of the production, but “Sadie Thompson” is also one of Walsh’s best films, directed with his characteristic verve and compassion. There’s a wonderful moment when the pelting sound of the incessant tropical rains is echoed by the tapping of Davidson’s fingers on a table as he hounds the hapless Sadie. Among Swanson’s films “Sadie Thompson” is as timeless as “Sunset Boulevard” is itself.

‘SADIE THOMPSON’

A Kino International release of a Gloria Swanson production. Director Raoul Walsh. Screenplay Walsh; based on the John Colton-Clemence Randolph play and the W. Somerset Maugham short story “Miss Thompson.” Camera George Barnes, Oscar Marsh, Robert Kurrle. Production designer William Cameron Menzies. Film edited and titled by C. Gardner Sullivan. Restored under the supervision of Dennis Doros. New score composed and conducted by Joseph Turrin. With Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, Raoul Walsh, Blanche Federici, Charles Lane, Florence Midgeley, James A. Marcus, Will Stanton.

Running time: 1 hour, 33 minutes.

Times-rated: Mature.