28 Days Until Oscar
Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 11:00AM Today's number is 28. I trust you know that Gloria Swanson was ALWAYS ready for her close-up.
She's best remembered for Sunset Blvd (1950) but that movie couldn't have existed, at least not in the perfect form it does, were it not for her earlier silent screen stardom. Her first Oscar nomination came for Sadie Thompson (1928) in the very first year of the Oscars. The movie was also nominated for Best Cinematography but both the DP and Swanson lost the Oscars to Janet Gaynor and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, respectively. Swanson wasn't the only female superstar to play Sadie...
W. Somerset Maugham's story about a former prostitute and a religious man who wants to "save her soul" has been adapted to feature three times officially, though it's surely influenced other pictures, too. It's not every role that gets multiple actual superstars playing it, whenever it's remade. But that's just what happened with Sadie Thompson which was remade for the talkies in 1932 and then again in 1953 with full color and musical numbers.
Joan Crawford as Sadie Thompson in RAIN (1932)
Rita Hayworth as MISS SADIE THOMPSON (1953)Swanson's successors were Joan Crawford (whose celluloid melting close-ups are EVERYTHING in Rain) and Rita Hayworth in Miss Sadie Thompson. Neither of them were nominated for playing the character though, so in this threeway imaginary battle, Swanson wins.
Reader Comments (8)
Casting call for Sadie Thompson: Must have magnetic eyes.
Twenty-eight days until Oscar and the Best Picture race ended last night. It's going to be a long February. (I kinda love how this hasn't gotten it's own post yet.)
Its its its its its
Paul Outlaw: First: How did it "end"? SAG, DGA and BAFTA are still to be announced. Second: Second one only, right?
@ Volvagia
(Second one only.)
SAG will have no influence on the Best Picture race (unless you think an Emma Stone loss would mean something—and she's not going to lose). DGA will only possibly matter if (big if) Jenkins wins. And BAFTA Best Pic would have go to Moonlight (the only movie IMO that stands a chance against LLL at the Oscars) and even then: La La is surging right now. Stick a fork in it, it's done.
All three versions of Rain are interesting creatures but none capture the power of the play. A pity that Jeanne Eagels didn't have the opportunity to put her Sadie Thompson on film since it's so storied but I'm guessing there was no way Swanson was going to let a plum like that slip through her at the time powerful fingers.
Crawford's version was a huge flop on its initial release and a big black eye for Joan who was judged lost and garish in the part. But looking at it now she's quite vivid and compelling fully committing to the role, although her makeup does echo her latter day dragon lady appearance.
Rita Hayworth's is the tamest thanks to the production code. One thing they couldn't censor though is the sexual vibrancy that she wore like a cloak. Especially during her musical numbers she fills the role with a sexual charge.
I thought Rita Hayworth was good in Miss Sadie Thompson, an underrated actress.
I'm working on a blog piece about when Bette and Joan both took on Somerset Maugham stories: First, Joan in "Rain" and Bette in "Of Human Bondage," within a year of each other, with very different receptions.I think this is where their rivalry really started.
Regarding Rain: Crawford is very vital and gives her all in ACTING!, but is undercut by BOTH the early garish makeup (Baby Jane Hudson Cosmetics?) and the later redemptive scenes, all glowing backlight and MGM glamour puss again. Too bad Milestone didn't reign her in, Crawford's "Rain" might have fared better...