Who Done It?
TITLE: Rain
GENRE: Morality Tale, B&W
CAST: Joan Crawford, Walter Huston, William Gargan, Beulah Bondi, Matt Moore, Mary Shaw, Guy Kimbee
PLOT: Post Spanish-American War Pacific Island setting of Pago Pago (pronounced pango pango?) sees shipping schedules force the paths to cross of the sinful with the righteous. All the sins of smoking, drinking alcohol, music, dance, revealing clothing, make-up and violating the sabbath are to be seen here. The Missionary and his wife are so repulsed by the activities, they pull strings to accomplish an ouster of the loose woman. While waiting for ships to arrive to leave on the holy man tries to save the soul of the woman, seems to succeed but then apparently succombs to the beauty he's created, lusts for her and, unable to face his own guilt, commits suicide, or does he? Based on a Sommerset Maughm story.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT: 3 of 10; A glimpse into a far flung piece of American expansion is worth the time. The sets, costumes and effects are not great (Constant rain keeps everyone indoors at the General store/Inn which is shown to be delapidated (how easy it was for Hollywood to depict
run-down versus elegant) The constant rain will keep you running to the bathroom.