Date and Time
- Friday, Nov 13, 2026 1pm
Details
Intro by film historian Scott Eyman
Chafing against her glamorous MGM image, Joan Crawford put it all at risk to take on one of the era’s most notorious roles. As prostitute Sadie Thompson, she is stranded on Pago Pago during monsoon season alongside a charismatic but rigid missionary (Walter Huston) whose zeal to “save” her becomes a battle of wills. Sadie moves among a volatile mix of characters — a canny trader, his Samoan wife and a detachment of American Marines, one of whom falls hard for her — while the preacher offers salvation. Confined by heat, mud and unrelenting rain, director Lewis Milestone’s moving camera and the outstanding performances of Crawford and Huston bring to life this tale of desire, hypocrisy and redemption.
