The Story of Temple Drake (1933)

Miriam Hopkins is terrific in this film as Temple. Jack La Rue is solid as Trigger, the bad guy who rapes her. This movie holds up in many places. Even though the Hayes Code was not in place on this, the rape scenes on the cut TCM showed were mostly realistic screams by Hopkins.I think the reason Hopkins is so effective is she is playing a wealthy judge Drakes daughter is because in real life she was born into wealth. Temple appears to be playing all the men in her life with no idea who was the one she wanted. While this is not as dark as Faulkner's book it is based on, it has plenty of darkness with the car accident and the moon shiners wrecked house. The version on TCM was short at 69 minutes, but it has a lot of action and is a credit to director Stephen Roberts who does not let the action bog down much. The court room scenes are good too. Roberts would die at age 40 which is a shame since he had a lot of experience directing films.As the code folks, and the Catholics banned this film for film content even when it was toned down for release, it would be very interesting if an uncut version did exist. After all, a rape scene besides the screams in this era would certainly be an interesting scene of early Hollywood.

Infamous Pre-Code Movie that is often Cited as one of those that brought the Hays Code as the Predeterminer of all Things out of Hollywood. It was Banned in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and once the Code Took Effect, the Do-Gooders made it Clear that this one was Never to be Re-Released in Any Form. Thanks a Bunch.Because of all the Hoopla this was a Rarely Seen, until recently, Film that was "Lost" for Decades. Then when it did Resurface in Bad Prints and were a Disappointment at Best and Impossible to Watch at Worst. But Recently, thanks to TCM and others, a New 35MM Print has been Restruck and Pre-Code Fans were Salivating to get a Glimpse at this Faulkner Story that was Considered Unfilmable. But Paramount did Film it and Release it with a Title Change, because the Book was as Infamous as the Movie would Become. The Book, "Sanctuary", was considered Lurid Trash. The Movie, "The Story of Temple Drake", was considered Lurid Trash. So Everyone Wins, so to speak.It is Quite a Ride with Miriam Hopkins Playing the Lead, a Late Teen Southern Belle with a Family History on Her Side and a Beau always at Her Side who were Always Invited but Never let into "The Temple". A Scrawl on the Bathroom Wall says it All..."Temple Drake is a Fake...She Wants to Eat and Have Her Cake".The Movie is Divided Distinctly in Two Parts. First are the Fancy Free and Gay Party Scenes where Temple Bounces from Boy to Frustrated Boy, comes in at Dawn and is Happy just to Dance and Drink the Night Away.Part Two is a Gothic Horror Story that Pulls Few Punches. The Fantasy Daydream has become a Nightmare when Temple Finds Herself Stranded in an Old Dark House with Hillbilly Horrors.There are Filthy, Sweaty Men Lusting after Her Disrobed, Pre-Code Female Form and this Climaxes with a Barnyard Rape and a Stockholm Syndrome Situation. Jack La Rue is the Bootlegger, Pimp, Murderer, Rapist, that has Temple Under His Spell and after Spending some Nights in a Brothel, the Final Act of Capitulation, the Courtroom Conclusion is brought about so Things can be Set Righteous. This is a Racy, Raunchy, Sordid Story of Sex, Murder, and Drunks. All Surrounding a Southern Family. Class Structured Elitism Exposed in the William Faulkner Way with a Heaping of Pre-Censorship, Expressionistic, Hollywood.Note...This is one of the most written about Pre-Code Films and there is much more information to be found elsewhere with in depth discussions about the Film's History.

Faulkner dismissed his novel Sanctuary as a "pot-boiler", although he liked the character of Temple Drake well enough to bring her back in a later novel (Requiem for a Nun). Both novels have greater complexity and moral ambiguity than the screenplay for The Story of Temple Drake could possibly capture in 70 minutes of film. The movie lacks Faulkner's depiction of how rich and poor don't have equal access to justice, but does portray how those who enjoy an elevated social standing aren't always more virtuous than those they look down upon. The elaborate film sets illustrate this when Temple crosses the divide between the elegant party scene and the bootleggers' foreboding farmhouse. In the novel, the lawyer Benbow (whose first name is Horace) is less enamored of Temple and much more concerned with defending his client Lee Goodwin (and Goodwin's companion Ruby Lemarr) from prejudices both legal and social. In the film, Ruby briefly alludes to prostituting herself in order to get Lee out of prison.SPOILER: The sudden ending of the film is the opposite of what happens in the book. Suffice it to say that in Sanctuary, Temple is untroubled by conscience and unswayed by Benbow. The bad guy gets away, and the good guy doesn't. It's my favorite of Faulkner's early novels.Miriam Hopkins does well portraying the two sides of Temple Drake (with a stronger Southern accent than anyone else in the film). Florence Eldridge convincingly conveys her contempt for Temple. Jack La Rue shoots daggers with his depthless eyes, but the screenplay can't possibly capture the complexity of Trigger's character, known as Popeye in Faulkner's underrated novel.

Provocative and racy this hard to find film is loaded with infamy. If you started watching not knowing it was a pre-code it would only take a few minutes to realized it. Full of a wantonness and sense of depravity that wouldn't be seen in movies for decades after, this sin-fest features rape, murder and many other shocking events with a frank candor. Even the advertising for the film was lurid, just look at the poster to get an idea of how the film was sold. Many of the cast are rather ham handed in their portrayals, William Gargan in particular, but Miriam Hopkins lights up the screen with a vibrant sensuality and a compelling presence. A truly talented actress it's a shame that behind the scenes she was such a difficult and brazen up-stager that it irrevocably damaged her career and shortened her star period.