Vintage original 11 x 14 in. US double-weight matte photograph from the 1920s silent film drama, MISS SADIE THOMPSON, released in 1928 by United Artists and directed by Raoul Walsh.
The image depicts Sergeant Timothy O'Hara (Raoul Wash) holding holds with Sadie Thopson (Gloria Swanson) in Pago Pago. It is in near-fine condition.
*"Sadie Thompson is a 1928 American silent drama film that tells the story of a "fallen woman" who comes to Pago Pago to start a new life, but encounters a zealous missionary who wants to force her back to her former life in San Francisco. The film stars Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, and Raoul Walsh, and it is one of Swanson's more successful films.
Due to the subject matter, the making of the film was extremely controversial. However, it was a financial and critical success for Swanson. The film was based on the 1921 short story "Rain" by W. Somerset Maughamand the 1922 play, based on the story, by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, starring Jeanne Eagels.
Filming took place on Santa Catalina Island, near Long Beach, California. Swanson took ill shortly after and met a doctor who started her lifelong love of macrobiotic diets. A week into shooting, Sam Goldwyn called cameraman George Barnes away. Swanson was furious, but the loan contract allowed Goldwyn to call him away as he pleased. Not wanting to let a hundred extras sit around for days, Swanson and Walsh tried to hire two other cameramen, but both were unsatisfactory. Mary Pickford offered the services of Charles Rosher, her favorite cameraman, but despite doing a decent job, he could not match Barnes' work. Through Loew, MGM loaned Oliver Marsh, who completed the picture.
Upon its release, crtics praised the movie and Swanson's performance. Contemporary film critics have cited Swanson's performance as one of her best. The film was a financial and critical success, and it was the only silent, independent film of Swanson's to do well at the box office. In fact, it was one of her financially successful films, along with the sound films The Trespasser and Sunset Blvd. It made $1 million in the United States and $7 million internationally. However, at Kennedy's advice, Swanson had sold her distribution rights for the film to Schenck because Kennedy felt it would be a commercial failure. He also did not care for the image Swanson portrayed in the film. By this point, Queen Kelly had been a disaster, and Swanson regretted it. The film made the top 10 best pictures of the year list as well."
*(source: Wikipedia)
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