Year: 1933
Director: Stephen Roberts
Starring: Miriam Hopkins, Jack La Rue, William Gagan, Guy Standing
This wonderful pre-code film from 1933 is based on the salacious novel (Sanctuary) written by William Faulkner, one of my favorite authors. The pivotal role of Temple Drake was entrusted to none other than the divine Miriam Hopkins. Ms. Hopkins is perhaps better known for her beautiful performances in two Lubitsch pictures of the same era: Trouble in Paradise and Design for Living. But in Roberts’ film the great actress seizes the opportunity to really extend herself as a performer. Temple Drake is arguably Hopkins’ finest hour on the silver screen.
Temple’s penchant for carefree, promiscuous behavior is established from the start as the movie opens with her coming home from a date @ 4:00 in the morning. She manages to get her lecherous suitor pushed out the front door just as Judge Drake — played by Guy Standing — descends the stairs to see what the disturbance is. Her grandfather reproaches Temple for being out with a boy so late but she quickly assuages his concerns via her charms and revealing that her beau goes to a good school. This scene makes it clear that Hopkins’ character is excellent at manipulation and she’s used to getting her way 100% of the time. This flaw in Temple’s nature comes back to haunt her throughout the film.
One of Temple’s many suitors, the only one who she really respects, is Steven Benbow (Gagan). Benbow is an ambitious, altruistic defense attorney who will take on any case even if it’s pro bono and/or hopeless. The esteemed Judge Drake admires young Benbow’s spirit and he thinks the counselor would be the perfect husband for his granddaughter. While Gagan’s character loves Temple to a fault, he explains to the old man that she does not want to settle down and marry him. The movie cuts to our protagonist and a drunk college boy making out in a parked automobile outside a large mansion. When she stops necking and pushes his pawing mits away its clear that Temple is a tease. She runs into the house and proceeds to dance with several men, effectively spreading her alluring scent like a veil around the room. When the lothario who brought her to the party somehow persuades Ms. Drake to go for a drive and get some adult beverages, it’s difficult not to wonder at her bad judgment.
Not surprisingly, the inebriated boy wrecks his car out in the middle of nowhere. The couple is startled by two suspicious figures that come upon them from out of the woods. One of these unsavory characters is the notorious pimp and bootlegger called Trigger (La Rue). They are taken by gunpoint to a dilapidated old farmhouse deep in the woods. Her beau goes right inside but she stops dead in her tracks when spotting how many grubby men are inside. Having no choice because of a downpour, Temple is forced to seek shelter inside. All the gangmembers shoot leering, lascivious looks at their new female guest. While her boyfriend pounds alcohol, our heroine begins to panic as the men start to jockey for position. When her boyfriend gets knocked out cold it is surprisingly Trigger who keeps her from getting picked apart like raw meat. The leader yells for them to lay off and Temple goes with the farmer’s wife to secure some warm clothes.
The older woman starts out cold and unsympathetic toward Hopkins’ character, but as she recognizes how naive the young girl is, she takes pity on Temple and fixes her up in the barn for a good night’s sleep. Tommy (James Eagles), a simpleton member of the gang, takes a post outside the barn door with a rifle, presumably to keep our protagonist safe. Restless and scared, Temple barely gets any shuteye and she awakens to Trigger’s lustful gaze from the loft of the structure. The gangster shoots Tommy dead and advances on the girl despite her screams of protest. The rape seems to transform Hopkins’ character into a pliable zombie, easily influenced by the pimp and she begins to work for him in a house of ill repute.
When Benbow hears what Temple’s doing in the big city, he is incredulous. The attorney finds that much too his dismay, his beloved former girlfriend has in fact become a hooker. He confronts La Rue’s character in his office with Temple in attendance. Benbow chastises the bootlegger for what he’s doing to a respectable woman until Trigger has had enough. The presence of the lawyer shocks our heroine into embarassment and a realization that if she doesn’t do something fast, her pimp will kill him. Temple selflessly claims that she is at Trigger’s side willingly and that Benbow should go back home immediately because he’s not wanted. Seeing someone she cares about from her hometown shames Hopkins’ character and she attempts to leave to make amends. When it dawns on the gangster that Temple’s loyalty to him was all a ruse to save her friend, he begins to beat her and she is forced to shoot him in self defense.
Meanwhile, the farmer is falsely accused of the murder Trigger committed. Gagan’s lawyer takes on his defense and when he finds out that Temple is a friendly witness to the killing, he appeals to her sense of honor to do the right thing by coming forward. Wracked with guilt and fearing that she’ll be forced to testify about all the terrible things she’s endured, Temple initially resists but eventually relents to take the stand. Her testimony is the high point of the film and Hopkins is brilliant.
The Story of Temple Drake was nearly impossible to find in video form. I’m glad I eventually did. It is one of the best examples of the provocative nature of pre-code films. This picture exhibits several traits that distinguishes it from movies made following the strict enforcement of the Hays code. Drinking to excess, pervasive promiscuity, mysoginistic violence, and enough skin to shock a depression-era filmgoer. My favorite actress is Barbara Stanwyck but she is getting serious competition for my heart the more Miriam Hopkins performances I screen.
December 9, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I’ve seen this, but MAN the quality was abysmal. I don’t think I liked it nearly as much as you or Katie, but it’s certainly one of the most daring and down and dirty pre-code films. It’s a shame La Rue never made a big name for himself either, because he really has a dominant screen presence.
December 10, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Nice review James. I need to find this film. A second version of the Faulkner’s book was made in 1961 directed by Tony Richardson of “Tom Jones” fame. Lee Remick played Temple Drake. I happened to catch this on a cable station some years ago. Always wanted to see it because I think Lee Remick is incredible. I originally discovered the existence of this ’61 version a long time ago when I found a paperback copy of Faulkner’s book, a movie tie-in version, in a second hand bookstore.
Miriam Hopkins is amazingly sexy. A film your should catch is the 1931 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Hopkins and Fredric March. There is a incredible (there’s that word again) scene where see seduces Dr. J. A good film, which I personally feel, is better than the Tracy/Bergman version. Also worth seeing with her is Barbary Coast with Edward G. Robinson and Joel McCrea.
December 10, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Miriam Hopkins is definitely the goddess of Pre-code. Norma Shearer was good, but she had nothing on Hopkins, who was much more beautiful, sexy, and talented. This is definitely one of her best performances.
She was at her best in pre-code film, but she did find a place for herself after enforcement began. She was a gifted comedian. Her performance in Wise Girl is delightful. She gave a brilliant performance completely breaking type in These Three.
December 10, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Thanks, John. I’m not a big fan of Yves Montand so it would be difficult to swallow him in the rapist role. Love Remick, though. Funny you should mention Mamoulian’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. I just watched that film last night and loved it. Hopkins’ Ivy is completely memorable! The bare leg swaying back and forth off the bed in seduction. Priceless! MH is definitely gorgeousity incarnate. I have seen Barbary Coast and Hopkins is the best element in the film.
Katie: I’ll be doing a Hopkins thread soon @ RTGD.
December 11, 2008 at 9:55 am
I thought Montand was miscast in the “Sanctuary” which was only one of many problems with the film.
I have only seen about three of his other films all of which I did like “Z”, “La Guerre est finie” and “The Sleeping Car Murder”
December 11, 2008 at 12:46 pm
You’re doing a Miriam Hopkins thread soon? I was going to do one soon, too!
How soon are you going to do it? I’d say we should do it together, but I need to finish my music thread, and I’ve got a big pre-code project waiting in the wings.
December 11, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I was gonna do it for 12k. I’m @ about 11.8-9k right now. I just ordered four MH discs from ioffer.com yesterday so it wouldn’t be until I can watch them.
If we can’t do one together, maybe you can pick one we’ve both seen which you absolutely love and you can write a special guest essay or review!
December 11, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Montand was alright in Wages of Fear but how that dufus ever made it in show business I’ll never know. Didn’t he even date Marilyn Monroe?! Yeesh…
December 29, 2008 at 8:31 am
havent seen Temple Drake but you must must must check out King Vidor’s The Stranger’s Return also with Hopkins.
December 29, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Luis,
I did just see The Stranger’s Return two weeks ago. Hopkins really had her A-game going up against Barrymore. I thought all their interactions were delightful.
February 4, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Carlos Clarens called this “a film noir before its time”. For those who haven’t caught up with it you can watch it segment by segment on YouTube. Words cannot express just how much I love this film, it’s just utterly delicious in its pre-Code depravity. Beautifully shot by Karl Struss (who also did the camerawork for Mamoulian’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Island of Lost Souls, and Murnau’s Sunrise), it’s almost ridiculous that it’s not available to the mainstream public on DVD or cable. Clarens states that this film torpedoed Jack Larue’s career as a major actor, but knowing that George Raft turned it down I’m so glad Larue’s performance is there for posterity, because he’s outstanding as Trigger, so much better than Raft would’ve been. Hopkins is sexy as hell in this, just as she is in Jekyll & Hyde. Love her Southern accent, what a dish she was. There’s a clip of her with Claudette Colbert on YouTube from The Smiling Lieutenant, they’re singing a tune together entitled Jazz Up Your Lingerie. Highly recommended.
February 5, 2009 at 5:35 pm
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/vine/showthread.php?t=662351&page=2&highlight=chevalier
I have a review of The Smiling Lieutenant in my Miriam Hopkins thread @ rottentomatoes.com for anyone interested. That number w/ Hopkins and Colbert is one in a million. And yes, Ms. Hopkins was quite the dish.
February 15, 2009 at 12:36 am
What tickles me to death? The way Miriam pronounces the word “yes” in The Story Of Temple Drake. She doesn’t say “yes”, she says “yay-us”. Ooh.
February 17, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Hopkins always does some interesting things w/ word pronunciation in her Pre-Codes. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde she keeps calling the lead character Mr. J-ee-kyll.