This film is essentially a remake of the 1928 silent Sadie Thompson only with sound. Joan Crawford & Walter Huston recreate the roles of Gloria Swanson & Lionel Barrymore. The script is exactly the same story except that it is murkier because of all the rainy weather.<br /><br />Sadie Thompson (Crawford) is the woman of ill reputation who needs to be saved. This film centers around this story. She has escaped from San Francisco to an island where she is heading to Australia to escape a prison sentence for what she has done. The rest centers around her decision on what she decides to do.<br /><br />The photography in this is not quite as good as the original although the films are almost exactly the same length. Ms. Crawfords acting elevates this above being a standard remake & into a better film than some of the early talking films. This one helped launch her successful career.<br /><br />The story told by the film is solid enough that after only 4 years it was remade. One of the shorter times between remakes in American Film History.