The Story of Temple Drake (1933) DVD-R

Starring Miriam Hopkins, Jack La Rue, William Gargan, William Collier Jr., Irving Pichel, Guy
Standing, Elizabeth Patterson
Directed by Stephen Roberts

Print: black/white
Runtime: 70 min.
Genre: drama
Print Quality: B

William Faulkner's bestseller Sanctuary was so taboo in some circles that Hollywood
couldn't even use the title when making the first film version. Thus, Paramount's adaptation
of Sanctuary went out as The Story of Temple Drake, fooling no one who could read. Miriam
Hopkins plays the title role, the promiscuous daughter of a Southern judge. Temple will do
anything for a thrill, which plays right into the hands of a gang of kidnappers. Coerced into a
pickup date at a roadhouse, Temple is held for ransom by the lascivious Trigger (Jack
LaRue) and his mob. She is raped by Trigger, whereupon she kills him. One of Trigger's
earlier murders is pinned on a hapless half-wit (Irving Pichel). Called to testify in the murder
trial by her former boyfriend (William Gargan), the prosecuting attorney, Temple not only
confesses to Trigger's killing, but proclaims to one and all that she secretly enjoyed the
rape. Even though this hot material was considerably toned down from the novel (where the
villain raped Temple with a corncob!), The Story of Temple Drake was one of many films
responsible for incurring the wrath of the "clean up Hollywood" brigades—resulting in the
restrictive Production Code of 1934. Sanctuary was remade under its original title in 1961.