michelboudot-48990 Badly directed...overplayed by most except Hopkins and guy standing....the rest amateurish..looks like a silent movie wanting to talk..LaRue awful actor..cartoon like..so sad ..they showed this film at a festival somewhere..people were rolling in the aisle..and this is Faulkner.not funny at all..in my words a disaster...has aged very very badly

bill_golden I was surprised to see this listed in the schedule on TCM, and being somewhat of a Faulkner buff, thought I would give it a try. This film is based, a bit loosely, on the novel Sanctuary. I found Miriam Hopkins to be quite effective as the title character, although to our contemporary eyes she looks to be closer to 30 than the teenager she is in the book. Several of the names have been changed from the original source for whatever reason, hence Popeye in the book becomes "Trigger", well-played by a sinister-looking Jack LaRue. Temple's father in the book is a prominent judge, while here it's her grandfather. I thought the exterior set design of the dilapidated mansion (The Old Frenchman's Place) and surrounding woods were authentically done. Does anyone else think the ending was a bit abrupt?

NicML Based loosely on Faulkner's novel Sanctuary(but watered down), this film is a Southern Gothic tale of a spoiled southern belle named Temple Drake(Miriam Hopkins)who is the town tease, and loves to get all the local boys hot & bothered, only to leave them cold. One night with one of her beaus, they are involved in a car accident that leaves them stranded at a house where there's bootlegging going on, with an assorted lot of bootleggers,getting drunk. The head of them,a gangster from the city named Trigger(Jack La Rue)sees Temple,wants her as his, and nothing will stop him. The morning after, with Temple having a restless night in the barn, being guarded by Tommy(James Eagles), the feeb.She is trapped like a rat by Trigger, who kills Tommy, and then rapes her. Trigger then hauls Temple off to the city, to Miss Reba's place, a brothel, and she becomes his sex slave. Temple is so shell shocked by the rape, she stays there with Trigger, until an old beau, Stephen (William Gargan)who is defending Lee Goodwin(Irving Pichel) in the death of Tommy, comes looking around for Trigger. Stephen can't believe his eyes that Temple has taken up with Trigger,and wants to bring her back home. Temple then acts the part of a fallen woman, when she sees Trigger getting ready to kill Stephen, saying that she wants to be with Trigger. After Stephen leaves, Temple decides it's the best time to get out of there, but Trigger starts to beat & assault her again, she then shots Trigger dead, and goes back home. Back home, Temple has to take the stand and clear Lee Goodwin in Tommy's death.The whole cast is great, the best parts are the brothel scenes,which are so hot one could fry an egg on them. I really enjoyed the performance of Jack La Rue, who's Trigger is so hot & so sleazy, it's perfect. Also the fact that this film raises profane thoughts in one's head, that Temple may have enjoyed the rape(the very end of the film), makes this film one of the best of the pre-code era.

Larry41OnEbay-2 "Good god, I can't publish this. We'd both be in jail." Wrote William Faulkner's publisher in 1929 after reading an early version of his fifth novel, Sanctuary. The Hays Office forbade any reference to the novel in advertising for the film. (In the opening credits of The Story of Temple Drake it only says, "From a novel by William Faulkner.")The challenge then was how to present it in an engaging if not entertaining movie without gutting the inherit drama of the story. By blending what they could show with what the audience was left to imagine it becomes a near horror film. Joseph Breen, would say it was "the vilest books, but that the film was tame in comparison to the novel."This steamy melodrama triggered church boycotts and stricter enforcement of the Hays production code. After only a few screenings, the film was quickly shelved by the Production Code Administration, never to be seen again…until now.A few collectors' 16mm prints have surfaced over the years, but a 35mm print hasn't been seen since the 1930s. So why did it take until now? The Museum Of Modern Art (MoMA) was approached by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) to work on a collaboration. This long sought-after title came up, and fortunately the MoMA holds the original elements and in excellent condition! This print of Temple Drake that we are screening is only a single generation away from the original camera negative, making this a true rediscovery that is not to be missed!The pivotal role of Temple Drake was entrusted to Miriam Hopkins, best known for Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise & Design for Living. But Hopkins seizes the opportunity to extend herself as a performer, arguably her finest performance. The role itself is much more complex than many of the parts offered to women in studio films today. George Raft was suspended by Paramount for his refusal to appear as "Trigger" in this film. Paramount head Adolph Zukor's reasoning that Raft turned down the part not because he objected to the material, but because he wanted more money.I first read about it in books on films of the 1930s, later I heard about it in documentaries on Pre-Code Hollywood. When I finally saw this forbidden film it was no gem. Like many of you I first saw Temple on VHS made from a worn 16mm collectors print years ago. It ranked as one of the worst transfers I had ever seen, almost unwatchable. But there was something there, to the story and the characters that drew me into the fuzzy darkness on the screen. The raising of ideas, situations and life mysteries that I found fascinating. Kind of like Dr. Jekyll wanting to know more about Hyde (another great Pre-Code Miriam Hopkins film.) But this screening is of the MoMA "To Save and Project" film preservation program and is a recently printed 35mm print made from the original negative that played to rave reviews at last years TCM Film Festival.One of the most daring Pre-Code films ever produced, this audacious film has been credited with being a catalyst for the creation of the Roman Catholic Church's National Legion of Decency. It was banned in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and Joe Breen ordered the film to never be re-released again once the Production Code came into effect in June of 1934. For many classic film fans, 1933's "The Story of Temple Drake" has long been something of a holy grail. Based on William Faulkner's novel, "Sanctuary", the story of a young Southern débutante with a wild side created a huge scandal upon its original release. The film was quickly pulled from release and went largely unseen for decades. Until now. Showing in a new 35mm print struck from the original camera negative!Georgia native Miriam Hopkins portrayed Temple Drake, (she made this film between Lubitsch's TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932) and DESIGN FOR LIVING (1933)) The gangster is played by pop-eyed Jack LaRue in another of his great Pre-Code sleaze-bag performances.(This is only part 1 of 2, Continued…)