WiseRatFlames An unexpected masterpiece

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

utgard14 Gritty Pre-Coder, adapted from a much grittier William Faulkner novel, about a trampy Southern girl named Temple Drake (Miriam Hopkins) who makes all the wrong choices, one of which leads to her being kidnapped and raped by a violent thug named Trigger (Jack La Rue). Tough stuff but fascinating to watch, as the best Pre-Code films are. Great performances from La Rue and Hopkins, as well as William Gargan as the idealistic lawyer who loves Temple. Nice direction from Stephen Roberts and beautiful cinematography from Karl Struss. Worth a look for any fans of Pre-Code films. Yes, it's watered down from the novel but it still pushes the envelope on what was allowed in movies at the time.

SnoopyStyle Stephen Benbow (William Gargan) is an idealistic defense lawyer who is in love with Temple Drake (Miriam Hopkins). She is a southern belle wild child and a tease. Her granddad Judge wants her to go with Stephen but she can't seem to marry the straight laced Stephen. She leaves a party with the drunken Toddy who crashes the car. They're taken by bootleggers. Soon she's in fear of the lowlife criminals and the drunken Toddy is useless. She is raped by the well dressed killer Trigger (Jack La Rue). He kidnaps her as his kept woman. Stephen investigates Trigger for a murder and finds Temple. She pretends to be Trigger's woman to send Stephen off.The controversial salacious content is pre-code. There is some violence and a lot of suggested sexuality. It's actually effective as a noir style movie. The surprising thing is that it's still very watchable. The acting isn't always the best. William Gargan is a bit stiff. Miriam Hopkins is playing it very melodramatically as is usually the case of this era. It works in this melodrama. Jack La Rue is great as the quietly threatening villain.

BG43214 I've read and heard about this movie since way back when I was in high school...1959!!!.....Was so pleased to finally get to see it, and in such a beautiful print!!! on TCM..I was never much of a Hopkins fan, but you have to admit, this was truly an 'Oscar'-caliber performance!!!! Too bad this country is full of hypocrites; back then as well as now!! But then, that's how it was back then, which was too bad........I was amazed that TCM gave it a '14' rating.......what for? there is no visible rape; it's only implied.My only gripe was Florence Eldridge; she was made up to NOT look like the character she was supposed to be; she looked more like some glamorous dame who just changed into a frumpy house dress; actually, the more I think about it, the more jarring her appearance was, and in a very small way, detracted from my enjoyment of this movie!!!.......I am going to watch it again after reading others' comments on this site!! On a side note, I detested the National Legion of Decency; how arrogant to think that they & only they could determine what the 'little people' should see on the screen!!!! preposterous!!!!.........thank goodness times have changed...........

Neil Doyle THE STORY OF TEMPLE DRAKE is a racy pre-code melodrama shot in low-key shadowy photography that keeps the atmosphere tense with electricity. MIRIAM HOPKINS gives an earnest performance as the victimized lady in the title role. Despite the fact that the film seems like a condensation of the William Faulkner novel with its brief running time, she makes a fully developed character out of Temple Drake.AL LA RUE sneers at the camera in every close-up to make sure we know he's the villain of the piece and is given to extravagant bits of overacting in the process. As the embittered woman who loves him, FLORENCE ELDRIDGE does an impressive job as a harridan.Censorship obviously prevented the filmmakers from giving us a really in depth version of the story, but it manages to get its points across effectively even though the tale has been toned down for the screen.Others in the cast are less impressive than Miss Hopkins who does the central role effectively.WILLIAM GARGAN, looking impossibly youthful, has a courtroom scene where his lipstick make-up is accented to the max before it suddenly disappears for the next shot. Apparently make-up on male actors was still in the primitive stage in the early '30s.