The Story of Temple Drake (1933)

 Stephen Roberts' "The Story of Temple Drake"


Stephen Roberts' 1933 film "The Story of Temple Drake" is one of those pre-code films that is often pointed to as being one of the more controversial of the era. Mind you, it is not controversial for any reason other than its dark subject matter. It stars Miriam Hopkins as a young southern belle who gets kidnapped and raped by a brutal gangster. For this very reason, the film was censored and even removed from theaters. 

I found the film to be controversial for its own sake. I didn't find much of the story to latch on to. Miriam Hopkins does a wonderful job in the film and the twists and turns the film takes sparks relative interest. That being said, there is not really much to chew on. It's got intrigue, sure. But, I probably won't be thinking too much about the picture after watching. 



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