The Story of Temple Drake

The Story of Temple Drake is a 1933 PreCode drama film adapted from the highly controversial novel Sanctuary by William Faulkner. Though watered down, the movie was still so scandalous, it was one of the reasons for the introduction of the Hays Code. It starred Miriam Hopkins as a wild Southern woman who falls into the hands of a gang led by the brutal Trigger, played by Jack La Rue.

Temple Drake, a frivolous young woman from a prominent Mississippi family, is raped and forced into prostitution by Trigger, a backwoods bootlegger, after Trigger shoots and kills a boy who tries to protect her. Another backwoodsman is charged with the murder. When Temple tries to leave Trigger, he becomes angry and is apparently about to assault her, so she grabs his pistol and shoots him, then flees back home to her family. An idealistic lawyer eventually persuades Temple to tell the truth about the first murder on the witness stand and save the defendants life, even though her testimony will disgrace herself. According to PreCode scholar Thomas Doherty, the film implies that the deeds done to her are in recompense for her immorality.The relatively upbeat ending of the film is in marked contrast to the ending of Faulkners novel Sanctuary, in which Temple perjures herself in court, resulting in the lynching of an innocent man. ........

Source: Wikipedia