ISLAND HISTORY: Rita Hayworth, Nancy Kwan, and France Nuyen acted on Kauai

ISLAND HISTORY: Rita Hayworth, Nancy Kwan, and France Nuyen acted on Kauai

The 1953 film “Miss Sadie Thompson,” with its exterior scenes filmed on Kauai, was based on William Somerset Maugham’s short story masterpiece “Rain,” first published in 1921. Actress Rita Hayworth (1918-87), in the starring role of Sadie Thompson, put forth a dynamic performance in “Miss Sadie Thompson,” despite having just recovered from a severe cold. Movie sets included a miniature Marine camp built at Kukuiula, and a hotel, a church, bar, h…