The White Sister is a 1933 romantic drama film produced by Victor Fleming and starring Clark Gable and Helen Hayes. It was based on the 1909 novel by F. Marion Crawford. It was previously filmed in 1923, with Lillian Gish and Ronald Colman.
Lillian Gish is the daughter of a rich Italian count who is killed in a fall from his horse. Though Lillian stands to inherit a large estate, her older half-sister burns the will and thus inherits the property herself, throwing Lillian into poverty. Fortunately, she is engaged to marry the dashing officer Ronald Coleman, but he is captured by Arabs on an expedition to Africa. Dedicating her life to his memory, Lillian becomes a nun, unaware that her lover has escaped his captors and returning to Italy! The climax takes place against a backdrop of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Written by Ed Lengel
The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 27 September 1909 and closed on 6 November 1909 after 48 performances. The opening night cast included William Farnum as Giovanni and Viola Allen in the female lead. Allen played the same role in the 1915 version of the movie.
Sarah Padden is in casting call lists for the role of "Frau Elsatz," but she was not seen n the movie. Pre-production items in Film Daily and the Hollywood Reporter list Sidney Toler and Sidney Blackmer as cast members, but they were not seen in the movie either.
This was the first movie that Clark Gable wore a mustache.
