The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931)

[moira finnie]

The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) is one more variation on Madame X, (rewritten for Hayes by her husband, Charles MacArthur), but it won an Oscar for Helen Hayes (even she couldn't figure out why), since she sinned and then spent the entire movie suffering for it while her son grows up to be a stuffier than usual Robert Young, though it's not his fault he's a clueless doctor. Young's selfish wife (Karen Morley) is lectured about being a demanding minx by Jean Hersholt (who would do the exact same thing--again--to spoiled Myrna Loy in Men in White three years later). Why wouldn't the production code people like this?

I saw it a few months ago and liked Lewis Stone as a raffish crook who takes Madelon under his grey-haired wing, but best of all was the strange coupling of Marie Prevost and Cliff Edwards as the least likely French provincial couple ever. They take in Madelon's love child for a time, until Marie has to deliver some bad news to Madelon in prison. Marie, apparently struggling with her weight (she's cute when she's round) and the pop-eyed Cliff (sans his usual ukulele) make the most of their strange casting, though they can't save this one, the two of them bring some amusing moments to the proceedings. The Sin of Madelon Claudeton TCM on Wed. Feb. 9 at 2:30 AM ET. Does anyone know why--other than the publicity surrounding Helen Hayes as a "great lady of the stage" this movie might have been Oscar bait? See what you think.

It just dawned on me that Hayes also got an Oscar for her most insufferable role decades later as the jet liner stowaway in Airport (1970). Wonder why no one thought to give her an Oscar for one of her better performances as the Dowager Empress in Anastasia (1956)? Go figure.

[JackFavell]

I've never really understood the greatness of Helen Hayes, but of course I never saw her on stage. As for Lunt and Fontanne, I've seen The Guardsman once - in the middle of the night when I was young and dramatic and I thought that they and it were sublime. I don't know if they would still be so magical for me - I just got a copy recently and haven't had a chance yet to watch it. I thought they would never ever play it on TCM, and the week after I got my own copy, it was on. Of course.

I am looking forward to watching The Sin of Madelon Claudet, if only for Marie Prevost... there has been a lot of talk about her on the boards this week, and I would love to see her in this. Chubby or thin, she was a cutie, and had a way with a line that makes me laugh. I can't wait to hear her voice with Cliff Edwards'. I cannot remember the rest of this movie at all, except for the mother-son situation.

[charliechaplinfan]

I quite liked this movie. I'm quite fond of Helen Hayes too although she seems frail and ethereal, a successor to Lilian Gish but with less star quality. I liked Lewis Stone in this one, someone else who is often overlooked.