Sadie McKee (1934)

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

John Meehan (screenplay)
Viña Delmar (story)

Release Date:

9 May 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The life of Sadie McKee takes many twists and turns. She starts as the daughter of the cook for the well off Alderson family...

Plot Keywords:

Millionaire | Alcoholic | Cook | New York City | Landlady

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Sadie McKee
Gene Raymond	...	Tommy Wallace
Franchot Tone	...	Michael Alderson
Edward Arnold	...	Jack Brennan
Esther Ralston	...	Dolly Merrick
Earl Oxford	...	Stooge
Jean Dixon	...	Opal
Leo G. Carroll	...	Phelps - Brennan's Butler (as Leo Carroll)
Akim Tamiroff	...	Riccori - Cafe Owner
Zelda Sears	...	Mrs. Craney - Landlady
Helen Ware	...	Mrs. McKee
Gene Austin	...	Cafe Entertainer on Piano
Coco and Candy	...	Cafe Entertainers (as Candy and Coco)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Second Butler - at Downstairs Meeting (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Intern with Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
Nellie Bly Baker	...	Downstairs Laundress (uncredited)
Jack Baxley	...	Short-order Cook (uncredited)
Barlowe Borland	...	Brennan's Servant (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Second Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Dr. Taylor - with Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
James Burke	...	First Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Frederick Burton	...	Uncle Snowden (uncredited)
Candy Candido	...	Candy of 'Coco and Candy' - Bass Player (uncredited)
Mabel Colcord	...	Brennan's Cook (uncredited)
Frank Conroy	...	Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
Nick Copeland	...	Automat Diner (uncredited)
Eva Dennison	...	Aunt Sara (uncredited)
Florence Dudley	...	Chorus Girl in Cafe (uncredited)
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Alderson (uncredited)
Helen Freeman	...	Brennan's Maid (uncredited)
Ethel Griffies	...	Woman in Subway (uncredited)
Otto Heimel	...	Coco of 'Coco and Candy' - Guitar Player (uncredited)
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Dr. Branch (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Tiffany Salesman (uncredited)
Mimi Lawler	...	Downstairs Maid (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Brennan's Second Doctor (uncredited)
Tom Mahoney	...	Policeman at Marriage Bureau (uncredited)
Charles Hill Mailes	...	Uncle Ben (uncredited)
Francis McDonald	...	Joe, Alderson's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Brennan's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Wyndham Standing	...	Alderson's Butler (uncredited)
Gertrude Sutton	...	Brennan's Swedish Maid (uncredited)
Richard Tucker	...	Dr. Patrick - with Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Brennan's Cook's Assistant (uncredited)
Billie Van Every	...	Chorus Girl in Cafe (uncredited)
Walter Walker	...	Mr. Alderson (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Skinny Waiter (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Pest in Cafe (uncredited)

Directed by
Clarence Brown

Writing credits
John Meehan		(screenplay)
Viña Delmar		(story "Pretty Sadie McKee") (as Vina Delmar)

Produced by
Lawrence Weingarten	....	producer

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh		(photography)

Film Editing by
Hugh Wynn

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Dorian	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Fredric Hope	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Art Wilson	....	mixer (uncredited)

Music Department
William Axt	....	musical synchronization (as Dr. William Axt)
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Lucille Day	....	stand-in: Joan Crawford (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Australia:G | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Part of this movie is used as the golden oldie Joan Crawford is watching as Blanche Hudson in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Quotes:

Sadie McKee Brennan:[showing off her bedroom] Here it is.
Opal:Lady, when you say, "I do take thee," how you take him.
Sadie McKee Brennan:[chuckles]
Opal:Got this all to yourself?
Sadie McKee Brennan:Yep, all to myself.
Opal:Always all to yourself?
Sadie McKee Brennan:Yep.
Opal:Well, a whole lot of us do a whole lot more for a whole lot less.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Joan Crawford" (1962)

Soundtrack:

After You've Gone

Satisfying and trim

I'm a big fan of the Crawford oeuvre, in all its permutations and occasional excesses. That said, her Sadie is refreshingly underplayed and sincere. The mid-Atlantic accent that she tended to is at a minimum here, and there is a fluidity that is in much contrast to the Greek tragic masks, riveting though they are, of some of her later performances. The wonderful Jean Dixon is on hand in a role that is a precursor to Eve Arden's pal of "Mildred Pierce" and "Goodbye My Fancy"--worldly, rueful, self-denigrating. (Mary Phillips took on a similar part in "The Bride Wore Red" several years later.) Esther Ralston does a fine job as the blowsy, sensuous man-stealer--at one point she practically does a Mae West with her intonations and stance. Solid performances also from Franchot Tone and Gene Raymond and the always-reliable, under-appreciated Edward Arnold. The very engaging Earl Oxford appears as "the Stooge" and one wonders why this charmer did not have a film career.

The story is serviceable, and there is a motif of characters' taking responsibility for their lives, and, as best they can, making amends for wrongs. Note that at the start and end of the film there are scenes in which the camera follows a character from one room to the next in such a way that you realize that there is not any real partition between the two rooms--an enjoyable little breaking of the "fourth wall" premise of theater.