Sadie McKee (1934)

A working girl's fortunes improve when she marries into money, but happiness is not so easily won.

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

John Meehan (screen play), Viña Delmar (based on a story by)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Gene Raymond, Franchot Tone

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Sadie McKee Brennan
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 Finnegan (as Leo Carroll)
Akim Tamiroff	...	Riccori
Zelda Sears	...	Mrs. Craney
Helen Ware	...	Mrs. McKee
Gene Austin	...	Cafe Entertainer
Candy Candido	...	Candy of 'Coco and Candy' - Bass Player
Otto Heimel	...	Coco of 'Coco and Candy' - Guitar Player

Storyline

The life of Sadie McKee takes many twists and turns. She starts as the daughter of the cook for the well off Alderson family. Lawyer Michael Alderson likes Sadie but she runs off to New York City with boyfriend Tommy to get married. Before they get married, Tommy takes up with show girl Dolly and deserts her. Sadie stays in New York and becomes involved with Michael's boss, millionaire Brennan. She marries the chronically alcoholic Brennan for his money. Michael views her as a golddigger at first, but then sees her help Brennan beat his alcoholism. Sadie leaves Brennan to try and find Tommy when she hears that her old flame is in trouble. Little does she know just how much trouble.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | millionaire | cook | alcoholic | automat | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abenteuer einer schönen Frau

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's trailer contains clips from scenes not found in the finished film. The first clip shows Sadie talking with Michael in his office. Sadie is wearing the same outfit she wears when she visits Tommy in the hospital but whether it comes before or after that scene is unknown. The second clip (shown at the end of the trailer) shows Sadie in her sparkling evening gown sitting on a couch talking with her head thrown back, presumably taking place after the events at the club (involving Dolly, Jack etc.). Also featured is an alternate take of the confrontation between Sadie and Dolly in the club dressing room when Dolly says, "But I never sold myself for money".

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Quotes

Sadie McKee Brennan: Tommy, look, corned beef hash and pouched egg, for 30 cents.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth 3 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Home, Sweet Home
(1823) (uncredited)
Music partly composed, and arranged by H.R. Bishop from a Sicilian air
Played by Gene Austin, Candy Candido and Otto Heimel

User Reviews

The stuff that Joan is made of...

It's easy to see why films like this made Crawford the idol of millions of young women across the country. It's the epitome of a "vehicle".....a film designed to display all the talents of a star and make audiences fall for them. As in many of her early films, she begins at the bottom...the daughter of the cook for a wealthy family including Tone. She gets a hot scene right off the bat when she angrily defends her boyfriend, who is being derided by the aristocrats at the table, by telling them all off (this moment actually brings to mind Emily Watson's similar, yet much more subdued, scene in "Gosford Park".) Soon she and lover Raymond are off to NYC. This section is fascinating as it portrays the way diners were in that era. There's an astonishing coffee dispenser that is shown in one scene and the Automat is quite interesting to behold (not to mention the corned beef hash and 2 poached eggs for $0.35!) Circumstances progress to where she is working in a dance hall (and showing some positively scary legs! It amazing how times have changed in that, today, a similar dancer would have to have sticks for legs and breasts out to there, etc....) Here she becomes associated with a drunken millionaire (Arnold) who takes a major shine to her. Fortunately, for the viewer, she sticks with him, so she can wear an array of dazzling Adrien gowns and furs. Ultimately, each of the men in her life (Tone, Raymond, Arnold) presents her with a variety of conflicts and decisions....all of which she handles with the utmost nobility and grace. She is photographed magnificently throughout with her amazing profile and luminescent eyes featured repeatedly. It's a good thing the film is in black and white because she'd be too much to deal with in color! Everyone knows that Hurrell retouched his amazing portraits of her, but here she looks quite wonderful with just make up and good lighting. The plot is creaky and contrived and the film is just plain out of date, but it's great to see Joan in action in her quintessential role and there's a decent performance from Arnold and nice work by several other supporting players including Hitchcock favorite Carroll. One fun thing to watch for: As a precursor of the later, more antagonistic Crawford, Joan gets fed up with a nightclub singer, barks at her to "Shut up!" and shoves her backwards into a trunk! Fun stuff.