The Sin of Madelon Claudet

1931
Passed
1h 15m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

1.2K

YOUR RATING

Helen Hayes in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931)

Crime Drama Romance

Out of jail for a crime she did not commit, Madelon turns to prostitution and thievery to send her illegitimate son to medical school.Out of jail for a crime she did not commit, Madelon turns to prostitution and thievery to send her illegitimate son to medical school.Out of jail for a crime she did not commit, Madelon turns to prostitution and thievery to send her illegitimate son to medical school.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

1.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins total

Trivia
According to 'When the Lion Roars',Irving Thalbergand his producers were previewing films one night, and he asked to see this one. Told it was hopeless, he asked to put it on anyway. After watching it, he remarked that it wasn't bad; the main thing to do was change the last seven minutes. Retakes were done, andHelen Hayeswent on to win the Oscar for the part.

Goofs
When Madelon is at the theater bar having a drink with a patron, the bartender gives the man his change of 42 French francs, and she takes the money while threatening to make a scene in front of his wife. But after the man lets her take the Francs, he angrily asks her if she also wants the pennies. Since they are in France, the correct word would have been centimes.

Quotes
Madelon Claudet:You know, it's the queerest thing. When I was a little girl, Father Matthew used to say to us children, "You pay for everything - everything in this life." And last night when we were dancing, I thought of him, and I laughed to myself and said, "What an old fool you are, Father Matthew..." But he was right. And I'm paying.

Connections
Featured inSome of the Best(1944)

Soundtracks
Waltz No. 15 in A-flat major Op. 39
(1865) (uncredited)
Written byJohannes Brahms
Played during the opening credits and at the end

User reviews32

Review

Featured review

8/10

Great performance by Helen Hayes

Helen Hayes is well worthy of the Oscar she won for her performance in this one. The role required her to play a young lover, single mother, wealthy socialite, prisoner, prostitute, and beaten-down old woman, and she did so brilliantly. I found her beautiful and a great actor, particularly at a time when overacting was the norm. The scene where she responds with a humorous puffy facial expression to a question about what someone is like is priceless. Her suggestions of lasciviousness using only her eyes are also great; while the movie is pre-Code and has a suggestive title, it's quite tame. We're all rooting for because she's been driven to such depths quite unfairly, and because she's made the incredible sacrifice of separating herself from her son, so that he can pursue being a doctor, unencumbered by her shame, which back then would have stopped him. It leads to a pretty syrupy ending, but was balanced for the most part, and the supporting cast is also strong.