IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
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.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins total
Reginald Barlow
- Public Assistance Official
- (uncredited)
Ed Brady
- Merchant Seaman
- (uncredited)
Nora Cecil
- Nasty Prison Nun
- (uncredited)
Frankie Darro
- Larry Claudet - as a Boy
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Edward Knoblock
- Ben Hecht(uncredited)
- Charles MacArthur
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to 'When the Lion Roars', Irving Thalberg and 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, and Helen Hayes went on to win the Oscar for the part.
- GoofsWhen 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.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Some of the Best (1949)
- SoundtracksWaltz No. 15 in A-flat major Op. 39
(1865) (uncredited)
Written by Johannes Brahms
Played during the opening credits and at the end
Featured review
Tour-de-force by Helen Hayes
Talk about a tour-de-force! I lost track of how many times I said to the television screen, "Give her her Oscar!" while watching The Sin of Madelon Claudet. Everyone knows how critical I am of the Academy Awards, but Helen Hayes absolutely deserved her Best Actress trophy. In her first talking picture, she's given an incredible range of situations and emotions, and she convinces everyone that they're watching her life instead of her performance.
Helen starts the film as a good girl, but gets corrupted by an evil male influence. Her boyfriend Neil Hamilton convinces her to run away from home and live in sin with him, but when he's called away to America to care for his sick father, she fears he'll never return. He doesn't, and Helen has a baby. In a touching scene full of more realism than you'd expect in 1931, Helen refuses to hold her newborn, muttering, "I wish it were dead." One of the nurses places the baby in Helen's arms, and Helen looks upon her child. She falls in love, and for the rest of the film, she sacrifices everything for her son.
From refusing to give up her child so she can make a respectable marriage, to becoming wealthy Lewis Stone's mistress, everything she does is for her child. She hides her son on the side while living the high life with Lewis, coming to visit him secretly and supporting him with pocket money Lewis gives her. That arrangement doesn't last long, unfortunately, and Helen is forced to live through many more tragedies before the end of the movie.
The Sin of Madelon Claudet is a cautionary tale for good little girls. Your life can be ruined by running off with your boyfriend and living in sin. While that message feels a little melodramatic by today's standards, it's actually still true. One little mistake that feels harmless or exciting at the time can lead to an unbearable chain of events; perhaps the timelessness is what makes this film a classic. Helen's performance is fantastic, and you'll get to see Robert Young in one of his first parts, the one that propelled him to stardom. You'll also get to see Alan Hale, Charles Winninger, and Jean Hersholt in small roles. And who would have thought the usually tired Lewis Stone would play someone incredibly sweet and romantic?
Helen starts the film as a good girl, but gets corrupted by an evil male influence. Her boyfriend Neil Hamilton convinces her to run away from home and live in sin with him, but when he's called away to America to care for his sick father, she fears he'll never return. He doesn't, and Helen has a baby. In a touching scene full of more realism than you'd expect in 1931, Helen refuses to hold her newborn, muttering, "I wish it were dead." One of the nurses places the baby in Helen's arms, and Helen looks upon her child. She falls in love, and for the rest of the film, she sacrifices everything for her son.
From refusing to give up her child so she can make a respectable marriage, to becoming wealthy Lewis Stone's mistress, everything she does is for her child. She hides her son on the side while living the high life with Lewis, coming to visit him secretly and supporting him with pocket money Lewis gives her. That arrangement doesn't last long, unfortunately, and Helen is forced to live through many more tragedies before the end of the movie.
The Sin of Madelon Claudet is a cautionary tale for good little girls. Your life can be ruined by running off with your boyfriend and living in sin. While that message feels a little melodramatic by today's standards, it's actually still true. One little mistake that feels harmless or exciting at the time can lead to an unbearable chain of events; perhaps the timelessness is what makes this film a classic. Helen's performance is fantastic, and you'll get to see Robert Young in one of his first parts, the one that propelled him to stardom. You'll also get to see Alan Hale, Charles Winninger, and Jean Hersholt in small roles. And who would have thought the usually tired Lewis Stone would play someone incredibly sweet and romantic?
helpful•111
- HotToastyRag
- Apr 17, 2019
- How long is The Sin of Madelon Claudet?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Lullaby
- Filming locations
- Paris, France(opening establishing shot - archive footage)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 15 minutes
- Color
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Top Gap
By what name was The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) officially released in Canada in English?
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