La faute de Madeleine Claudet

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.

Or words to that effect sprang from the snarling mouth of Helen Hayes, anonymous mother of Robert Young in this Award-winning old-timer. Having hit rock bottom, Madelon was caught picking a guy's pocket in a dive bar. As she was leaving he discovered the scam and began to chase her, whereupon she grabbed a beer bottle, smashed it on a table and uttered the defiant words above. The scene is worth the price of admission.

Helen Hayes?? The First Lady Of The American Theater?? Elwood P.Dowd's aunt in "Harvey"?? After I picked myself up off the floor, I realized why she was awarded Best Actress Oscar for her vivid portrayal of a 'fallen' woman who has bad luck and no luck with men. Predictably, she sacrifices everything for her son (Robert Young), who does not know her. Although this has since become a recurrent theme in Hollywood ("Stella Dallas", "Madame X", etc.), this may have been one of the first of it's kind. Helen Hayes puts it over in style in a bravura performance, winning an Oscar in 1931. Fans of the Golden Age, this one is a must.

The consummate Helen Hayes distinguishes this "fallen woman" film which would be only okay without her. The story resembles MADAME X, especially in the relationship between disgraced mother and clueless son. Starting as a farm girl in Normandy smitten with an American student (Neil Hamilton), Hayes progresses (or declines) to washerwoman, unwed mother, mistress to a wealthy crook (Lewis Stone), convict, high-class prostitute, streetwalker, aged derelict. She gets to play the spectrum of human emotions and vary her appearance from homely-wholesome to high glamour to harridan, from supreme confidence to abject humility. And she does it all with flying colors. Just as a study in good acting, this is worth a look. If anyone deserved an Oscar that year, it was she. And she got it.

The representations of prostitution are blatant, but no more so than in many other films of this period before the 1934 censorship clamp-down.

The Sin of Madelon Claudet opens with a beautiful view of the Eiffel tower and the Seine River. A women is contemplating leaving her husband, and suddenly, we are in a flashback, explaining how we had gotten to this point. Helen Hayes is Madelon Claudet, a single mother in Paris around 1900, fighting to get ahead in life. Viewers will recognize Alan Hale as Monsieur Hubert, playing -- a gruff, fat man that storms out of the room -- must have been a real reach for him... he did that in every movie he was in from 1911 - 1950. Also look for Lewis Stone as Carlo Boretti; he was the kindly Doctor in Grand Hotel. Robert Young, about 25 at the time, plays Madelon's son Lawrence Claudet in this film, only his second credited role. From the cast/crew list on IMDb, it also appears a lot of material was deleted. Other reviewers have said how this feels like a Barbara Stanwyck film, and I agree completely. Single woman up against the world, hitting bad luck around every corner. But, except for the last 2 minutes, it's not as silly, soapy as some have said; it tells a pretty good solid story, which probably happened pretty often back then (and still does). The version I saw on TCM actually had good quality sound and picture. The play "Lullaby" on which this is based, was written by the same guy that wrote "Kismet" in 1914 - Edward Knoblock.

The two leads were my main reason for seeing 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet'. Helen Hayes (am more familiar with her later roles, so seeing her as young as she is here was really interesting) was a truly fine actress and wholly deserving of being one of the few Triple Crown winners. Have also a high opinion of Lewis Stone and he specialised in the sympathetic, dignified parts that require authority. The subject matter, a bold one for the time, also interested.

Although it won't be, and isn't, for all tastes (with it being too melodramatic and stagy for some), 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet' struck me as a good and quite powerful film and handles its difficult subject well. It is not perfect by all means, but in regard to a lot of early talkies from this period there have been a heck of a lot worse with stage play to early film adaptations wildly varying in particular. One thing in particular is enough to make 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet' watchable at least.

Beginning with what isn't so strong, it is very melodramatic and some of the melodrama goes overboard later on. Particularly towards the end, which was like being drowned in syrup (am aware what it was trying to do, it was just too much for my tastes that's all).

Did find the dialogue too talk heavy and creaky and some of the pace could have been tightened.

Hayes however is an absolute revelation in a difficult role, and her Oscar was a deserving one. She is incredibly moving here while showing grit and determination, never did it feel stagy or over-acted to me. Her character also grows and matures, one that was rootable. Stone is sympathetic and dignity personified and the protectiveness is not over-bearing. Robert Young is suitably youthful and Jean Hersholt does noble very well. The direction didn't feel static or fatigued and plays to the actors' strengths.

Similarly found the message admirable and that it wasn't laid on too thick, also in a way still relevant today. It's very nicely filmed and the production values are not too simple or over-elaborate. Really admired its tackling of its brave subject and found much of the film poignant and far from sugar-coated, so serving its purpose well as a tear-jerker.

Concluding, not great but good and has power. See it primarily for Hayes. 7/10.