Sadie McKee ***½ (1934, Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Gene Raymond, Edward Arnold, Esther Ralston, Helen Ware) – Classic Movie Review 4951

MGM’s 1934 romantic film Sadie McKee stars Joan Crawford, who dominates this sleek and glossy soap opera, improbably cast as a luckless young lady. Bette Davis said: ‘She’s slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie.’

Director Clarence Brown’s 1934 romance film Sadie McKee stars Joan Crawford, whose commanding presence dominates this sleek and glossy soap opera, in which she improbably plays a luckless young lady.

She is Sadie McKee, a servant girl working as a housemaid to a wealthy family, whose mother (Helen Ware) encourages her to flirt with the heir (Franchot Tone) to the family. But Crawford loves the no-good Gene Raymond, who breaks her heart when he takes up with a blues singer (Esther Ralston). Edward Arnold is a standout as the kindly eccentric tycoon whom Crawford is forced to wed.

Crawford’s innate presence and glamour shine out among the tear-jerking trauma of her romances, and she is abetted by the swirlingly romantic plot and expert direction. With her charismatic performance, she carries off a superior show admirably, ably smoothed along by a couple of good songs, including Raymond’s rueful rendition of ‘All I Do is Dream of You’.

Also in the cast are Earl Oxford, Jean Dixon, Leo Carrillo and Akim Tamiroff.

Sadie McKee is directed by Clarence Brown, runs 89 minutes, is made and released by by MGM, is written by John Meehan (based on the story Pretty Sadie McKee by Viña Delmar), is shot in black and white by Oliver T Marsh, is produced by Lawrence Weingarten, and is scored by William Axt.

Crawford and Tone were married from 11 October 1935 to 11 April 1939, when they divorced. Bette Davis said of her: ‘She’s slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie.’

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 4951

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com