Sadie McKee (1934)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

John Meehan (screenplay)
Viña Delmar (story)

Release Date:

9 May 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The life of Sadie McKee takes many twists and turns. She starts as the daughter of the cook for the well off Alderson family...

Plot Keywords:

Cook | New York City | Millionaire | Alcoholic | Rival

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Sadie McKee
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 - Brennan's Butler (as Leo Carroll)
Akim Tamiroff	...	Riccori - Cafe Owner
Zelda Sears	...	Mrs. Craney - Landlady
Helen Ware	...	Mrs. McKee
Gene Austin	...	Cafe Entertainer on Piano
Coco and Candy	...	Cafe Entertainers (as Candy and Coco)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Second Butler - at Downstairs Meeting (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Intern with Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
Nellie Bly Baker	...	Downstairs Laundress (uncredited)
Jack Baxley	...	Short-order Cook (uncredited)
Barlowe Borland	...	Brennan's Servant (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Second Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Dr. Taylor - with Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
James Burke	...	First Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Frederick Burton	...	Uncle Snowden (uncredited)
Candy Candido	...	Candy of 'Coco and Candy' - Bass Player (uncredited)
Mabel Colcord	...	Brennan's Cook (uncredited)
Frank Conroy	...	Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
Nick Copeland	...	Automat Diner (uncredited)
Eva Dennison	...	Aunt Sara (uncredited)
Florence Dudley	...	Chorus Girl in Cafe (uncredited)
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Alderson (uncredited)
Helen Freeman	...	Brennan's Maid (uncredited)
Ethel Griffies	...	Woman in Subway (uncredited)
Otto Heimel	...	Coco of 'Coco and Candy' - Guitar Player (uncredited)
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Dr. Branch (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Tiffany Salesman (uncredited)
Mimi Lawler	...	Downstairs Maid (uncredited)
Edward LeSaint	...	Brennan's Second Doctor (uncredited)
Tom Mahoney	...	Policeman at Marriage Bureau (uncredited)
Charles Hill Mailes	...	Uncle Ben (uncredited)
Francis McDonald	...	Joe, Alderson's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Brennan's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Wyndham Standing	...	Alderson's Butler (uncredited)
Gertrude Sutton	...	Brennan's Swedish Maid (uncredited)
Richard Tucker	...	Dr. Patrick - with Dr. Briggs (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Brennan's Cook's Assistant (uncredited)
Billie Van Every	...	Chorus Girl in Cafe (uncredited)
Walter Walker	...	Mr. Alderson (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Skinny Waiter (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Pest in Cafe (uncredited)

Directed by
Clarence Brown

Writing credits
John Meehan		(screenplay)
Viña Delmar		(story "Pretty Sadie McKee") (as Vina Delmar)

Produced by
Lawrence Weingarten	....	producer

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh		(photography by)

Film Editing by
Hugh Wynn

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Dorian	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Fredric Hope	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Art Wilson	....	mixer (uncredited)

Music Department
William Axt	....	musical synchronization (as Dr. William Axt)
Nacio Herb Brown	....	composer: songs
Arthur Freed	....	composer: songs
Wayne Allen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Lucille Day	....	stand-in: Joan Crawford (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1934) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Many people who are in studio records/casting call lists as cast members did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Alice Mae (Secretary at Michael's), Sam McDaniel (Red Cap), William Welsh (Conductor), Doris Kemper (Nurse) and Eugene Borden (Ship's Bugler)

Quotes:

Opal: Feeling better?
Sadie McKee Brennan: Yes, thanks to you.
Opal: You're gonna find out about men - -the tripe.
Sadie McKee Brennan: No, thanks. Not interested.
Opal: Swell. They come to my dump to get taken, see? And if you're smart...
[to woman in subway]
Opal: Am I talking loud enough?
Sadie McKee Brennan: I'm kind of sick of men.
Opal: Oh, you're crazy. They've got what we want, all of it. And every gal has her price. Yours ought to be high.
[to woman on subway]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Soundtrack:

Temptation

Carrying the Torch

Joan Crawford acts up a storm in this well done, interesting soap opera like story of working girl Sadie, daughter of a cook, who is madly in love with a loser named Tommy (played by Gene Raymond). Sadie and Tommy run off together to NYC where they soon take up residence in this shabby, one-room apartment. The next day, big plans for job hunting and a noon appointment at the city hall to get married, but unfortunately for Sadie, Tommy the Rat is thrown in the path of a bad blonde/singer named Dolly who hires him on the spot to sing in her act, they kiss and run off together leaving poor Sadie waiting at the so-called altar. But Sadie pulls herself up by her boot straps, gets a job as a dancer, and meets a multi-millionaire (Edward Arnold) with a big drinking problem, while still holding the torch for her beloved Tommy.

This film is quite a good one, the story completely held my interest, and the acting is top-notch with Joan Crawford giving out her full emotional range, Edward Arnold is excellent playing drunk for the majority of his scenes, and Esther Ralston does a good job as Dolly, the loose hipped, barely able to sing man-snatcher. Franchot Tone plays a lawyer, the son of the well-to-do home where Sadie was raised - he isn't given as much to do here as I would have liked but still gives a satisfying performance, and he certainly looks handsome enough, as usual. The film includes a few fun to watch musical numbers, plus some interesting scenes filmed in diners and a neat old-time Automat.