Sadie McKee (1934)

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:

Alcoholic | Cook | Millionaire | Unemployment | Melodrama

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:

Part of this movie is used as the golden oldie Joan Crawford is watching as Blanche Hudson in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Quotes:

Sadie McKee Brennan: [showing off her bedroom] Here it is.
Opal: Lady, when you say, "I do take thee," how you take him.
Sadie McKee Brennan: [chuckles]
Opal: Got this all to yourself?
Sadie McKee Brennan: Yep, all to myself.
Opal: Always all to yourself?
Sadie McKee Brennan: Yep.
Opal: Well, a whole lot of us do a whole lot more for a whole lot less.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne

I need to see more of Franchot Tone

I had never heard of "Sadie McKee" before I saw it on Turner Classic's schedule and decided to Tivo it even though I'm not much of a Joan Crawford fan. I'm so glad I did. I think of 1934 as the start of the "code" period, but this is clearly pre-Code material. Not realistic in the modern sense, but more complex and human than I expected.

The real revelation to me was Franchot Tone as Michael, in whose aristocratic home Sadie grew up as the daughter of the cook. I have seen Tone in a number of other films -- "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" come to mind -- but I think I need to seek out some more of his films. In "Sadie McKee," he displayed more emotional range and acting technique than I had ever before seen from him. I understand that he and Crawford were married for awhile after this film was completed. It's easy to imagine the attraction.