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IMDbPro

Sadie McKee

  • 19341934
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Joan Crawford in Sadie McKee (1934)
  • Drama
  • Romance
A working girl's fortunes improve when she marries into money, but happiness is not so easily won.A working girl's fortunes improve when she marries into money, but happiness is not so easily won.A working girl's fortunes improve when she marries into money, but happiness is not so easily won.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Clarence Brown
  • Writers
    • John Meehan(screen play)
    • Viña Delmar(based on a story by)
    • Carey Wilson(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Joan Crawford
    • Gene Raymond
    • Franchot Tone
Top credits
  • Director
    • Clarence Brown
  • Writers
    • John Meehan(screen play)
    • Viña Delmar(based on a story by)
    • Carey Wilson(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Joan Crawford
    • Gene Raymond
    • Franchot Tone
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos19

    Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford, Edward Arnold, Akim Tamiroff, and Franchot Tone in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford and Gene Raymond in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford and Gene Raymond in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford and Edward Arnold in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford, Edward Arnold, and Franchot Tone in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford and Gene Raymond in Sadie McKee (1934)
    Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone in Sadie McKee (1934)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joan Crawford
    Joan Crawford
    • Sadie
    Gene Raymond
    Gene Raymond
    • Tommy
    Franchot Tone
    Franchot Tone
    • Michael
    Edward Arnold
    Edward Arnold
    • Brennan
    Esther Ralston
    Esther Ralston
    • Dolly
    Earl Oxford
    Earl Oxford
    • Stooge
    Jean Dixon
    Jean Dixon
    • Opal
    Leo G. Carroll
    Leo G. Carroll
    • Phelps
    • (as Leo Carroll)
    Akim Tamiroff
    Akim Tamiroff
    • Riccori
    Zelda Sears
    Zelda Sears
    • Mrs. Craney
    Helen Ware
    Helen Ware
    • Mrs. McKee
    Gene Austin
    Gene Austin
    • Cafe Entertainer
    Candy Candido
    Candy Candido
    • Cafe Entertainer
    • (as Candy and Coco)
    Otto Heimel
    • Cafe Entertainer
    • (as Candy and Coco)
    Norman Ainsley
    • Second Butler - at Downstairs Meeting
    • (uncredited)
    Hooper Atchley
    Hooper Atchley
    • Intern with Dr. Briggs
    • (uncredited)
    Nellie Bly Baker
    • Downstairs Laundress
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Baxley
    • Short-Order Cook
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Clarence Brown
    • Writers
      • John Meehan(screen play)
      • Viña Delmar(based on a story by)
      • Carey Wilson(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      One of the first films to treat alcoholism as a serious problem, instead of a comic device.
    • Goofs
      When Tommy is in his hospital room he makes Dr. Briggs promise not to tell Sadie of his condition. However, when Dr. Briggs leaves the room, Sadie is there with the other doctors and she already knows. Dr. Briggs then says, "He made me promise he wouldn't tell her." This dialog obviously makes no sense and is wrong. What he meant to say was, "He made me promise not to tell her."
    • 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.

    • Connections
      Featured in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
    • Soundtracks
      All I Do Is Dream Of You
      (1934) (uncredited)

      Music by Nacio Herb Brown

      Lyrics by Arthur Freed

      Played during the opening credits

      Sung by Gene Raymond three times

      Sung also by Earl Oxford in a show

    User reviews21

    Review
    Top review
    The stuff that Joan is made of...
    It's easy to see why films like this made Crawford the idol of millions of young women across the country. It's the epitome of a "vehicle".....a film designed to display all the talents of a star and make audiences fall for them. As in many of her early films, she begins at the bottom...the daughter of the cook for a wealthy family including Tone. She gets a hot scene right off the bat when she angrily defends her boyfriend, who is being derided by the aristocrats at the table, by telling them all off (this moment actually brings to mind Emily Watson's similar, yet much more subdued, scene in "Gosford Park".) Soon she and lover Raymond are off to NYC. This section is fascinating as it portrays the way diners were in that era. There's an astonishing coffee dispenser that is shown in one scene and the Automat is quite interesting to behold (not to mention the corned beef hash and 2 poached eggs for $0.35!) Circumstances progress to where she is working in a dance hall (and showing some positively scary legs! It amazing how times have changed in that, today, a similar dancer would have to have sticks for legs and breasts out to there, etc....) Here she becomes associated with a drunken millionaire (Arnold) who takes a major shine to her. Fortunately, for the viewer, she sticks with him, so she can wear an array of dazzling Adrien gowns and furs. Ultimately, each of the men in her life (Tone, Raymond, Arnold) presents her with a variety of conflicts and decisions....all of which she handles with the utmost nobility and grace. She is photographed magnificently throughout with her amazing profile and luminescent eyes featured repeatedly. It's a good thing the film is in black and white because she'd be too much to deal with in color! Everyone knows that Hurrell retouched his amazing portraits of her, but here she looks quite wonderful with just make up and good lighting. The plot is creaky and contrived and the film is just plain out of date, but it's great to see Joan in action in her quintessential role and there's a decent performance from Arnold and nice work by several other supporting players including Hitchcock favorite Carroll. One fun thing to watch for: As a precursor of the later, more antagonistic Crawford, Joan gets fed up with a nightclub singer, barks at her to "Shut up!" and shoves her backwards into a trunk! Fun stuff.
    helpful•16
    5
    • Poseidon-3
    • Apr 19, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 9, 1934 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Vackra Sadie McKee
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Joan Crawford in Sadie McKee (1934)
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    By what name was Sadie McKee (1934) officially released in Canada in English?
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