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Sergeant Madden

  • 19391939
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
186
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Wallace Beery, Tom Brown, Alan Curtis, and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
  • Drama
A highly respected Irish cop is pleased when his son follows him onto the force. Unfortunately, the son is more interested in rewards than in upholding the law. When he shoots a child caught... Read allA highly respected Irish cop is pleased when his son follows him onto the force. Unfortunately, the son is more interested in rewards than in upholding the law. When he shoots a child caught stealing, the others frame him and he is sent to prison where his attitude becomes even w... Read allA highly respected Irish cop is pleased when his son follows him onto the force. Unfortunately, the son is more interested in rewards than in upholding the law. When he shoots a child caught stealing, the others frame him and he is sent to prison where his attitude becomes even worse than before.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
186
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Josef von Sternberg
  • Writers
    • William A. Ullman Jr.(story "A Gun In His Hand")
    • Wells Root(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Wallace Beery
    • Tom Brown
    • Alan Curtis
Top credits
  • Director
    • Josef von Sternberg
  • Writers
    • William A. Ullman Jr.(story "A Gun In His Hand")
    • Wells Root(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Wallace Beery
    • Tom Brown
    • Alan Curtis
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos13

    Wallace Beery, Tom Brown, and Alan Curtis in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Tom Brown and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Alan Curtis and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery and Fay Holden in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery and Fay Holden in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery, Tom Brown, Alan Curtis, and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Marlene Dietrich, Wallace Beery, and Josef von Sternberg in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery, Alan Curtis, and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)
    Wallace Beery and Laraine Day in Sergeant Madden (1939)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Wallace Beery
    Wallace Beery
    • Sgt. Shaun Maddenas Sgt. Shaun Madden
    Tom Brown
    Tom Brown
    • Albert 'Al' Boylan, Jr.as Albert 'Al' Boylan, Jr.
    Alan Curtis
    Alan Curtis
    • Dennis Maddenas Dennis Madden
    Laraine Day
    Laraine Day
    • Eileen Dalyas Eileen Daly
    Fay Holden
    Fay Holden
    • Mary Maddenas Mary Madden
    Marc Lawrence
    Marc Lawrence
    • 'Piggy' Cedersas 'Piggy' Ceders
    Marion Martin
    Marion Martin
    • Charlotte LePageas Charlotte LePage
    David Gorcey
    David Gorcey
    • Punchy LePageas Punchy LePage
    Donald Haines
    • Miltonas Milton
    Ben Welden
    Ben Welden
    • Henchman Stemmyas Henchman Stemmy
    Etta McDaniel
    Etta McDaniel
    • Dove - Madden's Maidas Dove - Madden's Maid
    John Kelly
    John Kelly
    • Henchman Neroas Henchman Nero
    Horace McMahon
    Horace McMahon
    • Philadelphiaas Philadelphia
    • (as Horace MacMahon)
    Neil Fitzgerald
    • Casey - Police Broadcasteras Casey - Police Broadcaster
    Dickie Jones
    Dickie Jones
    • Dennis Madden - as a Boyas Dennis Madden - as a Boy
    Drew Roddy
    • Albert Boylan Jr. - as a Boyas Albert Boylan Jr. - as a Boy
    Charles Trowbridge
    Charles Trowbridge
    • Commissioner in 1919as Commissioner in 1919
    George Irving
    George Irving
    • Police Commissioneras Police Commissioner
    • Director
      • Josef von Sternberg
    • Writers
      • William A. Ullman Jr.(story "A Gun In His Hand")
      • Wells Root(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film's initial telecast took place in Los Angeles Sunday 18 August 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11); it first aired in New Haven CT 8 October 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), in Altoona PA 22 October 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), in Peoria 26 October 1957 on WTVH (Channel 19), in Spokane 7 November 1957 on KHQ (Channel 6), in Lebanon PA 9 November 1957 on WLBR (Channel 15), in Philadelphia 23 November 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), in Norfolk VA 3 December 1957 on WTAR (Channel 3), in Honolulu 2 January 1958 on KHVH (Channel 13), in Chicago 31 January 1958 on WBBM (Channel 2), in Baltimore 9 February 1958 on WJZ (Channel 13), in Cincinnati 18 March 1958 on WXIX (Channel 19) (Newport KY), in Omaha 28 March 1958 on WOW (Channel 6), in Salt Lake City 2 April 1958 on KTVT (Channel 4), in Binghamton NY 21 April 1958 on WNBF (Channel 12), and in Indianapolis 26 April 1958 on WLW-I (Channel 13). Madden finally made it to New York City 23 July 1959 on WCBS (Channel 2), to San Francisco 26 September 1959 on KGO (Channel 7), and last, but not least, to Seattle 11 February 1960 on KING (Channel 5).
    • Goofs
      The ship shown arriving from Ireland with Eileen has smoke going into the smokestacks, indicating the footage of a ship departing and the film is being run in reverse.
    • Quotes

      Sgt. Shaun Madden: Aww... you shouldn't be kissing an old sheepdog like me.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening card: There is an unsung hero on our street to whom we owe our lives a hundred times, yet seldom know his name. He is the cop on the beat. This is the story of such a hero.. A policeman who chose between love for his son and devotion to duty.

    User reviews9

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    SERGEANT MADDEN (Josef von Sternberg, 1939) **1/2
    This is another atypical Sternberg film, his sole official effort at staid MGM; I TAKE THIS WOMAN (1940; which is to follow) was another assignment for that studio that would however be completed by other hands. Still, given the presence of Wallace Beery, I thought this would be a comedy-drama whereas it turned out to be a thriller with elements of both the gangster pictures then at their zenith and the soon-to-be in vogue noirs!

    That said, the film starts off in a sentimental vein as Irish copper – with traditional heart-of-gold – Beery offers to raise a slew of orphaned or abandoned babies. The catch is that, when they grow up, the kids would cause all sorts of trouble for him: two are in love but another claims the girl (Laraine Day) for himself and, while the latter (Alan Curtis in the kind of role John Garfield would come to specialize in) follows in father's footsteps, his impatience for promotion sees him antagonize a notorious gangster (Marc Lawrence) who had learned to respect Beery and eventually turn criminal in his own right! The latter aspect links the film with his earlier (UNDERWORLD [1927], THUNDERBOLT [1929]) and later (MACAO [1952]) phases and, while MGM was best-known for producing wholesome, entertainment-oriented fare, they did churn out the occasional hard-hitting picture over the years. Beery, too, could be serious and schmaltzy and here he mixes the two to reasonable satisfaction.

    Though, as I said, Sternberg was unable to invest the proceedings with his trademark style, the film does incorporate an effective montage sequence (courtesy of Peter Ballbusch, who had worked for the director on his masterpiece i.e. THE SCARLET EMPRESS [1934]) depicting Curtis' 'road-to-ruin'.
    helpful•2
    0
    • Bunuel1976
    • Mar 10, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 24, 1939 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Neznani junaci
    • 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 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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