Sadie McKee (1934) feature Joan Crawford as the title
character. The daughter of a cook, who works for a wealthy family, Sadie
has been raised quite happily with the scion of the house, Michael
Alderson (Franchot Tone). Newly returned from school, Michael
immediately alienates Sadie by criticizing her beau Tommy Wallace (Gene
Raymond). In anger, Sadie elopes with him to New York. However, before
their actual wedding, Tommy is lured off by stage singer Dolly Merrick
(Esther Ralston) to work in her act. While working in a club, Sadie
meets Jack Brennan (Edward Arnold), a very rich, but constantly drunk
gentleman who married Sadie on a whim, much to the disgust of his friend
and lawyer, Michael Alderson.
We really enjoyed this movie. It
is one that is rarely discussed, and seldom seem, which is unfortunate.
Given that Sadie spend the night with Tommy and is not punished, this
film certainly falls into the pre-code category. The scene is subtle,
but it is quite clear that Sadie has good reason to expect marriage the
next morning, and is truly devastated when Tommy betrays her. Another
interesting aspect to this film are the characterizations. Quite
honestly, with the exception of Dolly Merrick, there was something to
like about every character. Even Tommy is redeemed in the end. We were
particularly impressed with Sadie's relationship with her husband,
Jack. Her determination to see him back to sobriety and health because
"Mr. Brennan has always been good to me" shows us the essential kindness
of Sadie. But it is not just her goodness - take for example the
character of Phelps the Butler, here played by the every wonderful Leo
G. Carroll (in his first role, listed only as Leo Carroll). Phelps is
smuggling alcohol to Jack behind Sadie's back. In a rage, she fires him,
then discovers that Phelps thought he was helping his employer. Once
Sadie explains the situation, Phelps and every member of the staff vow
that no one will bring him booze.
Of course, the complicated
relationships of the movie all reach a satisfactory ending. And our Ms.
Crawford is truly wonderful as she takes on this ride into the
adventures of the kind Ms. McKee; a character one would love to meet
again! In this scene, Tommy serenades Sadie:
Dancing Lady, which stars Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, was
not the first time Ms. Crawford had danced, but it certainly put her in
with the most illustrious dancing company of her career. Her partner,
in his screen debut at MGM, is none other than the magnificent Fred
Astaire, playing himself. Of course, he would not continue with MGM,
moving over to RKO, where he would find fame with a remarkably better
dancer named Ginger Rogers. Crawford plays Janie Barlow, a would-be dancer who becomes involved with playboy Tod
Newton (Franchot Tone). Tod quickly falls in love with Janie, first
trying to help her career by getting her a job with Patch Gallagher's
(Clark Gable) new show; then sabotaging the show after he gets Janie to
promise to marry him if the show flops. Of course, Janie is a hit, and
Tod must give in gracefully.
As
with everything she does, Crawford attacks her dancing with a vengeance.
She is all arms and legs and ENERGY. When she dances with Astaire,
quite honestly, your eyes do keep moving over to Astaire, whose grace
and screen presence are already well in evidence. However, when she
dances alone, Crawford's joy is transparent. Even though she is not the
best in the world, she is fun. She makes you smile as you watch her.
Gable
is at his manly best as Patch. Witness the exercise scene with
Crawford. The sexual tension that bounces between the two of them is
transparent. (It's also very clear that this IS a pre-code film!) You
can feel the attraction through a screen (and through the many years).
With Tone (who would later become her husband), there is more of a
sibling relationship. It is interesting to note that Tone and Crawford
remained friends for life, and that Crawford actually looked after Tone
in his senior years when he was no longer able to care for himself.
Much like Grand Hotel, MGM
is showcasing some of there talent here. We have The Three Stooges
throughout the film (sorry, we are not fans, and could have lived
without them). Nelson Eddy briefly appears in the final play as
himself. And, of course, Astaire. Another nice surprise is Eve Arden
as an actress trying to land a part by affecting a southern accent. Any
time one gets even a peek at Eve Arden, it's a good day.
We
had actually seen this movie before - when we did the Precode series,
and I had blogged about it then. But, as with all good movies, each time
you see something a little different. This time, our concentration was
on Ms. Crawford. I hope we are not being redundant when we revisit a
movie! Here, we'll show you a scene without any music - just Crawford and Gable:
We hope to see you next time, with another early Crawford film.
Our latest movie is Grand Hotel, wherein Joan Crawford appears as Flaemmchen,
a stenographer who almost falls into a fate worse than death. Released
in 1932, this movie certainly falls into the Precode period. With
a stellar cast, that includes John and Lionel Barrymore, Greta Garbo,
Wallace Beery, and Jean Hersholt, the movie runs several different
plotlines that have all managed to intersect by the conclusion of the
film. Most famous as the source of Greta Garbo's most famous line ("I
want to be alone"), Grand Hotel is a showcase for MGM's biggest stars.
The
relationship of Crawford's Flaemmchen, John Barrymore's Baron, and
Lionel Barrymore's Kringelein is perhaps the most enjoyable part of the
movie. There is a real chemistry among the three, and watching the two
Barrymore brothers bounce off one another is a delight. We also get to
watch Crawford's character become infatuated with the Baron (who, of
course, is falling in love with the ballerina Grusinskaya
- played by Garbo). When we get to the conclusion, with Flaemmchen
falling into a temptation she finds almost impossible to resist, the
Baron getting into a predicament he cannot escape, and General
Director Preysing (Wallace Beery) finally getting his comeuppance, we
find ourselves mostly satisfied with the ending, if a little saddened by
its inevitability.
If you get the
opportunity to see the DVD of this film, do check out the excellent
mini-documentary that is included in the special features - it is a real
treat. This trailer will give you a look at all the stars:
As Dr.Otternschlag (Lewis Stone) tells us, "Grand
Hotel... always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever
happens." But of course, it does, and with life-changing effects. Next
time, join us for another star-studded Crawford film.
