Sadie McKee (1934)

76% of users liked it
(174 ratings)

MGM's Sadie McKee is a superb example of how the "committee" system of moviemaking in the 1930s could sometimes yield unexpected delights. It all begins when Sadie McKee (Joan Crawford) is brought to big bad old New York by glib vaudevillian Tommy (Gene Raymond), only to be unceremoniously dumped in… More MGM's Sadie McKee is a superb example of how the "committee" system of moviemaking in the 1930s could sometimes yield unexpected delights. It all begins when Sadie McKee (Joan Crawford) is brought to big bad old New York by glib vaudevillian Tommy (Gene Raymond), only to be unceremoniously dumped in favor of actress Dolly (Esther Ralston). Cast adrift, our Sadie lands a nightclub job, where she meets genially intoxicated millionaire Brennan (Edward Arnold). Accepting his drunken marriage proposal, Sadie must endure the slings and arrows of Brennan's friends and family, who consider her a gold-digger. Meanwhile, Sadie's former boss Michael (Franchot Tone), the one true love of her life, waits and waits and waits to see what's really on the girl's mind! And as a bonus, this is the film that introduced the peppy ditty "All I Do Is Dream of You". The labyrinth plotline of Sadie McKee is proof enough that more than one screenwriter had a hand in its creation: but instead of chaos, the film is irresistibly watchable, full of unexpected plot twists and marvelous little surprises. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Clarence Brown
Written By: John Meehan, Viña Delmar
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: May 9, 1934 Wide
On DVD: Feb 12, 2008
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A quintessential Joan Crawford vehicle of the Depression era, this melodrama centers on a working-class femme (cook's daughter) and the three men in her life: bad boy lover Gene Raymond, rich boy Franchot Tone, and drunken millionaire Edward Arnold.

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Featured Audience Ratings

William D

It's so strange that almost no one today knows about the extraordinary early career of Joan Crawford. She was America's leading lady in the 1930s and made an incredible number of wonderful little movies in that decade -- several gems per year, many with Clark Gable. I… More
It's so strange that almost no one today knows about the extraordinary early career of Joan Crawford. She was America's leading lady in the 1930s and made an incredible number of wonderful little movies in that decade -- several gems per year, many with Clark Gable. I stumbled upon movies like 1934's "Sadie McKee" while in the process of exploring Bette Davis's early movies. Now I know why Davis had such a bee in her bonnet when it came to Crawford: Davis was envious of Crawford all through the early 1930s. Crawford was the legend that Davis so wanted to become. It's sad today that while Davis's movies are still seen, most of Crawford's aren't even available on disc! Tragic. Everyone remembers Crawford, but more for the sideshow that her personal life became and for the performances she gave after her rediscovery in "Mildred Pierce" (1945). No one watches her early movies. There's so little demand for them that most aren't even pressed on disc. "Sadie McKee" has some problems, particularly when it comes to story structure. While it's a bit jumbled and tries to be too many things, it's also entertaining as hell and has some sublime moments that seem to stop time. I kept imagining myself in a theater in 1934 watching this gem flickering in the dark. Imagine going back in time to see movies in theaters in the 1930s, when cinema was still so fresh and new, still being invented. It gives me goosebumps. Watching Joan Crawford's early work has made me fall in love with the movies all over again.
jay n

Rags to riches with Joan, the clothes are phenomenal the film dated.