The Sin of Madelon Claudet

Parents-sacrificing-themselves-for-their-children's-happiness stories were a dime a dozen in the 1930s, and this one gave Helen Hayes, already known at the time for her stage work, a film vehicle in an attempt to lure her to Hollywood. It didn't take, and Hayes didn't go on to make many notable movies, but she did manage to win two Oscars for her film work, a supporting trophy in 1970 for "Airport," and, 39 years earlier, her first, a Best Actress award for "The Sin of Madelon Claudet."

The movie is standard melodrama stuff, relentless and shameless in its tugging of the heartstrings, but, like many Oscar-winning performances from the Academy's early years, it's easy to see why Hayes impressed voters at the time. The film's histrionics seem dated today, but Hayes is pretty good, and her acting style, much more natural than many of her contemporaries who still had one foot planted firmly in silent films, is refreshing. Toss in the fact that she physically transforms over the course of the movie from fetching young thing to broken down crone, and no wonder the Academy went for her. They still go gaga over that kind of stuff today.

Grade: B