Sarah and Son

The first half of the title role in Sarah And Son is played by Ruth Chatterton who got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The second part of the title is done by young Philippe DeLacy who plays her son who was untimely ripped from Chatterton by his father Fuller Melish who in his third of three pictures plays a no good rat of a husband.

Melish who died untimely right after Sarah And Son was finished actually sells their young kid off to a wealthy American family for money and he then promptly takes off. It's unfortunate he died because he had a bright future playing all kinds of cad roles. Chatterton is shattered by this, but she picks herself up and becomes a great opera star from her humble days in French music hall. She also finds out where her son is and sets her sights on his return.

Enter Fredric March in one of his early roles. He's the brother of Doris Lloyd who now has custody of DeLacy who naturally thinks she's his real mother. But March is also an attorney with a sense of justice and he kind of fancies Chatterton anyway.

Chatterton despite attempting a Fifi D'Orsay type French accent registers well as the distraught mother. So does March although the film is clearly Chatterton's. The film is melodramatic and dated and allowances should be made there.

Still for fans of Chatterton and March I recommend it.