Madame X (1937)

When her furious husband (Warren William) discovers she has been having an affair, a wife (Gladys George) begs for a second chance but her husband throws her out of the house and swears she will never see their son again. As the years pass, she turns to alcohol and leads a life of degradation. Based on the play by Alexandre Bisson and directed by Sam Wood (GOODBYE MR. CHIPS). Bisson's play has been filmed over ten times through out the world and in America alone it has been filmed six times. In addition to Gladys George here, the role has been played by Dorothy Donnelly (1916), Pauline Frederick (1920), Ruth Chatterton (1929), Lana Turner (1966) and Tuesday Weld (1972). It's a hoary old melodrama about mother love with a twist. On trial for murder, she is defended by the son (John Beals) she abandoned who doesn't know she's his mother! The success of this oft told tale falls on the shoulder of the actress playing Madame X and here Gladys George triumphs. She was fresh off a best actress Oscar nomination the year before and her knock their socks off performance here (you won't forget her big courtroom scene) suggested a major career ahead but it never happened, she was relegated to supporting work. With Ruth Hussey, Reginald Owen, Henry Daniell and Emma Dunn.