After her lover (Neil Hamilton) returns to America and is railroaded by his family into marrying a more suitable woman, French farm girl Madelon Claudet (Helen Hayes) gives birth to their illegitimate son. By becoming the mistress of the wealthy Carlo Boretti (Lewis Stone)--who unknown to Madelon is a jewel thief--- she is able to send money to the friends who are caring for the little boy.
A few years later, just as Carlo---who has known about Madelon's child's existence all along---is about to marry her and bring the youngster to live with them, his real identity as a jewel thief is discovered. Rather than go to jail, Carlo shoots himself, leaving Madelon unable to prove that she was not his accomplice. Convicted, she is sent to prison for ten years.
Upon her release from prison, Madelon wants to spare her son the shame of having a "jailbird" mother, so she allows him to be told that she has died. Wanting to do all she can to give the boy a good future, Madelon falls into prostitution, providing her earnings to a friend who sees to it that the young man goes to medical school. Years later, when Madelon is very old and sick and her son (now played by Robert Young) is a successful doctor, their paths cross again.
The Sin of Madelon Claudet is definitely worth seeing. While the subject matter (illegitimate children) is, of course, dated, the story of a mother's sacrificial love is timeless. Helen Hayes---in what is essentially her film debut---is brilliant in her portrayal of Madelon, and that is not just my opinion. The Academy thought so too, for Miss Hayes' performance graced her with a Leading Actress Academy Award win. Also worthy of mention is Lewis Stone's performance, as well as the work of the makeup artist. The job of aging Miss Hayes, who was 30-years old at the time of filming, was spectacularly done. I highly recommend this film and am going with 4 stars on it.
Out on DVD, this film ought to be fairly easty to track down. I do hope you get a chance to see it.
Happy viewing!