The Sin of Madelon Claudet

• OSCAR WINNER:
• Best Actress - Helen Hayes

Movies often visit the theme of a mother’s love, but few match the poignancy and power of 1931's "The Sin of Madelon Claudet." Renowned “First Lady of the American Theatre” Helen Hayes makes her Hollywood debut a most memorable one, winning the "Best Actress" Academy Award for her portrayal of an abandoned young mother whose devotion to her child and desperate sacrifices to provide for him lead her into harlotry.

Charles MacArthur, Hayes' husband, provides the screen adaptation of this sympathetic tale of a woman whose only sin was loving too much.