Expert: Mel - 6/6/2006

Question
Its a black & white movie, maybe 1940's or 50's. Its about a woman who spends her life looking for her child. She loses jobs, has a abusive marriage and still searches for her son. In the end, she's an old woman dying in the hospital and asks the doctor to hold her hand and I believe she asks him to be her son she was looking for.And the doctor says he has a mother somewhere too. Its then that you realize that HE is the son and the woman dies.

Answer
Hello Kathy,

Sorry if you got an earlier message with a negative response. I accidentally hit the wrong button.

Now, the film you describe sounds very similar to an MGM film from 1931 called "The Sin of Madelon Claudet". It starred Helen Hayes and Neil Hamilton, with Robert Young as the son. Helen Hayes actually won the Oscar for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" for her part in this film.

The basic storyline was as follows:

"French country girl Madelon falls for artist Larry, who leaves her after she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son she initially rejects. She finds help from jewel thief Carlo, but he commits sucide when the police try to arrest him. Madelon is arrested and receives a ten year term in prison for assisting him in his profession. When she gets out, she arranges for her son, who now thinks his mother is dead, to go to medical school. But she has to turn to prostitution and thievery to pay for it. In the end, she meets her son who is now a doctor, but doesn't realise who she really is."

Does that sound like the film you remember?  I've tried to find out if there was a 1940's or 50's re-make, but i could find no evidence of one.

Glad to be of help. Cheers........Mel.