Sarah and Son

Arzner’s signature ubiquitously shines in this heart-wrenching melodramatic tale.

  • Director

    Dorothy Arzner

  • With

    Ruth Chatterton, Fredric March, Fuller Mellish Jr, Gilbert Emery

  • USA 1930. 86min

  • 35mm

This wrenching tale of a mother’s love finds Ruth Chatterton’s Austrian immigrant struggling to regain custody of her son after her husband sells him to a wealthy couple. Under Arzner’s direction, she earned wide acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Arzner intimately connects the world of performance to sex through her exploration of women’s careers on stage, and highlights the differing class associations of vaudeville and opera.

Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, and Jodie Foster, in cooperation with Universal Studios.

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