Produced by Ross Hunter, Written by Alexandre Bisson (play), Directed by David
1966
Starring: Lana Turner
John Forsythe
Madame X is an American drama film based on the 1908 play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson.
The story: A lower class woman, Holly Parker (Turner), marries into the rich Anderson family. Her husband’s mother (Constance Bennett) looks down on her and keeps a watchful eye on her activities. Due to her husband’s frequent and long trips abroad, Holly forms a relationship with a well-known playboy (Ricardo Montalbán). When her lover accidentally dies, and only her mother-in-law knows she is innocent, the latter blackmails her into disappearing into the night during a planned boat trip, leaving her husband (John Forsythe) and young son (Teddy Quinn) thinking she has died.
She then slowly sinks into depravity all over the world, only to be brought back to America under false assumptions by a “friend” (Burgess Meredith) who plans on blackmailing her family. When she realizes that the man intends to reveal who she is to her son, she shoots the man to stop him. The police arrest her and, refusing to reveal her identity, she signs a confession with the letter “X.” As fate would have it, the court assigns a defense attorney who happens to be her long-lost son (Keir Dullea). Wiki
Miss Back In The Day USA (An AmericaOnCoffee Blog) 
I recall going to see that movie with my mother. I think I cried in the end.
There is a painting by John Singer Sergeant called Madame X.
So heartfelt. This movie always make me cry. …It’s a tear jerker from beginning to the end. No matter the years that go by, I learn something new from watching it. %-\
Jon Singet Sargent’s Madam X although a female socialite, us different from the Madam X film. Do review at the trailer. This is one great old movie.
Just watched the trailer. Looks like an excellent movie. Lots of classic film stars.
It is!
OMG!! This is one of my all-time favorite tearjerkers! I thought, how coldblooded of the mother-in-law and the end scene always gets me. Lana at her melodramatic best!
Spellbinding film. I love the original and the remakes.
Me too!
He was in a series called Bachelor Father. I just googled the series. An interesting thing about it is that it started on CBS, then went to NBC, and then landed on ABC. It won the trifecta!
Madam X is such a tear jerker. Any person who watches will end up crying.