Desire (1936)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Hans Székely (play) and
Robert A. Stemmle (play) ...

Release Date:

11 April 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Crime

Tagline:

LOVE WAS HER PRECIOUS LOOT! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

An automotive engineer bound for a holiday in Spain meets a sultry jewel thief.

Plot Keywords:

Pearls | Spain | Engineer | Jewel Thief | Vacation

Cast

Marlene Dietrich	...	Madeleine de Beaupre
Gary Cooper	...	Tom Bradley
John Halliday	...	Carlos Margoli
William Frawley	...	Mr. Gibson
Ernest Cossart	...	Aristide Duvalle
Akim Tamiroff	...	Avilia, Police Official
Alan Mowbray	...	Dr. Maurice Pauquet (mistakenly listed in end credits as Dr. Edouard Pauquet)
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Aunt Olga
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George MacQuarrie	...	Clerk With Gun (scenes deleted)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Customs Official (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

The Pearl Necklace

Runtime:

89 min | USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1831)

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Ernst Lubitsch directed some scenes because of Frank Borzage's prior commitment at Warner Bros.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ed Wood (1994)

Soundtrack:

I'm Driving a Bronson 8

unbelievable plot but well-executed

First, I give kudos to both the camera man as well as the makeup artists. They did an exceptional job in presenting Ms. Dietrich--she's as pretty as I've ever seen her in a film. While I have never been a fan of her work and never found her particularly attractive, they make the absolute most of what she's got in this film. She did appear appropriately tantalizing and her acting was excellent. Maybe I need to see a few more of her films so I might re-appraise her work.

The plot is very hard to believe--not so much as having Dietrich play a jewel thief, but that she would steal and destroy Gary Cooper's car and he wouldn't be a lot more angry about it! In fact, soon they are both head-over-heels in love!! I remember the last time some lady hit my car (she didn't even steal it)--I was much more likely to punch the lady in the nose than fall her her! Oh well, that's Hollywood of the 1930s. If you suspend disbelief about this, the rest of the film is a very entertaining romance. Plus, the end of the film will surely satisfy everyone. It's a very good effort only hampered by a few difficult to swallow story devices.