Desire

1936 · United States · 90 min

Director: Frank Borzage
Screenplay: Samuel Hoffenstein, Edwin Justus Mayer, Waldemar Young
Producer: Ernst Lubitsch
Music: Friedrich Hollaender
Cinematography: Charles Lang, Victor Milner

What the critics say

100 % Rotten Tomatoes positive reviews

Cast

Gaston Glass

What it is about

Madeleine de Beaupré, a glamorous young woman of questionable morals, pulls off an elaborate con at a Parisian jeweler, leaving two men mistaken about her identity and her husband. Fleeing by car toward the Spanish border, she crosses paths with Tom Bradley, an American automotive engineer enjoying a well-earned European holiday before returning home to Detroit. Their relationship grows more complicated as they travel toward San Sebastián, where she must decide between her past and the life she is beginning to imagine with him. The comedy blends romance, intrigue and crime in a light, playful tone.

How it was made

The project was adapted from the play Die Schönen Tage von Aranjuez by Hans Székely and Robert A. Stemmle, and it serves as a remake of the 1933 German film Happy Days in Aranjuez. The screenplay was written by Samuel Hoffenstein, Edwin Justus Mayer and Waldemar Young, and the production was credited to Ernst Lubitsch, who directed some scenes while Frank Borzage was busy with a prior commitment at Warner Bros. John Gilbert was first cast as Carlos Margoli, a planned comeback role, but after a heart attack in his dressing room he was replaced by John Halliday. Shooting combined Paramount Studios and the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, with location work in France and Spain, which was unusual for the period. The score was composed by Frederick Hollander, and the cinematography was shared by Charles Lang and Victor Milner.

Reception and legacy

Critics responded warmly. Graham Greene, writing for The Spectator, called it the best film Dietrich had made since leaving Germany and praised Cooper's performance as one of his best. The New York Post was equally enthusiastic, admiring the blend of acting, brisk direction and sharp dialogue, although it acknowledged that the plot was conventional. Dietrich later said it was the only film she had no reason to be ashamed of, and the picture also proved a box-office success.