Desire (1936 film)

Desire is an American romantic drama film released in 1936 and directed by Frank Borzage. It was produced by Borzage and Ernst Lubitsch. The picture is a remake of the 1933 German film Happy Days in Aranjuez. The screenplay was written by Samuel Hoffenstein, Edwin Justus Mayer and Waldemar Young based on the play Die Schnen Tage von Aranjuez by Hans Szkely and Robert A. Stemmle. The music score was composed by Frederick Hollander and the cinematography was shot by Charles Lang and Victor Milner. Marlene Dietrichs wardrobe was designed by Travis Banton.

The film tells of Madeleine de Beaupre Marlene Dietrich, a devious jewel thief. After stealing a string of pearls from jeweler Aristide Duval Ernest Cossart, de Beaupre flees Paris. She leaves a trail that implicates psychiatrist Dr. Pauquet Alan Mowbray. As she heads for the Spanish border, she nearly runs into Tom Bradley Gary Cooper, an American auto mechanic vacationing in Europe. De Beaupre spots Bradley again at the Spanish customs. Shes worried that the pearls will be found in her handbag, so she slips them into Bradleys pocket. After they make their way through inspection, de Beaupre flirts with Bradley in an attempt to get the pearls back. Bradley is too shy to respond so she gets his attention by trying to repair the engine of her car with a hammer. De Beaupre lures Bradley to the San Sebastian estate of her partner in crime, Carlos Margoli John Halliday. It doesnt take long for Tom to figure out what de Beaupre and Margoli are up to. Yet, Bradley also knows that hes fallen for de Beaupre, and hes willing to go along as long as hes near her.John Gilbert was initially cast as Carlos Margoli, which was to be his comeback role. He had a heart attack in his dressing room a few weeks later and was immediately replaced by John Halliday. A few days later, Gilbert died of alcoholinduced heart failure. Some of the scenes in the film were directed by Ernst Lubitsch whilst Frank Borzage was fulfilling a prior commitment at Warner Bros. The film was shot at Paramount Studios and at the Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, California and, unusual for its time, on location in France and Spain. ........

Source: Wikipedia