"Desire" is a caper comedy that is mostly fun to watch just for the stars - Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper. The plot is a nice far-fetched story that lends itself well to close up enjoyment of the lead actors in their characters. The cast has just a few more actors, but only one more meaty role - that of John Halliday as Carlos Margoli. The rest of the supporting cast are mostly in the first several minutes of the film, but they add some very good humor. Alan Mowbray as Dr. Maurice Pauquet and Ernest Cossart as Aristide Duvalle have one very funny scene. It was all set up however, by Dietrich's character.
This movie is made for lots of screen time with just Dietrich as Madeleine de Beaupre, and Cooper as Tom Bradley. They start out apart and wind up together. Then apart, and then together.
After the introductory scenes of the two leads - Cooper in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., and Dietrich in Paris, France, their improbable meeting starts the fun rolling in the next scene. She is a female con-artist fleeing across Southern France with a string of priceless pearls, and he is an automotive engineer on vacation driving casually towards Spain. It appears that they meet somewhere around the Pyrenees Mountains.
Dietrich is every bit her glamorous self in this film, and Cooper is more of his boyish character of some of his early films. But his innocence here is not also one of naivete. Instead of many people with parties, night life and so much more, "Desire" has mostly pastoral settings with scenic drives and vistas and a villa in the mountains.
As the two leads bump into each other and then have humorous separations more than a couple times, a romantic attraction begins. The question in one's mind (one can't always guess the outcome of a Dietrich film correctly), is will this story lead to a love strong enough for Dietrich to cut the ties to her past. Can she shuck the glamorous life of high society and thievery in Europe for the home life of Detroit?
Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
Carlos Margoli, "You're not trying to double-cross me, by any chance?" Madeleine de Beaupre, "Don't be vulgar." Margoli, "I'm sorry. My close association with lawyers has altered me."
Carlos Margoli, "This is a fine mess. And all this work for nothing. No, we must get those pearls back. Now who was this man?" Madeleine de Beaupre, "An American." Margoli, "Now, that's a great help. He ought a be easy to find. There are only about a hundred million Americans. What was his name?" Madeleine, "I don't know." Margoli, "Good! Now we won't be hampered in our search by knowing his name. What did he look like?" Madeleine, "He was tall." Margoli, "Hmm. One more little clue like that and we ought to have him in our hands. Any other distinguishing traits?" Madeleine, "Well, he seemed to be a man of very good taste - he liked me."
Carlos Margoli, "Didn't I tell you never to mix love with business?" Madeleine de Beaupre, "Don't be absurd, Carlos. This man interests me as much as you do. That should satisfy you."
Magistrate, "That's not your marriage license." Tom Bradley, "Oh, yes it is." Looking at it, he turns to Madeleine and says, "It's your parole."
This movie is made for lots of screen time with just Dietrich as Madeleine de Beaupre, and Cooper as Tom Bradley. They start out apart and wind up together. Then apart, and then together.
After the introductory scenes of the two leads - Cooper in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., and Dietrich in Paris, France, their improbable meeting starts the fun rolling in the next scene. She is a female con-artist fleeing across Southern France with a string of priceless pearls, and he is an automotive engineer on vacation driving casually towards Spain. It appears that they meet somewhere around the Pyrenees Mountains.
Dietrich is every bit her glamorous self in this film, and Cooper is more of his boyish character of some of his early films. But his innocence here is not also one of naivete. Instead of many people with parties, night life and so much more, "Desire" has mostly pastoral settings with scenic drives and vistas and a villa in the mountains.
As the two leads bump into each other and then have humorous separations more than a couple times, a romantic attraction begins. The question in one's mind (one can't always guess the outcome of a Dietrich film correctly), is will this story lead to a love strong enough for Dietrich to cut the ties to her past. Can she shuck the glamorous life of high society and thievery in Europe for the home life of Detroit?
Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more humorous dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
Carlos Margoli, "You're not trying to double-cross me, by any chance?" Madeleine de Beaupre, "Don't be vulgar." Margoli, "I'm sorry. My close association with lawyers has altered me."
Carlos Margoli, "This is a fine mess. And all this work for nothing. No, we must get those pearls back. Now who was this man?" Madeleine de Beaupre, "An American." Margoli, "Now, that's a great help. He ought a be easy to find. There are only about a hundred million Americans. What was his name?" Madeleine, "I don't know." Margoli, "Good! Now we won't be hampered in our search by knowing his name. What did he look like?" Madeleine, "He was tall." Margoli, "Hmm. One more little clue like that and we ought to have him in our hands. Any other distinguishing traits?" Madeleine, "Well, he seemed to be a man of very good taste - he liked me."
Carlos Margoli, "Didn't I tell you never to mix love with business?" Madeleine de Beaupre, "Don't be absurd, Carlos. This man interests me as much as you do. That should satisfy you."
Magistrate, "That's not your marriage license." Tom Bradley, "Oh, yes it is." Looking at it, he turns to Madeleine and says, "It's your parole."