Desire (The Pearl Necklace) (1936)

71% of users liked it
(366 ratings)

In this frothy romantic adventure, Marlene Dietrich plays Madeleine de Beaupre, a devious jewel thief. After sneaking a valuable string of pearls away from jeweler Aristide Duval (Ernest Cossart), Madeleine attempts to flee Paris, leaving a trail that will instead implicate psychiatrist Dr. Pauquet… More In this frothy romantic adventure, Marlene Dietrich plays Madeleine de Beaupre, a devious jewel thief. After sneaking a valuable string of pearls away from jeweler Aristide Duval (Ernest Cossart), Madeleine attempts to flee Paris, leaving a trail that will instead implicate psychiatrist Dr. Pauquet (Alan Mowbray). While headed for the Spanish border, she nearly runs into Tom Bradley (Gary Cooper), an American auto engineer vacationing in Europe. Madeleine spots Tom again as she waits to go through Spanish Customs; worried that the stolen pearls will be found in her handbag, she slips them into Tom's pocket. After they both make their way through inspection unscathed, Madeleine flirts with Tom in an attempt to get the valuables back; he's too shy to respond in kind, so she gets his attention by trying to "repair" the engine of her car with a hammer. Madeleine lures Tom to the San Sebastian estate of her partner in crime, Carlos Margoli (John Halliday). It doesn't take long for Tom to figure out what Madeleine and Carlos are up to; however, he also knows that he's fallen in love with her, and he is willing to play along if it allows him to be near her. Carlos was originally to have been played by John Gilbert; Halliday was a last-minute replacement after the one-time silent screen star died a week before shooting was to begin. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Frank Borzage
Written By: Edwin Justus Mayer, Waldemar Young, Samuel Hoffenstein
Genres: Drama, Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 11, 1936 Wide
On DVD: Oct 26, 1994

Critic Reviews

Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
Desire is a most unusual and extremely fertile example of artistic cross-pollination between two very different auteurs: Frank Borzage and Ernst Lubitsch.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
As perfect a soufflé of a romantic comedy as you're likely to find -- and with two people who define star power.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

No Featured Audience Ratings Found…

Cast

            Marlene Dietrich as Madeleine de Beaupre

            Gary Cooper as Tom Bradley

            John Halliday as Carlos Margoli

            William Frawley as Mr. Gibson

            Ernest Cossart as Aristide Duval

            Alan Mowbray as Dr. Edouard Pauquet

            Zeffie Tilbury as Aunt Olga

            Enrique Acosta as Pedro

            Stanley Andrews as Customs inspector

            Harry Antrim as Chauffeur

            Alden Chase as Hotel Clerk

            Blanche Craig as Couple

            Anna de Linsky as Servant

            Harry Depp as Clerk

            Oliver Eckhardt as Man in Couple

            Gaston Glass as Jewelry Clerk

            Armand Kaliz as Jewelry Clerk

            George MacQuarrie as Clerk With Gun

            Robert E. O'Connor as Customs Official

            Albert Pollet as French Policeman

            Akim Tamiroff as Police Official

            Marc Lawrence I as Valet

            Rollo Lloyd as Clerk in Mayor's Office

            Tony Merlo as Waiter

            Constant Franke as Border Official

            Isabelle La Mal as Nurse

            Alfonso Pedroza as Oxcart Driver

            George Davis as Garage Man
See full cast

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

Discover movies your friends are watching
Keep track of what you want to see
Add your reviews to your Timeline

Get Started