''Human Desire'' is a 1919 American silent romantic drama film starring

Anita Stewart Anita Stewart (born Anna Marie Stewart; February 7, 1895 – May 4, 1961) was an American actress and film producer of the early silent film era. Early years Anita Stewart was born in Brooklyn, New York as Anna Marie Stewart on February 7, 18 ...

who produced along with

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

. It was distributed by Associated First National. A copy of ''Human Desire'' is preserved in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

and the

Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of m ...

Plot

As described in a

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

, the orphan Bernice (Stewart) is raised almost to womanhood by the good sisters in an Italian convent. Worshiping a picture of the Madonna and Child, she is seized by a great desire to have a child she can call her own. Running away to America, where she has been told babies are plentiful, she is taken in by Robert Bruce, an artist whose wife has refused to divorce him, and poses for his projected masterpiece, a Madonna. Bernice falls in love with the baby borrowed for this posing and is filled with sorrow when the child is taken away. Robert, who has become sincerely but honorably in love with the girl, adopts a baby for her. His wife meets Bernice and the baby, believes the worst, and insults her. Bernice takes the child and leaves the house, becoming lost in the city and finally finding refuge in a hospital where the child dies. Robert learns from his wife the reason for Bernice's departure, locates the girl, and, after divorcing his wife, marries her.

Cast

as Bernice *

Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the son of the ...

as Robert Bruce * Bob Steele as Jasper Norton *

Eulalie Jensen Eulalie Jensen (December 24, 1884 – October 7, 1952) was an American actress on the New York stage and in silent films. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she was selected as one of six extra girls from the 200 applicants responding to a ...

as Helen *

Naomi Childers Naomi Weston Childers (November 15, 1892 – May 9, 1964), was an American silent film actress whose career lasted until the mid-20th century. English ancestry, child actress She was born of English parentage in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Later ...

as Marguerite Hunt *

Templar Saxe Templar Saxe (born Templer William Edward Edevein; August 22, 1865 – April 17, 1935) was a British-born stage actor, opera singer and silent film actor. In films, he usually was a character actor as his singing voice could not be used in silent ...

as Paul Stapleton *

Hattie Delaro Hattie Delaro (1861 – April 18, 1941) was an American actress. She had a career in theater, then became an actress in silent film in the 1910s and 1920s. Delaro was born in Brooklyn. Delaro debuted on stage in 1881 at Brooklyn's Grand Ope ...

as Miss March

References

External links

* *
DVD Human Desire
Alpha Video) 1919 films American silent feature films Films based on American novels First National Pictures films American black-and-white films 1919 romantic drama films Films directed by Wilfrid North 1910s American films Silent American romantic drama films 1910s English-language films English-language romantic drama films {{silent-romantic-drama-film-stub