''Stronger Than Desire'' is a 1939 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Leslie Fenton Leslie Fenton (12 March 1902 – 25 March 1978) was an English actor and film director. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1923 and 1945. Early life Fenton emigrated to America with his mother, Elizabeth Carter Fenton, and his brothe ...

and starring

Virginia Bruce Virginia Bruce (born Helen Virginia Briggs; September 29, 1910 – February 24, 1982) was an American actress and singer. Early life Bruce was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As an infant she moved with her parents, Earil and Margaret Briggs, ...

Walter Pidgeon Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. A major leading man during the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise," Pidgeon earned two Academy ...

and

Ann Dvorak Ann Dvorak (born Anna McKim; August 2, 1911 – December 10, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. Asked how to pronounce her adopted surname, she told ''The Literary Digest'' in 1936: "My fake name is properly pronounced ''vor'shack ...

. It is a remake of 1934 film ''

Evelyn Prentice ''Evelyn Prentice'' is a 1934 American crime drama film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, and featuring Una Merkel and Rosalind Russell in her film debut. The movie was based on the 1933 novel of the same name by W. E. Woodward. Filmed betw ...

'', itself based on the 1933 novel '' Evelyn Prentice'' by

W. E. Woodward William E. Woodward was an American author best known for his biographies that reassessed historical figures. He coined the word "debunk". Biography William E. Woodward was born in Ridge Spring, South Carolina, on October 2, 1874. His parents, T ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Edwin B. Willis, overseen by

Cedric Gibbons Austin Cedric Gibbons (March 23, 1890 – July 26, 1960) was an American Art director#In film, art director for the film industry. He also made a significant contribution to motion picture theater architecture from the 1930s to 1950s. Gibbons de ...

Plot

Believing her husband Tyler has been seeing another woman, Barbara Winter, behind her back, Elizabeth Flagg begins a relationship with Michael McLain, who then blackmails her with her love letters. During a struggle for the letters, a gun goes off, McLain falls and Elizabeth flees. But police find McLain's wife, Eva, near the body and charge her with murder. With a guilty conscience, Elizabeth asks her husband, a lawyer, to defend Eva in court. He endeavors to prove someone else did the shooting, unaware his own wife was directly involved. Eva eventually confesses, but is set free when it is determined that she acted in self-defense.

Cast

as Elizabeth Flagg *

as Tyler Flagg *

Lee Bowman Lee Bowman (December 28, 1914 – December 25, 1979) was an American film and television actor. According to one obituary, "his roles ranged from romantic lead to worldly, wisecracking lout in his most famous years". Career Born in Cincinnati, ...

as Michael McLain *

as Eva McLain *

Ilka Chase Ilka Chase (April 8, 1905 – February 15, 1978) was an American actress, radio host, and novelist whose career spanned stage, film, and television. Born into a well-known New York family, she made her stage debut as a child and later became a ...

as Jo Brennan *

Rita Johnson Rita Ann Johnson (August 13, 1913Parish gives year of birth as 1912, but her grave marker says 1913. – October 31, 1965) was an American actress. Early years Johnson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of a single mother, Lilli ...

as Barbara Winter * Richard Lane as Jerry Brody *

Ann Todd Dorothy Ann Todd (24 January 1907 – 6 May 1993) was an English film, television and stage actress who achieved international fame when she starred in '' The Seventh Veil'' (1945). From 1949 to 1957 she was married to David Lean who directed ...

as Susan Flagg * Paul Stanton as Assistant D.A. Galway *

Ferike Boros Ferike Boros (3 August 1873 – 16 January 1951) was a Hungarian-born American stage and movie actress. Biography Ferike Weinstock was born in Nagyvárad, Austria-Hungary, in 1873, Boros was on stage starting in 1893. She moved to London in 19 ...

as Mrs. D'Amoro :;Uncredited *

King Baggot William King Baggot (November 7, 1879 – July 11, 1948) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was an internationally famous movie star of the silent film era. The first individually publicized leading man in America, Baggo ...

as Juror * Barbara Bedford as Miss Watson - Flagg's Secretary *

Leonard Carey Leonard Carey (25 February 1887 – 11 September 1977) was an English character actor who very often played butlers in Hollywood films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He was also active in television during the 1950s. He is perhaps best known f ...

as Albert - Flagg's Butler * Donald Douglas as Mack Clark - Flagg's Investigator * Margaret Bert as Sara - Susan's Nursemaid *

Alphonse Martell Alphonse Martell (1890 - 1976) was a French actor who wrote and directed '' Gigolettes of Paris'' (1933). He portrayed a director in the 1934 film '' I'll Be Suing You''. He often portrayed a waiter as in the 1946 film '' Falcon's Alibi'', in which ...

as Headwaiter *

Louis Jean Heydt Louis Jean Heydt (April 17, 1903 – January 29, 1960) was an American character actor in film, television, and theatre, most frequently seen in hapless, ineffectual, or fall-guy roles. Early life Heydt was born in 1903 (not 1905, as many so ...

as Court Appointed Attorney *

Arthur Housman Arthur Housman (October 10, 1889 – April 8, 1942) was an American actor in films during both the silent film era and the Golden Age of Hollywood. Career Arthur Housman was one of the first screen comedians known to the public by name, and on ...

as Reporter *

Tom Neal Thomas Carroll Neal Jr. (January 28, 1914 – August 7, 1972) was an American actor and Amateur boxing, amateur boxer. Between 1932 and 1934, he was an amateur boxer who fought in many fights. As an actor, he was best known for his co-starring ...

as Reporter *

Mariska Aldrich Mariska Aldrich (née Horvath; March 27, 1881 – September 28, 1965) was an American dramatic soprano singer and actress. Life She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was a pupil of Alfred Giraudet (1906–1909) and George Henschel. She ...

as Police Matron *

Amzie Strickland Amzie Ellen Strickland (January 10, 1919 – July 5, 2006) was an American character actress who began in radio, made some 650 television appearances, had roles in two dozen films, appeared in numerous television movies, and also worked in ...

as Flagg's Party Guest *

Reed Hadley Reed Hadley (born Reed Herring, June 25, 1911 – December 11, 1974) was an American film, television and radio actor. Early life Hadley was born in Petrolia, Texas. Career Before moving to Hollywood, he acted in ''Hamlet'' on stage in N ...

as Flagg's Party Guest

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $263,000 in the US and Canada and $160,000 elsewhere, making a profit of $1,000.

References

External links

*
''Stronger Than Desire''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

1939 films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1939 drama films Remakes of American films Films directed by Leslie Fenton Films based on American novels American drama films Films with screenplays by William Ludwig American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Films scored by David L. Snell {{1930s-drama-film-stub