As You Desire Me (film)

As You Desire Me
Original film poster
Directed by	George Fitzmaurice
Produced by	George Fitzmaurice Irving Thalberg
Written by	Gene Markey Luigi Pirandello (play)
Starring	Greta Garbo Melvyn Douglas Erich von Stroheim Owen Moore Hedda Hopper
Cinematography	William H. Daniels
Editing by	George Hively
Distributed by	MGM
Release date(s)	May 28, 1932
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

As You Desire Me is a 1932 film adaptation of the play by Luigi Pirandello made by MGM. It was produced and directed by George Fitzmaurice with Irving Thalberg as co-producer. The adaptation was by Gene Markey, the cinematography by William H. Daniels, the art direction by Cedric Gibbons and the costume design by Adrian.

The film stars Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas with Erich von Stroheim, Owen Moore and Hedda Hopper. Its running time is less than 71 minutes, making it the shortest of all Garbo's Hollywood films.

This is also the only film in which Garbo appears as a blonde. It made $1,362,000. ^[1]

Plot

Budapest bar entertainer Zara is a discontented alcoholic who is pursued by many men but lives with novelist Carl Salter. A strange man called Tony shows up on Salter's estate claiming that Zara is actually Maria, the wife of his close friend Bruno. Maria, Tony claims, had her memory destroyed during a World War I invasion 10 years ago. Zara doesn't remember but leaves with Tony to Salter's dismay. Bruno, now an officer in the Italian Army, tries to coax Maria's memory back on his large estate. No one is really sure if Zara is Maria, and when Salter shows up with a mental case that he claims is the real Maria, everyone on Bruno's estate is desperately searching for the truth.

Cast (in credits order)

• Greta Garbo as Zara / Maria
• Melvyn Douglas as Count Bruno Varelli
• Erich Von Stroheim as Carl Salter
• Owen Moore as Tony Boffie
• Hedda Hopper as Ines Montari
• Rafaela Ottiano as Lena
• Warburton Gamble as Baron
• Albert Conti as Captain
• William Ricciardi as Pietro
• Roland Varno as Albert

References

1. '^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1931-40 by The American Film Institute, c. 1993

External links

• As You Desire Me at the Internet Movie Database