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DESIRE
Marlene Dietrich:
When I read Ernst Lubitsch's screenplay for DESIRE,
l was horrified: the film was to begin with a close-up of
my legs. My legs, always my legs! Yet for me they have only
one purpose; they make it possible for me to walk. I didn't
want so much fuss made over my legs. But Mae West advised
me to take another view of the matter and to let the producers
have their way. She always had a thousand good reasons for
her opinion, and l listened to her. So the film DESIRE
begins with a close-up of my legs. It's an extraordinary film
and could have dispensed with such a beginning.
[...]
Frank Borzage was the only one unaffected by the 'galloping
jealousy' virus. I was very fond of him. He directed DESIRE,
whose direction has been wrongly attributed to Ernst Lubitsch;
Lubitsch wrote the script, but he didn't direct the film
[...]
The only film I need not be ashamed of is DESIRE,
directed by Frank Borzage and based on a script by Ernst Lubitsch.
I found Gary Cooper a little less monosyllabic than before.
He was finally rid of Lupe Velez, who had been at his heels
constantly throughout the shooting of MOROCCO.
DESIRE became a good film and, moreover, also proved
to be a box-office success. The script was excellent, the
roles superb - one more proof that these elements are more
important than actors
Excerpt from Marlene Dietrich:
My Life.© 1987 by Marlene Dietrich. Reprinted by permission
of M. Dietrich, Inc.
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