Flesh and the Devil
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| Flesh and the Devil | |
|---|---|
 The movie poster for the film |
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| Directed by | Clarence Brown |
| Produced by | Irving Thalberg |
| Written by | Benjamin Glazer Marian Ainslee (titles) Hermann Sudermann (play The Undying Past) |
| Starring | Greta Garbo John Gilbert Lars Hanson Barbara Kent |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 1926[1] |
| Running time | 109 min. (USA) 113 min. (UK) |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | Silent film English intertitles |
| Budget | $372,618.21[2] |
Flesh and the Devil (1926) is an MGM romantic drama silent film.[3][4] It stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hanson, and Barbara Kent, directed by Clarence Brown, and based on the play The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann.
In 2006, Flesh and the Devil was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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[edit] Plot summary
The film is a romantic drama[1] about two childhood friends who grow up to be soldiers in Germany. One of the friends, Leo, (Gilbert) becomes infatuated with Felicitas (Garbo), who turns out to be the wife of a powerful count. Leo kills the count in a duel over the love and honor of Felicitas, but is done under the false pretense that it was due to angry words exchanged between the two at a card game. He is punished by the military and is sent away to Africa for five years although he only serves three. He asks his friend, Ulrich (Lars Hanson) to take care of Felicitas' needs while he's away, but Ulrich - unaware that his friend is in love with Felicitas - falls in love with her himself and marries her. Upon Leo's return, he finds himself torn between temptation for Felicitas — which the young woman encourages — and his friendship for Ulrich. Condemned by a local pastor for carrying on an affair with Felicitas, Leo eventually loses control of his emotions. Felicitas plays Leo for a fool. He tries to kill her by choking her, leading to a climactic duel between the two boyhood friends. While racing to stop the duel, Felicitas falls through a layer of thin ice and drowns. Meanwhile, the friends reconcile, realizing that their friendship is more important than Felicitas.
[edit] Cast
- John Gilbert - Leo von Harden
- Greta Garbo - Felicitas von Rhaden
- Lars Hanson - Ulrich von Eltz
- Barbara Kent - Hertha
- William Orlamond - Uncle Kutowski
- George Fawcett - Pastor Voss
- Eugenie Besserer - Leo's Mother
- Marc McDermott - Count von Rhaden
- Marcelle Corday - Minna
uncredited
- Max Barwyn - Ball Guest
- Philippe De Lacy - Leo as a Boy
- Polly Moran - Woman with Bouquet
- Cecilia Parker - Twin at Ball and the Church
- Linda Parker - Twin at Ball and the Church
- Russ Powell - Family Retainer w/Flag
- Carl 'Major' Roup - Train Station Vendor
- Rolfe Sedan - Women's Hat Salesman
- Ellinor Vanderveer - Guest at Ball
- Glen Walters - Family Retainer
[edit] Production
Flesh and the Devil was produced in 1926 (premiere January 9, 1927[5]) and marked a turning point for Garbo's personal and professional life. Initially, she refused to participate in the film. She had just finished The Temptress and was tired, plus her sister had recently died of cancer and she was upset that her contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer did not allow her to take the long trip back to Sweden. A sternly-worded letter from MGM (read by Garbo biographer Barry Paris on the audio commentary for the 2005 DVD release of the film) warned her of dire consequences if she did not report for work. This was a rehearsal of sorts for a pitched battle Garbo would fight against studio heads after Flesh and the Devil was completed, which ended up with Garbo becoming one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood up to that time.
The romantic chemistry between Garbo and Gilbert was a director's dream because it was not faked. The two actors quickly became involved in their own romantic affair and before production of the film was completed had already moved in together (per Paris' commentary). Hollywood legend has it that it was also during production that Gilbert proposed to Garbo; she accepted, a high-profile wedding was arranged, but Garbo backed out. Paris disputes that this could have happened in the midst of production. Regardless of the chronology, Flesh and the Devil marked the beginning of one of the most famous romances of Hollywood's golden age. They would also continue making movies together into the Sound Era, though Gilbert's career would collapse in the early 1930s while Garbo's soared.
Garbo was so impressed with Clarence Brown's direction and William Daniels's cinematography that she continued to work with both of them in her subsequent films at MGM. She was particularly insistent on the use of Daniels as her prime cinematographer.
[edit] Box office
The film earned $1,261,000 worldwide, netting the studio a $466,000 profit.
[edit] Home media
Flesh and the Devil was restored and released to DVD with The Temptress in September 2005 as part of a collection by Turner Classic Movies entitled Garbo Silents. The DVD includes an alternate, upbeat ending.
[edit] References
- ^ a b American Film Institute (1971). The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures produced in the United States. University of California Press. p. 253. ISBN 9780520209695. http://books.google.com/books?id=rlLbRAPOgP0C&pg=PA253. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
- ^ Alexander Walker; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (October 1980). Garbo: a portrait. Macmillan. p. 184. ISBN 9780026229500. http://books.google.com/?id=nmZZAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
- ^ Variety film review; January 12, 1927, page 14.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; January 15, 1927, page 10.
- ^ David Robinson; Paul Duncan (2007). Greta Garbo. Taschen. p. 180. ISBN 9783822822098. http://books.google.com/books?id=A3daNQAACAAJ. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
[edit] External links
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