All I Desire

1953

Action / Drama / Romance

Plot summary


Uploaded by: FREEMAN

Director

Top cast

Richard Carlson Photo
Richard Carlson as Henry Murdoch
Barbara Stanwyck Photo
Barbara Stanwyck as Naomi Murdoch
Lyle Bettger Photo
Lyle Bettger as Dutch Heinemann
Lori Nelson Photo
Lori Nelson as Lily Murdoch
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
729.95 MB
978*720
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 19 min
P/S 0 / 1
1.32 GB
1456*1072
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 19 min
P/S ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by mark.waltz6 / 10

The ladies sure will be talking tonight!

And so are the gossipy men in the small town where a lady of scandal who returns to town an allegedly great actress just in time for her daughter's stage debut. Barbara Stanwyck, in her busiest screen year as a film star, is glorious and quite the star. Her character, a small town girl from the wrong side of the tracks who married onto the right side yet never fit in, left to pursue an acting career and with some success ended up in burlesque. Scandal involving a secret old beau on the side has tongues wagging, including an elderly train station master who starts tongues wagging. Mixed reactions from her estranged family also adds to the drama.

Set in small town U.S.A. in the early 1900's, this has all the makings of a smart little drama of the American family which isn't quite Andy Hardy's. Richard Carlson is her torn ex-husband who has gone on with his life with drama teacher Maureen O'Sullivan, while Lyle Bettger is the mysterious former flame whose past with Stanwyck seems to be unknown to all but a few. Of the two daughters, oldest Marcia Henderson is totally resentful while younger Lori Nelson has worshiped her from afar. Youngest child Billy Gray is at that vulnerable age where having his mother back seems to be a dream cone true, but with Stanwyck and Bettger's past a secret except to the audience, more obvious questions are raised.

Another delight is lovable German actress Lotte Stein as the housekeeper who was in on Nelson coming back. Richard Long, the oldest son of Ma and Oa Kettle, joins younger Kettle sister Nelson, here playing stuffy Henderson's boyfriend who is entranced with Stanwyck to Henderson's annoyance. As produced by tearjerker king Ross Hunter, this is quite a likable soap opera style melodrama, not quite as sappy as his big color movies, yet nicely detailed and extremely engrossing. The conflicts seem real and the conclusion bittersweet. This reaffirms why Stanwyck remains my favorite star of Hollywood's golden age.

Reviewed by TheLittleSongbird7 / 10

Desirable passions

Absolutely love Barbara Stanwyck and consider her one of the best actresses of her generation. She is/was one of the few to seldom give a bad performance despite being in some very patchy films early on in her career. Have much admiration for Douglas Sirk, another director that explored very real and difficult subjects and conflicts and not in a toned down fashion. Some films of his are better than others, one of my favourites of his being 'Imitation of Life', but there is a good deal to admire about all his films.

1953's 'All I Desire' is no exception. It is not a great film in my view, and both Stanwyck and Sirk did better films in their careers (though individually both fare very well). Like much of Sirk's output, there is a lot to admire about 'All I Desire' that outweigh the not so good things which sadly are present. Fans of Stanwyck are not likely to be disappointed, despite it not being one of her best there is plenty here that made her such a good actress.

Will start with the good things. Regardless of what one thinks of whether the period is well established, 'All I Desire' still looks great in its own way. It is beautifully photographed, at its best quite lavish without being overblown, and it's well designed. The music is often hauntingly beautiful without being over-intrusive or too syrupy. The film is sensitively directed by Sirk, in an understated but never disengaged way, his trademark touches obvious especially in his themes and the realistic way his characters are treated.

Enough of the dialogue is thought-provoking and poignant and the story also has emotional impact and doesn't shy away from its approach to the subject without being too ham-handed. Most of the performances are fine, Stanwyck was a wonderful actress and her steel and vulnerability is abundantly clear. Once he warmed up, after starting off uncomfortable, Richard Carlson actually to me did a mostly good job. Lori Nelson, once one warms to the character, and Maureen O'Sullivan are lovely support, though O'Sullivan could have had more to do. One can argue that it is hard to care for the characters and fair enough, but this is a situation where likeability would not have been as realistic.

Lyle Bettger is however a complete blank and lacks any kind of charisma or intensity in my opinion. The dialogue can get overwrought and soapy.

Did find the final quarter too heavy on the melodrama and really do have to agree with everybody that has panned the very jarring and tacked on ending that absolutely reeks of studio interference.

Summing up, good enough but not great. 7/10

Reviewed by bkoganbing5 / 10

Life Upon The Wicked Stage

Douglas Sirk directed this gaslight era melodrama about a woman who deserted her family and ten years later upon receipt of a letter from her daughter Lori Nelson who wants to go on the stage just like mom did, Barbara Stanwyck returns to her stodgy mid western town and her stodgy husband Richard Carlson who is the high school principal.

Stanwyck's three children run the gamut of reaction to her reappearance. The oldest Marcia Henderson is daddy's little girl and really resents mom coming home. Nelson is infatuated with what she thinks is a glamorous life in the theater and is thrilled mom came home to see her in a school play. Billy Gray is the youngest and he barely remembers her, but he's happy to see her.

Douglas Sirk made a big mistake in casting Lyle Bettger as the store owner with whom Stanwyck was having a fling before she left. Maybe it's simply image, but Bettger played some of the biggest psychotic villains of the era and I can't believe Stanwyck ever went near him. Someone who was a bit more suave and elegant would have fit the bill perfectly.

Bigger mistake was a forced happy ending which was contrary to the book this film came from. There was just too much that happened for Stanwyck ever to return.

Still Barbara is quite effective, her best scenes are with her two daughters, Henderson and Nelson. All I Desire will not go down in her ten best list, but fans won't be disappointed.

Read more IMDb reviews