Human Desire
| Human Desire | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Fritz Lang |
| Produced by | Lewis J. Rachmil |
| Screenplay by | Alfred Hayes |
| Based on | the novel La Bête humaine 1890 novel by Émile Zola |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
| Cinematography | Burnett Guffey |
| Edited by | Aaron Stell |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Human Desire is a 1954 black-and-white film noir directed by Fritz Lang, starring Glenn Ford. It is loosely based on the novel La Bête humaine, by Émile Zola. The story had been filmed twice before: La Bête humaine (1938) directed by Jean Renoir and Die Bestie im Menschen starring Ilka Grüning (1920).
Returning Korean War vet Jeff Warren (Glenn Ford) is a train engineer, usually working alongside Alec Simmons (Edgar Buchanan). Alec's daughter Ellen (Kathleen Case) is in love with Jeff.
Carl Buckley (Broderick Crawford) is a gruff, hard-drinking assistant yard supervisor married to the younger and more vibrant Vicki (Gloria Grahame). When Carl is fired for talking back to his boss, he pleads with Vicki to go into the city to see the man she used to work for, John Owens (Grandon Rhodes), a railroad executive who can get Carl his job back. Unbeknownst to Carl, Vicki did more than just work for Owens, and she allows Owens to bed her again in order to get Carl his job.
Carl suspects Vicki and in a violent argument the truth slips out of her. Carl beats her and forces her to write a letter to Owens, setting up a meeting in a train car. On the trip Carl goes with Vicki, barges into the room when Owens opens the door, and kills Owens with a knife.
Jeff, who is taking a comp ride on this run, happens to be having a smoke in the vestibule near Owens's compartment. Carl makes Vicki go to Jeff as a distraction so Carl can hide himself.
At the inquest for the murder of Owens, Jeff is called as a witness. The various passengers on the train that night are asked to stand. When he's asked if he saw any of the people that night, Jeff looks intently at Vicki, then answers no.
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Wikipedia