The Devil Is a Woman | |
---|---|
![]() |
|
Directed by | Josef von Sternberg |
Produced by | Josef von Sternberg |
Written by |
Pierre Louÿs (novel) John dos Passos (screenplay) |
Starring |
Marlene Dietrich Lionel Atwill Cesar Romero |
Music by |
John Leipold Heinz Roemheld |
Cinematography | Josef von Sternberg |
Edited by | Sam Winston |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date
|
1935 |
Running time
|
76 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Devil Is a Woman is a 1935 romance film directed and photographed by Josef von Sternberg, adapted from the 1898 novel La Femme et le pantin by Pierre Louÿs. The film was based on a screenplay by John Dos Passos, and stars Marlene Dietrich, with Lionel Atwill, Cesar Romero, Edward Everett Horton and Luisa Espinel. The original male lead was Joel McCrea who quit after von Sternberg insisted on 35 takes of McCrea asking a waiter for a cup of coffee.
The story takes place during the Carnival in Spain. Don Pasquale explains to Antonio Galvan that Concha Pérez broke his heart. In spite of this warning Antonio falls in love with Concha himself. This leads to a duel with pistols between Don Pasquale and Antonio. Concha begs Don Pasquale not to hurt Antonio, and he shoots into the air. Don Pasquale is wounded by Antonio's shot, but not fatally. Concha asks Antonio to take her to Paris, but then leaves him for Don Pasqual Costelar.
The film won the Award for Best Cinematography at the Venice Film Festival.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: