The Devil Is a Woman (1935)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Josef von Sternberg

Writers:

Pierre Louÿs (novel)
John Dos Passos (adaptation)

Release Date:

1935 (Turkey)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Kiss me .. and I'll break your heart!

Plot:

Film told in flashbacks of an older man's obsession for a woman who can belong to no-one but can frustrate everyone...

Plot Keywords:

Spain | Carnival | Revolutionary | Cigarette Manufacturer | Temptress

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Marlene Dietrich	...	Concha Perez
Lionel Atwill	...	Capt. Don Pasqual 'Pasqualito' Costelar
Edward Everett Horton	...	Gov. Don Paquito 'Paquitito'
Alison Skipworth	...	Senora Perez
Cesar Romero	...	Antonio Galvan
Don Alvarado	...	Morenito (bullfighter)
Tempe Pigott	...	Tuerta
Francisco Moreno	...	Alphonso (Paquito's secretary) (as Paco Moreno)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hank Mann	...	Foreman on snowbound train (scenes deleted)
Joel McCrea	...	Antonio Galvan (replaced by Cesar Romero) (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Caprice Espagno (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Germany:75 min | USA:79 min | Portugal:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:17 | Portugal:(Banned) (original rating) | UK:A (original rating) (1935) | UK:U (re-rating) (2006) | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Approved (PCA #538)

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Quotes:

Senora Perez: How I worry when I see my daughter leave in the morning.
Concha Perez: How can you say that, Mother, when you sleep all day?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Three Sweethearts Have I

Playing with men for fun and profit

A captivating and very different movie where a dazzling Marlene Dietrich willfully toys with the affection of Lionel Atwill whose life is then ruined by their relationship. How low will he sink? As low as Emil Jannings in The Blue Angel? The reasons for Atwill's obsession is left to the imagination since censors at the time would not allow us to observe what is today commonly on screens. Surrealistic scenes of a Spanish carnival and extraordinary costumes make this highly recommended and not often seen film a visual feast. Marlene has never been lovelier and more injurious. Atwill does a respectable job as the bedeviled older lover. A young Ceasar Romero is a believable other love interest. Edward Everett Horton's voice mars the play of what should have been a stately governor who appears to have been seeing Marlene on the side. An unexpected ending contributes to a movie that should be discussed and watched again. Highly recommended.