Die Frau Nach Der Man Sich Sehnt (aka The Woman One Longs For) (1929)

A young businessman (Uno Henning) on his honeymoon falls under the spell of a manipulating femme fatale (Marlene Dietrich) who is on the run from the law with her lover (Fritz Kortner). Based on the novel by Max Brod and directed by Curtis Bernhardt (A STOLEN LIFE). When Marlene Dietrich exploded on the international scene with THE BLUE ANGEL (1930) and whisked off to Hollywood (along with her director Josef von Sternberg), she was hardly a new discovery having worked in German films for almost seven years. Here, she already possessed the assured screen presence and charisma that would make her a star for the next forty years. Curtis Bernhardt would soon follow Dietrich's path to Hollywood some seven years later where he would direct other major actresses like Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth. As to the movie itself, it's a compelling drama with shadings of film noir as Henning's innocent is lured into Dietrich's web which ends in death. I'm surprised it was never picked up by Hollywood and remade. The transfer I saw had an excellent underscore by Pascal Schumacher (the film itself is silent) that propels the movie forward. A must for silent film and Dietrich fans. With Edith Edwards and Karl Ellinger.