Possessed **** (1931, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Wallace Ford) – Classic Movie Review 5254

MGM’s 1931 hit romantic comedy drama film Possessed showcases the dream team of Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, who were a sensation, sizzling on screen.

Director Clarence Brown’s 1931 hit drama Possessed showcases MGM’s ideal new team of Joan Crawford and a clean-shaven Clark Gable. You can see from the poster that Crawford was the big deal, above the title, and the still up-coming Gable below it, though it is the third of their eight movies together. Crawford is so alluring and vivacious!

They turned out to be a sensation. The perfectly paired duo sizzle on screen like they did at the box-office in this hot, rousing romantic comedy mix of sex and politics as poor, on-the-make small-town factory worker Marian Martin (Crawford) becomes the big-city mistress of ambitious lawyer Mark Whitney (Gable).

Co-star Wallace Ford plays Al Mannings, the nice guy whom Crawford’s Marian leaves back home in her bid for the Manhattan big time. Richard ‘Skeets’ Gallagher plays New Yorker Wally Stuart who gives Marian champagne and writes down his New York address for her.

Unfortunately, the 1931 censors got to work a little, damping down the impact of Lenore J Coffee’s risqué, sexy screenplay, based on Edgar Selwyn’s 1920 Broadway play The Mirage, and the film was actually banned in Britain, and it remained unseen on British TV until 1999. Nevertheless, it is still a wicked, suggestive delight and the star duo was soon the King and Queen of Hollywood.

Also in the credited cast are Frank Conroy, Marjorie White, John Miljan and Clara Blandick, but there is a large uncredited cast.

It is no relation to Crawford’s 1947 film of this same title, Possessed, which made her the only star to appear in two different films with the same title, though Quartet is one several films thus named, two of them starring Maggie Smith: Quartet (1981) and Quartet (2012). Crawford won the Oscar for Best Actress for Mildred Pierce in 1946, arguably her best film. Her last, and sadly worst film, is Trog (1970).

It was a major hit, costing $378,000, taking $1,522,000 and making a profit of $611,000.

The cast are Joan Crawford as Marian Martin, Clark Gable as Mark Whitney, Wallace Ford as Al Manning, Richard ‘Skeets’ Gallagher as Wally Stuart, Frank Conroy as Horace Travers, Marjorie White as Vernice LaVerne, John Miljan as John Driscoll, Clara Blandick as Marian’s mother, Norman Ainsley as Wally’s butler Ambrose, Jack Baxley as ‘League of Nations’ Heckler, Wade Boteler as ‘Answer That One’ Heckler, Clarence Brown as Man on Merry-Go-Round, André Cheron as Party Guest Monsieur Lavell, Gino Corrado as Party Guest Signor Martini, Phyllis Crane as Secondary Role, Jean Del Val as Waiter, Florence Enright as Secondary Role, Bess Flowers as Party Guest, Francis Ford as Drunken Husband, Mary Gordon as Woman at Political Rally, James T. Mack as Elevator Operator, Fred Malatesta as Party Waiter, Alphonse Martell as French Waiter, Wilfred Noy as Mark’s butler Bertram, Jack Pennick as ‘Parole for Convicts’ Heckler, Ruth Renick as Secondary Role, Joan Standing as Whitney’s Secretary, Larry Steers as Party Guest, Barbara Tennant as Secondary Role, Wilhelm von Brincken as Baron von Bergen – Party Guest, and Walter Walker as Whitney for Governor Supporter

Joan Crawford memorably sings ‘How Long Will It Last?’ (music by Joseph Meyer, lyrics by Max Lief) in French, German and English in Possessed (1931). It is also played as part of the score throughout the film: