Possessed (1931)

Ambitious factory Girl Marion Martin meets a handsome well-to-do, but he's interested in her as a mistress, not a wife.

Writers:

Edgar Selwyn (from the play by: "The Mirage"), Lenore J. Coffee (adaptation)

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Wallace Ford

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Marian
Clark Gable	...	Mark Whitney
Wallace Ford	...	Al Manning
Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher	...	Wally (as Skeets Gallagher)
Frank Conroy	...	Travers
Marjorie White	...	Vernice
John Miljan	...	John Driscoll
Clara Blandick	...	Mother

Storyline

Marion is a factory worker who hopes to trade the assembly line, for a beautiful penthouse apartment. Mark Whitney, a wealthy and influential lawyer can make her dreams come true, but there is only one problem, he will give her everything but a marriage proposal. Will this affair ever lead to marriage?

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Plot Keywords:

mistress | factory | factory worker | lawyer | governor | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

21 November 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Verkaufte Liebe

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edgar Selwyn's play, "The Mirage", opened in New York on 30 September 1920.

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Quotes

Al Manning: Say, I'm the best concrete worker they've got. Say, when I talk to cement, it stands up and takes off its hat!
Marian Martin, aka Mrs. Moreland: Yeah, and you're still in overalls.

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Connections

Edited into Visions of Light (1992)

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Soundtracks

"The Stars and Stripes Forever"
(1896) (uncredited)
Written by John Philip Sousa
Played by a band at the start of electioneering scenes

User Reviews

Joan sings, dances, and gets slapped by Gable

Excellent soaper with a Joan Crawford billed above the soon-to-be superstar Clark Gable. The possibility of upward mobility afforded to women, especially at this time during the Great Depression, remains a theme of interest today. Women can play on men and get upward mobility but there is often a price to be paid -- and Joan pays it in this movie.

Excellent photography makes the best of the stars and Adrian's dressing of Joan. Notable train sequence in beginning of film has the poor Joan facing the possibility of the good life if she is willing to defy convention and joint those "inside the car." Gable teaches her how to act and she becomes a refined, but kept, woman. He refuses to marry her for all the "right" reasons but in the end, Joan is affected by society's opinion of women in her station.

Grandstand speech sequence at the end of the film is a bit too unbelievable but my wife was moved to tears when she saw it. One of Joan's better films. Recommended.