Désirée (1954)

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Annemarie Selinko (book) and
Daniel Taradash

Release Date:

11 February 1955 (Belgium)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France.

Plot Keywords:

Emperor | Napoleon Bonaparte | Marseilles France | Rise And Fall | Power

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Napoleon Bonaparte
Jean Simmons	...	Désirée Clary
Merle Oberon	...	Empress Josephine
Michael Rennie	...	Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
Cameron Mitchell	...	Joseph Bonaparte
Elizabeth Sellars	...	Julie, Désirée's sister
Charlotte Austin	...	Paulette Bonaparte
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Mme. Bonaparte
Evelyn Varden	...	Marie
Isobel Elsom	...	Mme. Clary, Désirée's mother
John Hoyt	...	Talleyrand
Alan Napier	...	Despreaux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary Stewart
Louis Borel	...	Baron Morner (uncredited)
Sven Hugo Borg	...	Aide (uncredited)
Peter Bourne	...	Count Brahe (uncredited)
George Brand	...	Servant (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Larry Crane	...	Louis Bonaparte (uncredited)
Richard Deacon	...	Etienne Clary (uncredited)
Florence Dublin	...	Eliza Bonaparte (uncredited)
Edith Evanson	...	Queen Hedwig (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Lady of the Court Holding Baby (uncredited)
Richard Garrick	...	Count Regnaud (uncredited)
Chief Leonard George	...	Pope Pius VII (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Piano Teacher (uncredited)
Sam Gilman	...	Fouche (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant	...	Montel (uncredited)
Carolyn Jones	...	Mme. Tallien (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Josephine's Escort (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Gen. Becker (uncredited)
Marina Koshetz	...	Singer (uncredited)
Nicolas Koster	...	Oscar, Désirée's son (uncredited)
Kay E. Kuter	...	Lackey (uncredited)
David Leonard	...	Barras (uncredited)
Judy Lester	...	Caroline Bonaparte (uncredited)
Jack Mather	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	Caulaincourt (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	...	Queen Sofia (uncredited)
Siw Paulsson	...	Princess Sofia (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Villager Holding Child (uncredited)
Violet Rensing	...	Marie Louise (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Von Essen (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Man at Chaumiers (uncredited)
Richard Van Cleemput	...	Lucien Bonaparte (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Koster

Writing credits
Annemarie Selinko		(book)
Daniel Taradash

Produced by
Julian Blaustein	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
Leland Fuller
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Paul S. Fox
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
René Hubert
Charles Le Maire

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Joseph C. Behm	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Eckhardt	....	assistant director
Jack Sonntag	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound
John Speak	....	boom operator
Ray Bomba	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Bob Weatherford	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Cronjager	....	location director of photography (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyman Hallowell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator
Alfred Newman	....	composer: waltz (uncredited)

Other crew
Stephen Papich	....	choreographer
Prudence Anderson	....	assistant: Henry Koster (uncredited)
Thomas Browne Henry	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Eleanor Johnson	....	assistant dance director (uncredited)
Carl C. Lengay	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Louis V. Pick	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Elizabeth Woodruff	....	assistant: Henry Koster (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Key Video (1988) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan for CBS/Fox Video)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Marlon Brando's nose is faked (make-up).

Quotes:

Napoleon Bonaparte:I want my family to be well established. Joseph, particularly. The rest must wait until the victorious culmination of my campaign in Italy.
Desiree Clary:And you think you can do with people precisely what you want? That life is as you say it is?
Napoleon Bonaparte:Have you ever heard of a thing called destiny, Désirée?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sing Your Song (2011)

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never seen a Brando film before. I've never seen a Napoleon film before. But after studying Napoleon in World history class and seeing Desiree, I've come to the conclusion the Brando must be a descendant of Napoleon or something. He IS Napoleon. I wasn't that interested when my grandmother suggested it, but I don't take things at face value. I check it out. True it's not incredibly accurate, historically speaking, though a lot of it is true and someone certainly did their research. If I recall my history class correctly someone once called Napoleon "The greatest Godless man alive." or something like that. But Brando IS Napoleon. No Question.