All I Desire (1953)

In 1910, a wayward mother re-visits the family she deserted.

Director:

Douglas Sirk

Writers:

James Gunn (screenplay), Robert Blees (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Carlson, Lyle Bettger

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Naomi Murdoch
Richard Carlson	...	Henry Murdoch
Lyle Bettger	...	Dutch Heinemann
Marcia Henderson	...	Joyce Murdoch
Lori Nelson	...	Lily Murdoch
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Sara Harper
Richard Long	...	Russ Underwood
Billy Gray	...	Ted Murdoch
Lotte Stein	...	Lena Maria Swenson
Dayton Lummis	...	Col. Underwood
Fred Nurney	...	Hans Peterson
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donald Kerr	...	Comic (scenes deleted)

Storyline

In 1900, Naomi Murdoch deserted her small-town family to go on the stage. Some ten years later, daughter Lily invites Naomi back to see her in the Riverdale high school play. Her arrival sets the whole town abuzz, wakes up old conflicts, and sets off new emotional storms.

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Plot Keywords:

small town | high school play | poetry reading | poetry recitation | teenager | 

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Taglines:

Now He Knew Her as Other Men Had!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 August 1953 (UK)

Also Known As:

Stopover

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Sally Fraser.

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Goofs

In he scene in the kitchen, where Lily is eating honey, the cooks hands go from dirty to clean and back again.

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Quotes

Lena Engstrom: You're not quitting?
Naomi Murdoch: When you're licked, you have to quit.

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Connections

Referenced in Bens Confiscados (2004)

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Soundtracks

All I Desire
by David Lieberman

User Reviews

All I Desire (1953)

A failed actress returns to the family, the lover and the small town she abandoned years earlier and sets tongues wagging anew. Does it rank up there with ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS or IMITATION OF LIFE? No, not really. It all wraps up too neatly (the "happy" ending was forced by the producer), Lyle Bettger has the charisma of a toilet brush (why would Barbara Stanwyck ever fall for this lummox?) and it's pointlessly set in the early part of the century. The only rationale I can think of for the latter is that Stanwyck's lack of success would be harder to keep a secret in modern times, but it takes the edge off and makes the whole thing a bit too quaint. However, it's not really a dud, either. It's a tight script, Stanwyck is riveting as always, and Sirk's eye for brilliant framing is hard at work. It makes for a quick, easy watch with some slight subversiveness in its commentary on small town gossip and hypocrisy.