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Human Desire (1954) [N/A]

Featuring:
Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford

Written by:
Alfred Hayes
Émile Zola

Directed by:
Fritz Lang


Release Date:
August 5, 1954

Original Title:
Human Desire

Alternate Titles:
Begær
Desejo Humano
Dorinţa Umană
Emberi vágy
Ihmispeto
La bestia humana
Ljudska zelja
Menselijke Begeerte
Menselijke begeerte
Mord på nattexpressen
Pozadanie
Schlafwagen 842
The Human Beast
To anthropino ktinos
Человеческое желание
Човешки Страсти

Genres:
Crime | Drama | Romance

Production Companies:
Columbia Pictures

Production Countries:
United States of America

Ratings / Certifications:
BE: 14 

Runtime: 91

A rarity on the screen … a RAW slice of life!

Overview from TheMovieDB

A Korean War vet returns to his job as a railroad engineer and becomes involved in a sordid affair with a co-worker's wife and murder. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, in 1997.

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Overview from Open Movies

Jeff Warren, a Korean War vet just returning to his railroad engineer's job, boards at the home of co-worker Alec Simmons and is charmed by Alec's beautiful daughter. Vicki Buckley is the sultry wife of brutish railroad supervisor Carl Buckley, an alcoholic wife beater with a hair trigger temper and penchant for explosive violence. After Buckley is fired for insubordination, he begs Vicki to intercede on his behalf with John Owens, a rich and powerful businessman, for whom Vicki's mother used to keep house and whose influence can get him reinstated. When Buckley suspects she has used sexual favors to persuade Owens, he beats Vicki and develops a plan to meet Owens on the train and stabs him to death in a jealous rage in his compartment. Jeff, who is deadheading after a trip, is on the train and meets Vicki without knowing who she is, when Buckley needs her to get him out of the way so he can get back to their compartment without being seen as he is covered in blood. Jeff is a potential witness to the homicide and becomes an accessory after the fact due to his attraction for Vicki. Jeff and Vicki begin an affair, while Vicki plots to get away from her abusive husband and recover the evidence that links her to the murder.

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Rankings and Honors

Human Desire (1954) on IMDb
Internet Movie Database 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes 60%

Performers

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Production

Art Direction:
Robert Peterson

Assistant Director:
Milton Feldman

Conductor:
Morris Stoloff

Costume Design:
Jean Louis

Director:
Fritz Lang

Director of Photography:
Burnett Guffey

Editor:
Aaron Stell
William A. Lyon

Hairstylist:
Helen Hunt

Makeup Artist:
Clay Campbell

Novel:
Émile Zola

Original Music Composer:
Daniele Amfitheatrof

Producer:
Lewis J. Rachmil

Recording Supervision:
John P. Livadary

Set Decoration:
William Kiernan

Sound:
John P. Livadary

Writer:
Alfred Hayes

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