''Desire'' (aka ''The Magic Skin'') is a 1920 British silent

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...

directed by

George Edwardes-Hall George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

, produced by Edward Godal, and starring

Dennis Neilson-Terry Dennis Neilson-Terry (21 October 1895 – 14 July 1932) was a British actor, theatre manager and producer, who starred in a number of films between 1917 and 1932. He was the son of the actor Fred Terry and his wife, the actress Julia Neilson ...

Yvonne Arnaud Germaine Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1890 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress, who was well known for her career in Britain, as well as her native land. After beginning a career as a concert pianist as a child, Ar ...

and

Christine Maitland Christine may refer to: People * Christine (name), a female given name Film * ''Christine'' (1958 film), based on Schnitzler's play ''Liebelei'' * ''Christine'' (1983 film), based on King's novel of the same name * ''Christine'' (1987 fil ...

. The film was known in England as ''The Magic Skin''. The screenplay was based on the 1831

Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...

novel '' Le Peau de Chagrin'', which strangely was adapted to film three different times in 1920 alone, the other two being released as ''The Dream Cheater'' and ''Narayama''. Born in 1872, director Hall relocated from his birthplace Brooklyn, New York to England later in life, then moved to California, where he died in 1922. He actually did more screenwriting than directing during his career, and also wrote a number of plays and short stories.Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 214..

Plot

A man named Valentin obtains a magic shagreen, a leather hide made from the skin of a wild jackass. The shagreen is said to grant its owner's every wish, but at the price of his immortal soul.

Cast

as Raphael Valentin *

as Pauline * Christine Maitland as Fedora * George W. Anson as Duval * Chris Walker as Jonathan * Pardoe Woodman as Emile *

Austin Leigh Austin Leigh was a British stage and film actor. Selected filmography * ''Brigadier Gerard'' (1915) * '' Beau Brocade'' (1916) * ''The Temptress'' (1920) * '' Desire'' (1920) * '' Adventures of Captain Kettle'' (1922) * '' Old Bill Through the Ag ...

as Andre Valentin *

Saba Raleigh Saba Raleigh was the pseudonym of ''Isabel Pauline Rowlands'', née ''Ellissen'' (8 August 1862 – 22 August 1923), an English actress. On 31 March 1894 she became the second wife of Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands, the actor and playw ...

as Mother

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''History of the British Film, 1918-1929''. George Allen & Unwin, 1971.

External links

* 1920 films 1920s fantasy films British fantasy films British silent feature films Films based on works by Honoré de Balzac Works based on La Peau de chagrin British black-and-white films 1920s English-language films 1920s British films {{1920s-UK-film-stub