''Temptation'' is a 1946 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

thriller film directed by

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

and starring

Merle Oberon Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 191123 November 1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). After her success in ''The Scarle ...

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included '' Jezebel'' and '' Dark Victo ...

Charles Korvin Charles Korvin (born Géza Kárpáthi, November 21, 1907 – June 18, 1998) was a Hungarian-American film, television and stage actor. He was also a professional still and motion picture photographer and a master chef. Korvin was born in P� ...

and

Paul Lukas Paul Lukas (born Pál Lukács; 26 May 1894 – 15 August 1971) was a Hungarian actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance in the film ''Watc ...

. The film was based on

Robert Smythe Hichens Robert Hichens (Robert Smythe Hichens, 14 November 1864 – 20 July 1950) was an English journalist, novelist, music lyricist, short story writer, music critic and collaborated on successful plays. He is best remembered as a satirist of the " ...

's 1909 novel '' Bella Donna''. Other film adaptations of the novel were produced in

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 ...

, 1923 and

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

Plot

In the 1890s, a London courtesan snares a loving but naive Egyptologist, marries him and moves to Egypt. She quickly becomes bored and embarks on an affair with Mamhoud Baroudi. She falls in love with him, and they plot to kill her husband.

Cast

as Ruby *

as Nigel Armine *

as Mahoud Baroudi *

as Sir Meyer Isaacson *

Lenore Ulric Lenore Ulric (born Lenore Ulrich; July 21, 1892 – December 30, 1970) was a star of the Broadway theatre as well as Hollywood films of the silent-film and early sound era. Discovered in 1913 by theater director David Belasco, who would go on t ...

as Marie *

Arnold Moss Arnold Moss (January 28, 1910 – December 15, 1989) was an American character actor. His son was songwriter Jeff Moss. Early years Born in Flatbush, Moss was a third-generation Brooklyn native. He attended Brooklyn's Boys High School. ...

as Ahmed Effendi *

Robert Capa Robert Capa (born Endre Ernő Friedmann; October 22, 1913 – May 25, 1954) was a Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist as well as the companion and professional partner of photographer Gerda Taro. He is considered by some to ...

as Hamza *

Aubrey Mather Aubrey Mather (17 December 1885 – 16 January 1958) was an English character actor. Career Mather was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and began his career on the stage in 1905. He debuted in London in ''Brewster's Millions'' i ...

as Dr. Harding *

Ludwig Stössel Ludwig Stössel (12 February 1883 – 29 January 1973) was an actor born in Lockenhaus, now Austria, then Hungary. He was one of many Jewish actors and actresses who were forced to flee Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Biography St ...

as Dr. Mueller *

André Charlot André Eugène Maurice Charlot (26 July 1882 – 20 May 1956) was a French impresario known primarily for the successful musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937. He also worked as a character actor in numerous films. Early li ...

as Prof. Dupont *

Suzanne Cloutier Suzanne Cloutier (July 10, 1923 – December 2, 2003) was a Canadian film actress. Biography Daughter of Edmond Cloutier, the King's Printer in Ottawa, Suzanne Cloutier escaped an early unconsummated marriage to become an actress, first with Ch ...

as Yvonne Dupont * Gloria Lloyd as Jean McCormick

Production

The film was the first that

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

produced after the termination of his long contract with

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

, and the first to be filmed at

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

under the merger with

International Pictures International Pictures was an American film production company that existed in the 1940s. It merged with Universal Pictures to become Universal-International on October 1, 1946. History The company was formed in 1944. It was headed up by Leo Sp ...

that formed the short-lived United World Pictures. Small bought the rights to the novel in 1941, intending it as a vehicle for

Ilona Massey Ilona Massey (born Ilona Hajmássy, June 16, 1910 – August 20, 1974) was a Hungarian-American film, stage and radio performer. Early life and career She was born in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (now in Hungary). Billed as "the new Die ...

, who had just appeared in ''

International Lady ''International Lady'' is a 1941 American spy film, spy-drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring George Brent, Ilona Massey and Basil Rathbone. During the production stage it was originally titled as ''G-Men versus Scotland Yard''. It was ...

'' for him. He wished to produce the film for

, but other projects took priority. Over a five-year period, there were several near-starts and postponements. Small almost managed to begin production in February 1946, but there was not enough studio space. Photographer

made his sole acting appearance in ''Temptation''. On a visit to the set to see his friend Charles Korvin, Capa claimed that he could perform the role of Hamza better than could the actor who had been hired to play the part. Capa auditioned for Irving Pichel, who was convinced by Capa's accent and offered him the part.

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

panned the film, writing: "True enough, Miss Oberon looks lovely, Mr. Korvin behaves with bold sang-froid and George Brent is sufficiently unimpressive to seem a husband that a dame would double-cross. Paul Lucas, Arnold Moss and Lenore Ulric also act as though they thought they had a script. But the whole thing is as claptrap in its nature as it was when Pola Negri played it back in 1923." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' magazine criticized the screenplay, writing: "Production is well-stacked with solid values in every department except for the screenplay, which falls short in its attempt to stretch an unsubstantial story line over so long a running time."''Variety''
film review, December 2, 1946. Last accessed: February 25, 2011.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Temptation 1946 films 1940s thriller drama films American thriller drama films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Film noir Films directed by Irving Pichel Universal Pictures films Films set in Egypt Films set in London Films set in the 1890s Films set in the 1900s Films produced by Edward Small 1940s historical films American historical films Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof Films based on British novels Remakes of American films 1946 drama films 1940s American films