''Woman of Desire'' is a 1994

erotic thriller The erotic thriller is a film subgenre defined as a thriller with a thematic basis in illicit romance or erotic fantasy. Though exact definitions of the erotic thriller can vary, it is generally agreed "bodily danger and pleasure must remain in ...

film directed by

Robert Ginty Robert Winthrop Ginty (November 14, 1948 – September 21, 2009) was an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director perhaps best known for playing Thomas Craig Anderson on the television series '' The Paper Chase''. Early life Ginty wa ...

and starring

Bo Derek Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy '' 10'' (1979). Her first husband John Derek directed her in '' Fantasies''; '' Tarzan, the Ape Man ...

and

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

Plot

Jack Lynch (

Jeff Fahey Jeffrey David Fahey (, born November 29, 1952) is an American film and television actor. He has portrayed Captain Frank Lapidus on the ABC series ''Lost'' and the title role of Deputy Marshal Winston MacBride on ''The Marshal''. Early life and ...

) washes up on a beach after a storm, telling a story of one of the Ashby brothers having fallen off the Ashby sailboat, of which Jack was the pilot. The beautiful playgirl Christina Ford (

) walks into the hospital and tells police that Jack shot her boyfriend, Ted Ashby (

Steven Bauer Steven Bauer (born Esteban Ernesto Echevarría Samson; December 2, 1956) is a Cuban-born American actor. Bauer began his career on PBS, portraying Joe Peña, the son of Cuban immigrants on '' ¿Qué Pasa, USA?'' (1977–1980) and is perhaps most ...

), and raped her. Jack is arrested and questioned, but he remembers very little. The sailboat is found derelict. But Ted Ashby had an identical twin brother, Jonathan (also Steven Bauer), who was richer than he. Jonathan insists Jack be prosecuted vigorously. Jack claims he and Christina carried on an affair behind Ted's back and convinces the semi-retired Walter J. Hill (

) to be his defense lawyer. Released to Walter's custody, Jack confronts Christina, who claims she's only humoring Jonathan and that she'll change her story in the grand jury hearing. She seduces Jack and gets his fingerprints on a pistol. In the grand jury hearing, Christina double-crosses Jack and continues to claim that Jack shot Ted several times. Additional evidence is introduced, including a pistol with Jack's fingerprints just found on the boat (planted by Christina after their tryst). Things look very bad for Jack, but then a body identified as Ted Ashby is found—without any bullet wounds. Christina is accused of perjury and recommended for psychiatric evaluation. It's revealed that Jonathan is actually Ted, as Walter suspected, and that Christina seduced Jack to make him vulnerable to framing. But Christina actually pushed Jonathan overboard during the storm, and Ted assumed his identity to claim his fortune, per their plan. Walter explains the conspiracy to Jack, who becomes furious and steals a pistol. Ted is in the middle of double-crossing Christina and sending her to a mental institution, but a policeman obsessed with Christina shoots and kills Ted in the street before Jack can do it. Sometime later, Christina has convinced a wealthy psychiatrist at the mental institution she's innocent and made him fall in love with and marry her. Jack is a part of the crew on his sailboat, and Christina invites him to continue their affair.

Cast

as Christina Ford *

as Walter J. Hill *

as Jack Lynch *

as Jonathan Ashby * Thomas Hall as Norman Landis *

Todd Jensen Todd Jensen is an American bassist who has played for various artists, including the bands Sequel, Hardline (band), Hardline, and Harlow (band), Harlow, as well as David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Perry (musician), Steve Perry, Alice Cooper,S ...

as Wendell Huston *

John Matshikiza John Matshikiza (26 November 1954 – 15 September 2008) was a South African actor, theatre director, poet and journalist. Biography John Matshikiza was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Todd Matshikiza - renowned jazz pianist, composer ...

as Det. Lewis Stone * Warrick Grier as Officer Miller * Todd Jensen as Wendell Huston * Michael McCabe as Dr. Richard Brooks * John Carson as Judge Parker *

Peter Holden Peter Holden is an American actor and producer of film and television. Filmography Film *''Options'' (1989, as Buck) *''In Too Deep'' (1990, as Police Officer) *''Dangerous Pursuit'' (1990, as Counterman) *''Fatal Exposure'' (1991, as Ha ...

as Michael Altman * Ellia Thompson as Elizabeth Hill * James Whyle as 1st Officer * David S. Lee as 3rd Officer (as David Lee) * Craig Urbani as Arnold Wells * Mary A. Byron as cast/journalist

References

* ''Entertainment Celebrities'' by Norbert B. Laufenberg

External links

* * * * 1990s English-language films 1993 films 1990s erotic thriller films American erotic thriller films 1990s American films {{erotic-thriller-film-stub