Possessed

Possessed (1931) starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Wallace Ford

Possessed is a pre-code story of the allure of wealth and easy living — though at a price, for a beautiful young woman. She becomes a successful attorney’s mistress, and slowly falls in love with him …

Cast of characters

• Joan Crawford (Dancing Lady, Sudden Fear) as Marian Martin. The young lady who breaks up with Al, and runs away to New York City. She’s decided to use her looks to live a life of luxury. She becomes the “kept woman” of:
• Clark Gable (Boom Town, Band of Angels) as Mark Whitney. The divorced attorney who “hires” Marian. And slowly falls in love with her. But comes to realize that their relationship will be a hazard to his plans to be elected governor …
• Wallace Ford (The Mummy’s Hand) as Al Manning. Marian’s first love, whom she leaves behind. He later becomes a successful businessman, who needs Mark’s help with acquiring a business contract. Unless his feelings for Marian interferes …
• Richard “Skeets” Gallagher as Wally Stuart. The wealthy young man that small-town Marian meets early in the film. He “opens her eyes” to the possibilities open to an attractive young woman … without morals.

Editorial review of Possessed courtesy of Amazon.com

Factory girl Marian Martin has two ways out of poverty: brains and beauty. But it’s 1928, and brains don’t help a girl much…unless she uses them to promote her other asset. So in no time Marian’s living on Park Avenue, draped in designer gowns, dripping in jewels, and cuddled up with a man who isn’t her husband.

Joan Crawford plays the lollipop and Clark Gable plays the sucker she lands – and eventually comes to love – in this pre-Code scorcher that expertly mixes greed, ambition, politics and sex into a frank portrait of a world where men have power and women have a sell-by date stamped on their flesh. Share the glamour and the heartache as Marian discovers that to possess the things she wants, she must be Possessed.