Wonderful Publicity Portraits of Clark Gable and Joan Crawford for “Possessed” (1931)

Possessed is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Clarence Brown, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the third of eight film collaborations between Crawford and Gable.

The film tells the story of Marian Martin (Joan Crawford), a young factory worker from a small town in Pennsylvania who is determined to escape poverty and make a better life for herself. She leaves her fiancé and heads to New York City, where she eventually becomes the mistress of Mark Whitney (Clark Gable), a wealthy and politically ambitious attorney.

Marian’s transformation from a working-class girl to a sophisticated woman of the world is a central theme. However, their unconventional relationship poses a threat to Mark’s aspirations for a gubernatorial office. To protect his political career, Marian makes a selfless decision, leading to a dramatic climax.

Leonore Coffee, who wrote the script, said she was assigned to write the film by Irving Thalberg, who instructed the writer to give Joan Crawford “a new personality” to play after years of depicting flappers. “I gave Joan Crawford a whole new personality,” said Coffee. “It was a very successful picture. Thalberg said to me once, ‘The only trouble is, she’s been playing it [the same character] ever since’.”

Possessed is noted for its frank portrayal of themes like ambition, social class, and the complex choices women faced in the pre-Code era. The film is often praised for the strong on-screen chemistry between Crawford and Gable, who were also rumored to have had an affair during its production.