Desirable (1934)

In the theatrical world of Broadway, the dazzling Helen Walbridge is a starlet revered by all. Her latest triumph, Lady Surrenders, cements her reputation as the epitome of the innocent ingénue, a role she has cultivated to perfection both on and off stage. Many, including her doting admirer, Madison Avenue advertising executive Stuart McAllister - known affectionately as Mac - are blissfully oblivious to the closely guarded secret of her life: her widowed status and her daughter, Lois Johnson, a nineteen-year-old who has spent most of her life hidden away in boarding school. The curtain of Helen's carefully fabricated life lifts when Lois arrives unexpectedly, disrupting her mother's clandestine romance with Mac and her meticulously crafted image. As Helen grapples with the reality of Lois in her life, she inadvertently introduces her sheltered daughter to the whirlwind of high society and glamour in New York City. Amidst the glittering parties and the allure of fame, Helen, Lois, and Mac find themselves in a tumultuous dance of relationships, trying to decipher their roles in each other's lives. Helen, guided by her maternal instincts, dreams of a suitable match for Lois, envisioning the charming and affluent Russell Gray as the ideal suitor. Simultaneously, Mac, unbeknownst to Helen, finds himself entangled in a web of forbidden love with Lois, evolving from her trusted confidante to her secret admirer. When Lois finds herself thrust into Russell Gray's world of aristocracy, the stark contrast between her humble upbringing and the opulence of the Gray family estate leaves her feeling alienated. In her despair, she reaches out to Stuart, causing a ripple of complications that disrupts the fragile equilibrium of their lives. Helen, fueled by jealousy and fear, resorts to desperate measures to separate the two, setting the stage for a compelling drama of love, deception, and self-discovery.

Desirable is a drama movie featuring Jean Muir.

Desirable is currently streaming on TCM.