The Man Without Desire

The Man Without Desire
Ivor Novello screenshot
Directed by	Adrian Brunel
Written by	Adrian Brunel Monckton Hoffe Frank Powell
Produced by	Ivor Novello Miles Mander
Starring	Ivor Novello Nina Vanna
Cinematography	Henry Harris
Production company	Atlas Biocraft
Distributed by	Atlas Biocraft
Release date	1923
Running time	7000 feet
Country	United Kingdom

The Man Without Desire is a 1923 British

, was exceptionally frank for its time; oddly, however, it appears to have been passed for release without interference by the British film censors, who at this time had a reputation for extreme zealousness where sexual matters in film were concerned.

Production

Brunel's commission for the film was to write and produce a historical drama set in

Plot

18th-century Venetian Count Vittorio Dandolo (Novello) is devastated by the death of his lover Leonora (Nina Vanna) and loses all interest in life. Wishing to escape from his grief, he devises a method of putting himself in a state of suspended animation. He awakens 200 years later in 1920s Venice where he meets Genevia, Leonora's double, who turns out to be a descendant of his former love. Falling immediately in love with Genevia, he proposes marriage which Genevia accepts. He then discovers that his 200-year slumber has left him with the ability to love but unable to experience passion, and the marriage remains unconsummated.

Cast

• Ivor Novello as Count Vittorio Dandolo
• Nina Vanna as Leonora / Genevia
• Sergio Mari as Almoro / Gordi
• Christopher Walker as Roger / Mawdesley
• Jane Dryden as Luigia
• Dorothy Warren as Foscolina

References

External links

• The Man Without Desire at
  IMDb
• The Man Without Desire at AllMovie