WILD ORCHIDS

John Sterling (Lewis Stone) takes his young wife Lillie (Greta Garbo) with him on a jouney. He goes to inspect plantations in the Orient. On shipboard, they meet Prince De Gace (Nils Asther), a Javanese, who becomes interested in Lillie. When they arrive at their common destination, he entertains the couple at his palace. While Sterling goes about his work, the lonely Lillie accepts the advances of the Prince. Sterling spots them and finds Lillie's necklace on the couch where she and the Prince were making love. When the three go on a tiger hunt, Lillie finds her necklace in Sterling's coat. She realizes he knows the truth. The two men have gone to hunt down a tiger and she runs to find them suspecting the worst. The Prince discovers his rifle is not loaded and he is attacked by a tiger. Sterling kills the tiger, but the Prince has been badly hurt. Later, Sterling tells the Prince that he will give Lillie a divorce so that she may be happy. As Sterling prepares to leave for home, he discovers Lillie waiting for him. Lillie tells Sterling that she loves him and they are reconciled.

WILD ORCHIDS
(USA 1929)
ALTERNATE TITLE
Terre de Volupté (FRANCE) Wilde Orchideen (GERMANY) Tropenglut (AUSTRIA) Vilda orkidéer (SWEDEN) Orchidea selvaggia (ITALY) Dzikie orchidee (POLAND) Orquídeas Selvagens (BRAZIL)
FILM SCENES

COMPANY
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
CREDITS
Directed by Sidney Franklin. Produced by Irving Thalberg (uncredited). Adaptation by Willis Goldbeck, from the story Heat by John Colton. Continuity by Hans Kraly and Richard Schayer. Titles by Marion Ainslee and Ruth Cummings. Photographed by William Daniels. Edited by Conrad A. Nevig. Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons. Gowns by Adrian.
TECHNICAL SPECS
100 minutes Silent Film MGM Production 353
CAST
Greta Garbo, Lewis Stone, Nils Asther
GARBO'S CHARACTER
Lillie Sterling
FILM POSTER
More HERE!
SYNOPSIS
John Sterling (Lewis Stone) takes his young wife Lillie (Greta Garbo) with him on a jouney. He goes to inspect plantations in the Orient. On shipboard, they meet Prince De Gace (Nils Asther), a Javanese, who becomes interested in Lillie. When they arrive at their common destination, he entertains the couple at his palace. While Sterling goes about his work, the lonely Lillie accepts the advances of the Prince. Sterling spots them and finds Lillie's necklace on the couch where she and the Prince were making love. When the three go on a tiger hunt, Lillie finds her necklace in Sterling's coat. She realizes he knows the truth. The two men have gone to hunt down a tiger and she runs to find them suspecting the worst. The Prince discovers his rifle is not loaded and he is attacked by a tiger. Sterling kills the tiger, but the Prince has been badly hurt. Later, Sterling tells the Prince that he will give Lillie a divorce so that she may be happy. As Sterling prepares to leave for home, he discovers Lillie waiting for him. Lillie tells Sterling that she loves him and they are reconciled.
MOVIE PROGRAM
More HERE!
PREMIERED/RELEASED
Premiere date: February 16, 1929 Release date in USA: February 23, 1929 Release date in Germany: Nov. 1930
LOBBYCARDS
See HERE!
PRODUCTION
Production Dates: October–November 1928 Production Location: Hollywood/Los Angeles/USA
MOVIE STILLS
The Stills were made during the production by James Manatt. 138 Movie Stills were shot. More HERE!
TRIVIA
In this film, only the three mentioned stars received cast credit. It was Asther's first with Garbo and Stone's second. The Project was orginally planned for Lilian Gish but she turned it down. During the filming Garbo met actress Lilian Tashman. Years later it was rumored that they had an affair. Garbo spent one day filming a cameo appearances for the James Cruze film A Man's Man.
BACKGROUND STORY
(in Treatment)
BUSINESS DATA
Budget: 322.000 Dollar. Gross: USA: 622.000 Dollar; Non-USA: 543.000 Dollar, World: 1.165.000 Dollar. Profit: 380.000 Dollar.
PORTRAITS
Ruth Harriet Louise made the portraits for the film on October 1928. More HERE!
REVIEWS
Richard Watts, Jr. for New York Herald Tribune:
As ever, Miss Garbo is not only an alluring personage and a beautiful woman, but likewise an expert actress.
Mordaunt Hall for New York Times:
Miss Garbo's acting is well-timed and, as usual, effective. It is not an easy role, but she succeeds in imparting to it no small amount of subtlety.
SIMILAR FILMS
Outcast Lady – with Constance Bennett (MGM, USA 1934)
PICTURE FROM THE FILM-SET
More HERE!
STORY FROM THE FILM-SET
(in Treatment)
ORIGINAL WORKING TITLE
Heat
THE ORIGINAL PLAY
Based on the novel Heat by John Colton.
DVD/VHS
Available on VHS. See HERE!
	SOURCE
	Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy – by Mark A. Vieira (Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, New York 2005). This is the best and most accurate book about Garbo's-Films.
	OTHER SOURCES
	Karen Swenson – A life Apart Barry Paris – Garbo IMDB – International Movie Database plus many other books, magazines and internet sites.


	Film - Introduction