Douglas Sirk

Written on the Wind

Written on the Wind

The Technicolor expressionism of Douglas Sirk reached a fever pitch with this operatic tragedy, which finds the director pushing his florid visuals and his critiques of American culture to their subversive extremes. Alcoholism, nymphomania, impotence, and deadly jealousy—these are just some of the toxins coursing through a massively wealthy, degenerate Texan oil family. When a sensible secretary (Lauren Bacall) has the misfortune of marrying the clan’s neurotic scion (Robert Stack), it drives a wedge between him and his lifelong best friend (Rock Hudson) that unleashes a maelstrom of psychosexual angst and fury. Featuring an unforgettably debauched, Oscar-winning supporting performance by Dorothy Malone and some of Sirk’s most eye-popping mise-en-scène, Written on the Wind is as perverse a family portrait as has ever been splashed across the screen.

Film Info

  • United States
  • 1956
  • 99 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.85:1
  • English
  • Spine #96

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • ONew 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Acting for Douglas Sirk, a 2008 documentary featuring archival interviews with Sirk; actors Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone; and producer Albert Zugsmith
  • New interview with film scholar Patricia White about the film and melodrama
  • Trailer
  • Trailer for All That Heaven Allows
  • The Melodrama Archive: An annotated filmography of director Douglas Sirk with hundreds of behind-the-scenes and production photos, plus vintage lobby cards
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by filmmaker and critic Blair McClendon

    Blu-ray cover illustration by Sam Hadley

Purchase Options

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • ONew 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • Acting for Douglas Sirk, a 2008 documentary featuring archival interviews with Sirk; actors Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone; and producer Albert Zugsmith
  • New interview with film scholar Patricia White about the film and melodrama
  • Trailer
  • Trailer for All That Heaven Allows
  • The Melodrama Archive: An annotated filmography of director Douglas Sirk with hundreds of behind-the-scenes and production photos, plus vintage lobby cards
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by filmmaker and critic Blair McClendon

    Blu-ray cover illustration by Sam Hadley
Written on the Wind
Cast
Rock Hudson
Mitch Wayne
Lauren Bacall
Lucy Moore Hadley
Robert Stack
Kyle Hadley
Dorothy Malone
Marylee Hadley
Robert Keith
Jasper Hadley
Grant Williams
Biff Miley
Robert J. Wilke
Dan Willis
Edward C. Platt
Doctor Paul Cochrane
Harry Shannon
Hoak Wayne
John Larch
Roy Carter
Joseph Granby
R. J. Courtney
Roy Glenn
Sam
Maidie Norman
Bertha
William Schallert
Reporter
Joanne Jordan
Brunette
Dani Crayne
Blonde
Dorothy Porter
Secretary
Credits
Director
Douglas Sirk
Screenplay by
George Zuckerman
Based on the novel by
Robert Wilder
Director of photography
Russell Metty
Art direction
Alexander Golitzen
Robert Clatworthy
Sound
Leslie I. Carey
Robert Pritchard
Film editor
Russell F. Schoengarth
Gowns
Bill Thomas
Hair stylist
Joan St. Oegger
Makeup
Bud Westmore
Music
Frank Skinner
Produced by
Albert Zugsmith

Current

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