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.
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
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
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
A scene from Written on the Wind
