Written On The Wind

dir. Douglas Sirk
USA, 1956

On New Year's day, we - film club - watched five films in a row, with just a break for dinner. This was the first, after we'd all loved All That Heaven Allows (1955).

This was even more melodramatic, if possible. More lurid, and the acting more extravagant. Rock Hudson was in this one too, though he was a more conventional guy here - not the Waldenite in the earlier film. His pal's sister was a great baddy, and while there weren't as many great scenes or memorable moments as in All That Heaven Allows, there was a marvellously edited scene featuring this sister dancing as someone else dies:



The setting - the Texas oil fields, a rich family - and the melodrama made me wonder if this wasn't a key precursor to the TV soap Dallas.