Written on the Wind (1956)

Réalisateur:

Douglas Sirk

Scénaristes:

Robert Wilder (novel)
George Zuckerman (writer)

Date de sortie:

décembre 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drame | Romance

Accroche:

This woman in his arms was now the wife of the man he called his best friend!

Intrigue:

Alcoholic playboy Kyle Hadley marries the woman secretly loved by his poor but hard-working best friend, who in turn is pursued by Kyle's nymphomaniac sister.

Plot Keywords:

Drinking | Oil | Alcoholic | Drink | Oil Tycoon

Récompenses:

Won Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

A dysfunctional family and a classic love triangle

Ensemble

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 (service station attendant)
Robert J. Wilke	...	Dan Willis (proprietor, The Cove)
Edward Platt	...	Dr. Paul Cochrane (as Edward C. Platt)
Harry Shannon	...	Hoak Wayne
John Larch	...	Roy Carter (with Marylee at The Cove)
Joseph Granby	...	R.J. Courtney (County Solicitor at inquest)
Roy Glenn	...	Sam (butler)
Maidie Norman	...	Bertha (maid)
William Schallert	...	Jack Williams (reporter)
Joanne Jordan	...	Brunette
Dani Crayne	...	Blonde
Dorothy Porter	...	Secretary
reste de la distribution par ordre alphabétique:
Gail Bonney	...	Hotel floorlady (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Maitre d' (uncredited)
Robert Brubaker	...	Hotel manager (uncredited)
Carl Christian	...	Ben (country club bartender) (uncredited)
Kevin Corcoran	...	Boy on Electric Hobbyhorse (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	(uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Restaurant patron (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Don C. Harvey	...	Hotel Doorman (uncredited)
Phil Harvey	...	College boy at party (uncredited)
Bert Holland	...	Court clerk (uncredited)
Jane Howard	...	Beer drinker (uncredited)
Carlene King Johnson	...	College girl at party (uncredited)
Chester Jones	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Glen Kramer	...	College boy at party (uncredited)
Robert Lyden	...	Kyle as a boy (voice) (uncredited)
Robert Malcolm	...	Hotel proprietor (uncredited)
Coleen McClatchey	...	College girl at party (uncredited)
Susan Odin	...	Marylee as a girl (voice) (uncredited)
Cynthia Patrick	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Floyd Simmons	...	Beer drinker (uncredited)
Robert Winans	...	Mitch as a boy (voice) (uncredited)

Réalisé par
Douglas Sirk

Scénaristes (dans l'ordre alphabétique)
Robert Wilder		novel
George Zuckerman		writer

Produit par
Albert Zugsmith	....	producer

Musique originale
Frank Skinner

Image
Russell Metty

Montage
Russell F. Schoengarth

Direction artistique
Robert Clatworthy
Alexander Golitzen

Décorateur de plateau
Russell A. Gausman
Julia Heron

Création des costumes
Bill Thomas		(gowns)
Jay A. Morley Jr.		(uncredited)

Maquillage
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Assistant réalisateur
William Holland	....	assistant director
Wilson Shyer	....	assistant director

Technicien du son
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Robert Pritchard	....	sound

Caméra et Département Electrique
Clifford Stine	....	special photography

Département Musique
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Divers
William Fritzsche	....	technicolor color consultant

Companies de production

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributeurs

• Universal Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• ClassicLine (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Durée:

99 min | UK:100 min (re-release)

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur (Technicolor)

Rapport de forme:

2,00 : 1

Son:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Classification:

Finland:K-12 (1989) | Finland:K-16 (1956) | USA:Approved (PCA #17932) | Australia:PG | New Zealand:R16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:6

Société:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Anecdotes:

The movie was rumored to be based on the death of tobacco heir Zachary "Smith" Reynolds. The youngest son of tobacco magnate R.J. Reynolds, the 20-year-old playboy had a complete disinterest in the family business, an inexhaustible allowance and a volatile temper. Smith owned a plane and literally stalked Broadway musical comedy star Libby Holman until the 27-year-old singer married him in 1931. Their marriage was a clash of wills and, during an alcohol-fueled July 4th holiday party in 1932 at the family's estate, Libby announced she was pregnant. Stories differ, but there was reportedly a tense confrontation, a gunshot and the young Smith was dead. Libby and Ab Walker, a close friend of Smith's who was whispered to be her lover, were indicted for murder. Fearing scandal over their son's activities, the intensely secretive Reynolds family "persuaqded" authorities to drop the charges. The death was officially ruled a suicide.

Goofs:

Erreurs faites par les personnages (éventuellement des erreurs délibérées par les cinéastes): Mitch Wayne (Rock Hudson) takes a phone call in front of Kyle Hadley (Robert Stack) but says nothing about its contents. Kyle immediately jumps up and reacts to the contents of a call he did not hear, even repeating part of the call, saying, "He said 'the Hadley girl', didn't he? Well, I'm the Hadley boy."

Guillemet:

Marylee Hadley: That was no lady. That was your wife.
Kyle Hadley: Where are they going?
Marylee Hadley: I don't know. Where would you take your best friends wife?
Kyle Hadley: You're a real sweet kid.
Marylee Hadley: Now, be nice to me brother. One morning, we'll wake up and be all alone together.

Connexions De Film:

Référencé sur Roma (2004)

Bande son:

WRITTEN ON THE WIND

A dysfunctional family and a classic love triangle

Robert Stack never really got over losing a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Kyle in "Written on the Wind" to Anthony Quinn's 12-minute performance in "Lust for Life." Stack plays the deeply disturbed, alcoholic son of an oil tycoon. He has lived his life in the shadow of the friend with whom he was raised, Mitch, played by Rock Hudson. They both love the same woman, Lucy, (Lauren Bacall), who becomes Kyle's wife. Kyle's sister, Marylee (Dorothy Malone), is a drunken slut who's in love with Mitch. Their story plays out in glorious color under the able direction of Douglas Sirk, who really dominated the melodrama field with some incredible films, including "Imitation of Life," "All that Heaven Allows," "Magnificent Obsession," and many others.

Make no mistake - this is a potboiler, and Stack and Dorothy Malone make the most of their roles, Malone winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. There's one amazing scene, mentioned in other comments, where she wildly dances to loud music as her father collapses and dies on the staircase. We're led to believe that Marylee sleeps with everyone, including the guy that pumps the gas, because she's in love with Mitch. Mitch wants nothing to do with her. He's so in love with Lucy that, out of loyalty to Kyle, he wants to go to work in Iran to avoid temptation. I doubt he'd be so anxious to get there today no matter how much in love he was.

Hudson and Bacall have the less exciting roles here - Hudson's Mitch is the good guy who's been cleaning up Kyle's messes for his entire life, and Bacall is Mitch's wife who finds herself in a nightmare when her husband starts drinking again after a year of sobriety. Sirk focuses on the more volatile supporting players.

In Sirk's hands, "Written on the Wind" is an effective film, and the big scene toward the end in the mansion is particularly exciting. The director had a gift for this type of movie, and though he had many imitators, he never had an equal.