A Texas oil heir (Robert Stack) galavants with his executive assistant and childhood friend (Rock Hudson) but their relationship takes a hit when the drunken playboy marries a secretary (Lauren Bacall) his pal had his eyes on, and is steered towards tragedy when his lusty kid sister (Dorothy Malone) makes a play for the same friend who was also her childhood sweetheart. On the surface, Douglas Sirk's Written on the Wind is a tawdry 1950s soaper but upon closer examination reveals cleverly disguised references to impotence, sexual promiscuity, buried homosexuality and not to mention the usual betrayal, blackmail, and murder, all presented assuredly on an incredibly lush tableau. All the stars are perfectly suited to their roles with Malone even taking home an Oscar for her wide eyed, unhinged performance.
