Name: Written on the Wind
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 1956-12-25
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, Robert Keith

Written on the Wind

Rejection of Conventional Courtesy

Marylee Hadley I'm allergic to politeness.

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Written on the Wind

Confession of Love and Longing

Mitch Wayne I can't keep holding back how I feel about you, Lucy. How I've felt ever since the first day we met. I'm in love with you.

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Written on the Wind

Questioning Relationships and Local Reputation

Biff That's how she operates... I never heard of anybody ever picking her up, that's all. It's always the other way around.

[about Marylee]

Jasper How do you know?

Biff Why don't you just walk up and down Main Street and ask somebody, huh?

Jasper I'm asking you!

Biff I didn't take her to the motel. She took me. Your daughter's a tramp, mister, if that ain't plain enough for ya.

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Written on the Wind

Betrayal Among Friends and Lovers

Marylee That was no lady. That was your wife.

Kyle Where are they going?

Marylee I don't know. Where would you take your best friend's wife?

Kyle You're a real sweet kid.

Marylee Now be nice to me, brother. One morning we'll wake up and we'll be all alone together.

Kyle Go on, sister. Tell me another pretty story.

Marylee Once upon a time, there was a poor little rich boy.

Kyle Kyle Hadley by name.

Marylee Who pickled his tiny brain with gin and bourbon.

Kyle Not so. Scotch.

Marylee Till he got so stinking blind he couldn't see what was going on right under his big red nose.

Kyle But his charming, righteous little sister did.

Marylee Yes, she saw the end of a marriage and the beginning of a love affair.

Kyle You're a filthy liar.

Marylee I'm filthy — period. But you don't have to take my word for anything. Just try keeping your head clear and your eyes open.

Kyle Why should you care? You've never cared about me.

Marylee Or your wife.

Kyle Why are you putting your two cents in?

Marylee Only because of Mitch. Because I've never had him, and your wife has.

[Kyle slaps her]

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Written on the Wind

Toast to Beauty and Truth's Complexity

Kyle A toast to — to beauty — and the truth, which is anything but beautiful... This is an occasion. We must proceed with, with quiet dignity.

Mitch What are we celebrating?

Kyle The end of a drought, a year-long drought.

Mitch We drank a toast to truth.

Kyle So?

Mitch So you ought to let us in on what you're really celebrating — or mourning.

Kyle So you'd like to know my secret. The secret is — not to pour the vermouth, just to pretend you're pouring it.

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Written on the Wind

A Brother's Struggle with Loss and Despair

Marylee Hadley Mitch Wayne was there - in the study with my brother. Kyle had a gun in his hand. He was raving mad, raving about things that weren't so. Mitch tried to talk to him, to make him understand how wrong he was, to stop him from using the gun. Afraid he might even use it on himself. I made a grab for the gun. Kyle and I struggled. The gun went off....Whatever he may have said, means nothing. Except he was worried about Kyle, as a brother for a brother......was depressed by Father's sudden death and he'd been drinking...My brother always drank too much. He was sad, the saddest of us all. He needed so much and had so little.

[testifying at Kyle's inquest; Mitch; Kyle]

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Written on the Wind

Betrayal and Confrontation at the River

Kyle You lousy white trash. You no-account, two-faced dog. I'm gonna watch you cringe. Then I'm gonna put a bullet in your belly...my best friend. My lifelong pal. What a laugh! You crawlin snake. You crept in here, sponged off us Hadleys, stole everything I ever wanted, everything I ever had...You made me small in my father's eyes. You made my sister spit at me. Then, you stole my wife.

[waving a pistol around]

Mitch Kyle, we've never lied to each other. And I'm tellin you now, I never touched Lucy, only because she's your wife. Get this straight. The child would have been yours. Not mine. Yours.

Kyle What are we doing here, Mitch?... Let's go down to the river, where we belong. I'll be down at the river, waiting, waiting.

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Written on the Wind

Fear of Vulnerability in Love

Lucy Do you love me?

Kyle Love you? I don't even love myself.

Lucy Kyle, what is it? Is it something I've said or something I've done or should have done?

Kyle I can't tell you. I'm afraid. It's like I was deep in a mountain pass, snowcaps hanging over my head. If I make a sound, snow might all come tumbling down... bury me... alive.

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Written on the Wind

Dynamics of Dependence in Relationships

Marylee Hadley Oh, there's a man for you — or for me, rather. Kyle starts something. Mitch finishes it for him. Kyle falls on his face. Mitch picks him up. Kyle steals. Mitch takes the blame. And there you have the secret story of Kyle Hadley and his electric personality.

[to Lucy]

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Written on the Wind

Struggles of Self and Support in Relationships

Lucy Bored?

Mitch Disgusted. Mostly with myself.

Lucy But I - I need you here.

Mitch That's the only reason I stayed - to help you.

Lucy Not Kyle?

Mitch I made a resolution last week. It goes like this - To Hell With The Hadleys.

Lucy I'm a Hadley.

Mitch Not to me you're not.

Lucy I respect my marriage.

Mitch Haven't I?

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Written on the Wind

Unrequited Love and Desperation

Marylee Then you grew up and left me, you and Kyle, the rover boys. I guess that's why I hate him so, for taking you away from me. I love you, Mitch. I'm desperate for you. So desperate, I run to the likes of Roy Carter.

Mitch All right, blame me.

Marylee I'm not talking about blame. About love. Do you love me, Mitch?

Mitch Like a brother.

Marylee I don't want you as a brother.

Mitch Can't be any other way, Marylee. Don't, please don't waste your life waiting for me.

Marylee I'll wait, and I'll have you - marriage or no marriage.

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Written on the Wind

Exploring New Feelings and Personal Growth

Lucy Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. It's an adventure. It's exciting.

Mitch Are you looking for laughs? Or are you soul-searching?

Lucy The latter, I guess. I think I'm beginning to know Kyle - and to like him.

Mitch Well, in that case, I'm glad.

[looking hurt]

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Written on the Wind

Troubleshooters at Hadley Oil Company

Lucy Just what do you do for the Hadley Oil Company?

[to Mitch]

Kyle We're troubleshooters. Wherever they want trouble, they send for us.

Mitch I, uh, have a sheepskin that says I'm a geologist.

Kyle I was kicked out of the same school. They found rocks in my head.

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Written on the Wind

A Moment of Concern for Lucy

Kyle Hadley Lucy, you decent? Lucy, are you dec---? I guess she was.

[reflectively musing to himself]

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Written on the Wind

Betrayal and Misunderstanding Between Lucy and Kyle

Lucy Kyle, it's true.

[after telling him she is pregnant]

Kyle You shouldn't have done that to me. You shouldn't have.

Lucy What are you talking about?

Kyle Mitch. You and the Mitch.

Lucy Don't say that Kyle. Don't even think it.

Kyle What did you think? You think I was just a drunken idiot? That I'd believe you? That I'd let you use my name? Take my money? You can rot in hell! You, Mitch, and your little...

Lucy Kyle, I've had nothing to do with Mitch.

Kyle You dirty tramp!

[striking out with rage]

Written on the Wind

Conflict of Love and Friendship

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

Written on the Wind

Unveiling a Family's Hidden Truths

Taglines The story of a family's ugly secret and the stark moment that thrust their private lives into public view!

Written on the Wind

Conflicted Feelings About Relationships and Expectations

Jasper It's about time you got hitched, isn't it?

Mitch No, I-I have trouble enough finding oil.

Jasper I sure wish you felt different about Marylee.

Mitch We grew up together, like brother and sister. I just can't see it any other way.

Jasper Yeah. It's a shame, though, in a way. It's a real shame.

Written on the Wind

Beauty and Discontent in Unexpected Places

Lucy I took a sudden dislike to the suite...Oh, it was beautiful at first glance. Then I thought how ugly it would be - in the morning.

Kyle Guilty as charged.

Lucy I was tempted.

Kyle Was it easy to overcome?

Lucy Yes, you made it easy.

Kyle How, by throwing my money at you?

Lucy No. No, it wasn't that.

Kyle What, then?

Lucy It was the ride. Up in the blue as you call it.

Kyle Talked too much, didn't I?

Lucy No. It was good talk. Only something happened to me, something as unexpected as the things you told me. I tried to tell myself it was, I don't know, sympathy, compassion. But it was more.

Kyle Let's... let's get out of here. Cigarette? We'll put you on the next plane to New York.

Lucy Thank you.

Kyle I'm...sorrier than I've ever been in my whole sorry life. I hope you believe me.

Lucy Is it important that I do?

Kyle Very, because I... I want to start all over again... with you.

Lucy How?

Kyle Suppose-- Just suppose I came to New York again. Not to play, but to work, to behave like-- like Tom, Dick and Harry. I-I'd ask you for dates, take you to lunches, to the movies. I'd be... happy with a good night kiss. I'd think seriously about all the things I used to laugh at, like having a wife and a home... and kids. Right now there's one thing you don't have to suppose. I'm in love with you. So much so that... I want to marry you.

Written on the Wind

Conflicted Loyalties in a Troubled Relationship

Marylee I could tell the police that I saw you kill my dear brother.

Mitch You could.

Marylee On the other hand, a wife wouldn't and couldn't testify against her own husband.

Mitch You know, for a beautiful girl, you can look real ugly sometimes. Ask yourself this: Would I ever be enough for you?

Marylee I could talk you right into the state penitentiary.

Mitch You're sick, Marylee. Your sickness won't be cured by marrying me. Before it's too late, you'd better face up to yourself. Look how far we've come from the river.

Written on the Wind

Crossing Boundaries in Communication

Kyle Hadley Something is happening to me. I find myself talking to you like I never talked to anyone before—not even Mitch...I think we're past the point of no return.

[to Lucy]

Written on the Wind Quotes