The making of Written on the Wind (1956) under the studio system
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Without collective authorship, Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk 1956) would have been unable to be made under the hegemonic studio system, let alone undermine the generic, production and ideological constraints placed upon it. In a family-centric melodrama that uncovers the “ultimate degeneracy of the system” (Sirk 1997, 26), director Douglas Sirk, screenwriter George Zuckerman and producer Albert Zugsmith worked collaboratively to not only convince Universal Studios to make the film but to minimize the studio’s interference in the project. In a period of filmmaking dominated by the Hollywood star system, studios required major stars to be cast alongside relative newcomers to bolster box-office returns. Despite these production conditions, Sirk embraced the Hollywood star system by casting major stars to finance these films which added an ironic layer of star text to them. He even manufactured his own star power by the name of Rock Hudson who became a frequent collaborator. Finally, it is only when creative departments come together that ‘hidden meanings’ can be constructed through a combination of symbolic mise en scene and other filmic elements.
The making of Written on the Wind (1956) under the studio system
The making of Written on the Wind (1956…
The making of Written on the Wind (1956) under the studio system
Without collective authorship, Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk 1956) would have been unable to be made under the hegemonic studio system, let alone undermine the generic, production and ideological constraints placed upon it. In a family-centric melodrama that uncovers the “ultimate degeneracy of the system” (Sirk 1997, 26), director Douglas Sirk, screenwriter George Zuckerman and producer Albert Zugsmith worked collaboratively to not only convince Universal Studios to make the film but to minimize the studio’s interference in the project. In a period of filmmaking dominated by the Hollywood star system, studios required major stars to be cast alongside relative newcomers to bolster box-office returns. Despite these production conditions, Sirk embraced the Hollywood star system by casting major stars to finance these films which added an ironic layer of star text to them. He even manufactured his own star power by the name of Rock Hudson who became a frequent collaborator. Finally, it is only when creative departments come together that ‘hidden meanings’ can be constructed through a combination of symbolic mise en scene and other filmic elements.