The Little Foxes (1941), A Letter to Three Wives (1949), andWritten on the Wind (1956)

Classics from both the screen and stage, all three of these melodramas have different things to recommend them. These film’s stories and scripts come from some of the best and brightest, including Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve) and Lillian Hellman (The Children’s Hour), and the direction and performances are some of the finest in the business (Douglas Sirk, Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, etc.).

-Olivia

The Little Foxes (1941)- 1 hr 56 mins

Of the three money-hungry Hubbard siblings, Regina (Bette Davis) is unable to inherit the family fortune due to the laws that prevent a woman from doing so. When her two brothers decide to start a cotton mill and are in need of funds, Regina decides to seize her chance. She is prepared to do whatever it takes. Be it marrying off her only daughter (Teresa Wright), blackmail, or counting on her husband’s ill health, she is determined to make her fortune and gain her “freedom.”

The film adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s classic play, The Little Foxes features many of the stage production’s original cast. Among them, Bette Davis is at her best as the conniving, almost sub-human Regina. Nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Bette Davis), Best Supporting Actress (Teresa Wright and Patricia Collinge), and Best Screenplay (Lillian Hellman), this film is a perfectly dark drama that is cut-throat to its core.

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Purchase DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Foxes-DVD-William-Wyler/dp/B00J2TCHP6/ref=asc_df_B00J2TCHP6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312150961364&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10998381381819438251&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003967&hvtargid=pla-568668995446&psc=1

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)- 1 hr 43 mins

Friends, wives, and three very different women, Deborah Bishop (Jeanne Crain), Lora Mae Hollingsway (Linda Darnell) and Rita Phipps (Ann Sothern) must confront their anxieties and past when they receive a letter from their “friend” Addie Ross telling them that she has run off with one of their husbands (Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas, and Jeffrey Lynn). They are each left to think the worst as theyreflect on their individual marriages and relationships before finding out that night at dinner which one of their spouses has been unfaithful.

A satirical dramedy about the country club set, writer and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's exploration of three different women in the same position creates an absorbing and surprisingly witty social satire. Deborah is the country girl who is not sure that she fits in. Lora Mae is the girl from the other side of the tracks. And Rita is trying to pursue a career as a radio writer that seems to have her compromising and distancing herself from her family.

Availability: Youtube(free), Amazon video, Googleplay, DVD, and Blu-ray.

Youtube (free, pretty good quality): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBXlvJSnhPc
Purchase DVD: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/a-letter-to-three-wives-dvd-1949/7030651.p?skuId=7030651&ref=212&loc=1&ref=212&loc=1&ds_rl=1266837&gclid=CjwKCAiA__HvBRACEiwAbViuU9ROOxznKa2ud-G9vHaPCP6eZB7FWiG9G0SSyp6qPBpISFuLHqiuRhoCe5cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Purchase Blu-ray(great deal!): https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Three-Wives-Anniversary-Blu-ray/dp/B00DOB3MN4/ref=asc_df_B00DOB3MN4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312162351774&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13039063756246723182&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003967&hvtargid=pla-568210568546&psc=1

Written on The Wind (1956)- 1 hr 40 mins

Douglas Sirk, the “King” of melodrama, directs this film about the wealthy Hadley family from Texas whose children- Kyle, an alcoholic (Robert Stack), and Marylee (Dorothy Malone), the town’s unapologetic tramp- wreak havoc on the lives of those around them. They include their stable but disappointed father (Robert Keith), their childhood friend Mitch (Rock Hudson), and Kyle’s new bride Lucy (Lauren Bacall). The family hits their lowest point yet when Mitch, secretly in love with Lucy, is accused of murder by Marylee out of jealous hate.

An electric, escalating, and quality drama that is one of Sirk’s best, this is a must-watch for any melodrama lover. Full of romance, tragedy, and betrayal, this garnered Dorothy Malone an Oscar and Robert Stack a nomination for their portrayals of two broken people who can’t help but destroy what’s around them.

Availability: Youtube(free), Amazon video, Googleplay, and DVD.

Youtube (free; fair quality): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q7bMQeiswk
Purchase DVD (great deal!): https://www.ebay.com/i/153404333723?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=153404333723&targetid=595232377149&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9003967&poi=&campaignid=2086170139&mkgroupid=80119577747&rlsatarget=pla-595232377149&abcId=1141016&merchantid=101704540&gclid=CjwKCAiA__HvBRACEiwAbViuU8v171LNMyczy2TWq5B4uhl_1AU-IZPVgWMI0wf1-Qs98zPcYoivxRoCRDoQAvD_BwE