Directed by Douglas Sirk, The story revolves around the Hadleys, a wealthy but thoroughly debauched family of Texas oil millionaires. Robert is self-destructive alcoholic, Kyle, nymphomaniac sister Marylee. Kyle manages to win beautiful, level-headed advertising executive Lucy away from his best friend, virile Hadley Oil geologist Mitch, but Lucy soon comes to regret her decision to marry into the hell-on-earth Hadley family. When Lucy becomes pregnant, Kyle assumes that Mitch is the father, leading to a maelstrom of fever-pitch emotionalism and stark tragedy. Before he quite knows what is happening, Mitch is on trial for murder; the one person who can clear him is the craven.
