All I Desire (1953 Douglas Sirk)

Beautifully composed, staged and shot (by Carl Guthrie), Sirk's elegant camera moves rather than cuts. Well acted too, by Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Carlson, Lyle Bettger, Marcia Henderson, Lori Nelson, Maureen O'Sullivan and Lotte Stein, who's wonderful as the housekeeper. Babs is no slouch on a horse, particularly when having to execute the ridiculous side-saddle.

As so often in Sirk, the kids are the problem. As is the small town mentality. As to the fiance's exclamation of '23 Skidoo!', it dates from the early twentieth century - so probably not an anachronism - and means 'leave quickly'.

Music by Henry Mancini and Herman Stein, production design Alexander Golitzen and Berbard Herzbrun, produced by Ross Hunter.

Written by James Gunn and Robert Blees, Gina Kaus having adapted Carol Ryrie Brink's novel 'Stopover', a title Sirk would have preferred to have kept.