Mildred Pierce
1945  NR  DRAMA  1h 51min
CAST— Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, Bruce Bennett, Lee Patrick, Butterfly McQueen
MUSIC— Max Steiner  DIRECTOR— Michael Curtiz  BASED ON— Mildred Pierce (novel), by James M. Cain

     A timeless classic, Mildred Pierce considers the story of one woman’s struggle to keep her children happy and content… no matter what the price. Joan Crawford plays the title character: a hard working, long-suffering mother who hits pay dirt in the restaurant business. Everything she earns is spent on her daughter, a manipulative, scheming, downright unpleasant young woman. When Mildred’s husband is murdered the suspects start rolling in, Mildred included. But where is darling daughter Veda? When Mildred confesses to the crime things still seem a bit fishy. How far will she go? Using dark shadows to emphasize the moody atmosphere, the film has a beautiful black/white finish; the casting was spot on, providing colorful characters such as Mildred herself and, perhaps the greatest performance of them all, Anne Blyth as Veda, shaping the role into a slimy, villainous character who can seemingly charm her way out of anything. When these two dynamic personalities clash you’ll be glad you checked this one out. Oscar-winner for Best Actress (Joan Crawford). Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.
OUR RATING— ***
REMADE AS— Mildred Pierce (2011)