Mildred Pierce (1945)
Mildred Pierce is a gripping, atmospheric 'fim noir', featuring a compelling comeback performance by Joan Crawford in the starring role, after a slump in her career and a two year absence from movies. The film was a major box-office hit and was critically acclaimed. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Eve Arden and Ann Blyth), Best Screenplay (Ranald MacDougall), and Best B/W Cinematography (Ernest Haller). Joan Crawford won the film's sole Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role.
Plot Outline
A definitive 1940's women's picture and a seething domestic soap opera, Mildred Pierce is also a superbly nasty noir, one that plays havoc with the era's ideals of maternal devotion and mom's apple pie.
Like other good 'who done it' forties movies,
Mildred Pierce starts with a murder and then works back. Joan Crawford plays a housewife saddled with two kids, a mortgage, and a philandering husband (Bruce Mennet) . She decides to do something about her drab existence and starts by kicking out and divorcing her husband. With bills to pay she takes a job as a waitress and discovers hitherto undiscovered strengths and a real flair for business. As her fortunes pick up we see her become more ane more alive and she ends up owning a chain of restaurants and with a society lover. The problems arise with her spoiled, mean-spirited, and unloving daughter, Veda (Ann Blyth).
Mildred is admirable for her hard work and self-sacrifice. She is smart, ambitious, and driven, qualities respected and rewarded in the American ethic. But gradually, as she detaches from her husband , and as she favors the unbearable, snobbish Veda over her sweeter younger daughter, putting the child's death behind her with no evident afterthought, we begin to sense an unhealthy, even pathological, aspect to Mildred's compulsion. When she and Veda are both fatefully drawn in by a smooth, duplicitous cad (Zachary Scott), the possessive Mildred's smothering, neurotic indulgence and the ungrateful Veda's precocious appetites inevitably boil over in sexual betrayal and rage. Its a very, very good movie and I'm not going to spoil it for you by divulging the ending.
Main Cast
Joan Crawford.... Mildred Pierce
Joan Crawford won an Academy Award for her bravura portrayal of the titular heroine in Mildred Pierce. Born in 1904, Joan Crawford began her movie career as a flapper in the silent era but successfully re-invented herself as the celebrated glamorous Hollywood star of the 1930's and 40's. She then turned to film noir and gothic horror. In all she maintained her elevated position in a notoriously tough and fickle business for an astounding 45 years.
Eve Arden ... Ida Corwin
Eve was born Eunice Quedens. She changed her name, reputedly taking her stage name from an Elizabeth Arden catalogue, and from 'Stage Door' (1937) onward, she was effectively typecast as the all-knowing witheringly sarcastic "best friend" who seldom got the leading man but always got the best lines. She earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Joan Crawford's cynical but sympathetic business partner in 'Mildred Pierce'. She remained active on stage and on TV until well into the 1980's.
Zachary Scott ... Monte Beragon
A leading man who usually played suave or sinister roles. Scott studied at the University of Texas, and after a stay in England he became active in local theater in Austin. He made a successful entry into the Broadway stage, and was noticed by Jack L. Warner, who signed him to a film contract. Though he received acclaim for his acting, Scott was not particularly promoted by Warners. He died, aged 51 after a brain tumour.
Ann Blyth ... Veda Pierce Forrester
Ann Blyth studied for an operatic career, but her dramatic talents got noticed early and led her to play Paul Lukas' daughter in the Broadway production, Watch on the Rhine.Two years later she was under contract to Universal studios. performance, For her performance in Mildred Pierce Ann was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress.
Jack Carson ... Wally Fay
A popular character actor who would be seen in a large number of comedies, musicals and a few westerns. He also became popular as a radio comic and later appeared in many TV shows of the 1950's.
Bruce Bennett ... Albert ('Bert') Pierce
Lee Patrick ... Mrs. Maggie Biederhof
Moroni Olsen ... Inspector Peterson
Veda Ann Borg ... Miriam Ellis
Jo Ann Marlowe ... Kay Pierce
'Mildred Pierce' Links:
WikipaediaIMDB
Film Site.org
Total Film
