James M. Cain, journalist, screenwriter and novelist, made a name for himself writing hard-boiled crime novels, many of which have been made into popular motion pictures. His novel The Postman Always Rings Twice was adapted seven times for the screen with the two most well known adaptations coming in 1946, starring Lana Turner and John Garfield, and in 1981 with Jessica Lange and Jack Nicholson. He also penned a little novel titled Mildred Pierce, a psychological drama about a middle-class woman who struggles to make ends meet during the great depression while also dealing with a daughter who is spoiled and looks down on her for having to work. It’s an intimate look at the struggles of a woman who feels the need to buy her daughter’s affection when nothing else she does works. This by itself would have made for a compelling drama, and was adapted this way years later by HBO, but when Warner Brothers bought the rights to the novel back in the 1940’s they wanted to pep it up and added in a murder mystery that only really works in the context of the film if you’ve never read the book before.
Joan Crawford was under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the time of the book’s publication but her career was struggling. She got her start in silent films acting as an uncredited body double but was quickly identified as having star potential. By the late 1920’s she had been rebranded with a stage name and was beginning to get starring roles in pictures. She successfully transitioned into the sound era and for a while things were looking up for her. But by 1937 her career was on decline and she was beginning to look for an opportunity to get out of her contract with MGM. That finally happened in 1943 when MGM paid her out rather than make her last contracted film with them. She then signed with Warner Brothers where she appeared in Hollywood Canteen, a morale booster for the troops during World War II that featured an All-Star cast from the movies. It was around this time that she became aware that Warner Bros. had purchased the rights to Mildred Pierce and she began lobbying for the title role.
Michael Curtiz, the Hungarian work horse director behind Casablanca, was hired to direct and he initially didn’t want Crawford in the part, feeling she was not right for it. A screen test convinced him otherwise and she landed the role that would garner her her first Academy Award win. It also revitalized her career. But working on Mildred Pierce was not easy and she often clashed with Michael Curtiz. That didn’t stop them from eventually coming to a mutual respect and friendship and she would work with him again years later in 1949’s Flamingo Road.
Playing the critical role of Veda was sixteen year old Ann Blyth, an up-and-coming actress who got her start the previous year in musical comedies. This would be a different kind of role from those she was known for at the time and the casting of her in such a pivotal role turned out to be inspired. No part of her performance rings false and, like Joan Crawford, she was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. It would be the only time she would be so recognized but she would continue to act well into the 1980’s before retiring from the spotlight.
The film, Mildred Pierce, opens with a murder. Monte Beragon (Zachary Scott), second husband to Mildred, has been shot and killed. The police tell Mildred that her first husband, Bert Pierce (Bruce Bennett), is guilty of the crime for a number of reasons including his refusal to deny the crime. Mildred insists he must be innocent and launches into a lengthy flashback retelling her story of the years leading up to the murder.
In the flashback we see Mildred’s first marriage dissolve after Bert splits with his business partner and can no longer provide for the family. Mildred is forced to sell baked goods to support the family, especially her elder daughter, Veda, who has developed an unhealthy desire for the finer things in life. Bert accuses Mildred of favoring the children over him. The quarrel escalates and the two decide to separate with Mildred taking custody of the kids. She finds work as a waitress, supplementing her income but deals with Veda’s disdain. As the years go by, Mildred channels her ambitions into opening her own restaurant, then a chain of restaurants. Things continue to sour between her and Veda as the young woman’s tastes get more and more expensive. Eventually, Mildred has to throw her out of the house when it’s discovered she has faked a pregnancy to secure a large sum of money from the parents of the father. But Mildred is obsessed with reconciling with her daughter. She marries Monte but his own lavish lifestyle and some poor money choices he tricked her into force her to sell all her businesses. Upset, she takes a gun and goes to confront him.
The release of the film in 1945 was met with some polarizing opinions. Joan Crawford was generally praised for her impressive and nuanced performance. The same was said for Ann Blyth who is so bratty and spoiled as Veda that it makes her final comeuppance all the more satisfying. She is so unlikable that it’s easy to sit back and wonder how Mildred could still be trying to win her affection after all she has put her through. But such thoughts forget that love can often blind people, especially when it comes to their own children. Movies are more than just the acting on set, though. Mildred Pierce suffers from being overly melodramatic. Only in the final minutes does Mildred see that her actions early on have led her to the inevitable climax. Had she not shifted too much priority on pleasing her eldest daughter she wouldn’t have lost her first marriage and none of the events leading up to the murder would have ever happened. It’s an invention strictly for the movie that didn’t play for everybody.
Joan Crawford and Ann Blyth are the primary reasons to watch Mildred Pierce nowadays. The film’s story is perfectly fine but doesn’t quite soar to the levels of the absolute best films of the era. What elevates it is those performances which keep the film from being forgettable. It’s a professional looking film, boasting yet another bombastic Max Steiner score that often doesn’t match the scenes it’s paired with. It occasionally tugs at the heartstrings, such as when the younger sister gets sick and dies suddenly, but more often than not the only real emotion audiences will feel is disgust as Mildred keeps enabling Veda. Ultimately, this is a very good, but emotionally inconsistent film that serves as a showcase for a couple of actresses at the top of their game.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture: Jerry Wald
Best Actress: Joan Crawford (won)
Best Supporting Actress: Eve Arden
Best Supporting Actress: Ann Blyth
Best Screenplay: Ranald MacDougall
Best Cinematography - Black-and-White: Ernest Haller
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Release Date: October 20, 1945
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth and Bruce Bennett
Directed By: Michael Curtiz
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