Film of the Week: Mildred Pierce, 1945

Lobby Card
Warner Brothers

With this money I can get away from you. From you and your chickens and your pies and your kitchens and everything that smells of grease. I can get away from this shack with its cheap furniture. And this town and its dollar days, and its women that wear uniforms and its men that wear overalls.

--"Veda Pierce"

By 1945, Joan Crawford had been asked to leave Metro Goldwyn Mayer, (get your hatchet, folks, and scream along with me, “Hollywood royalty! Parted friends... everyone already knows! Box office poison! Box office poison! Class! You're... class... you're... class... box office poison! Eighteen years in the business and we parted friends! Creative differences!” But, that’s a different movie.) So, Joanie “You’re Aces” Crawford had to go off on her own. Of course, being Joan Crawford, she ended up at Warner Brothers where she’d been hired predominantly to ruffle the feathers of their reigning queen—Bette Davis who was also dipping a toenail into the pool of box office poison.

"It's your fault I'm like this, Mother."
Veda pleads with her mama.
Warner Brothers

Warners owned a property based on a novel by James Cain—Mildred Pierce—the story of an out-of-luck homemaker with a cheating husband, a lot of debt, a snooty daughter, and, another daughter who nobody pays much attention to (and then dies). At the center of it all, Mildred has to struggle and find the strength to provide her eldest daughter—Veda—everything that Veda wants, even if it means marrying a nasty playboy and frying a lot of chickens. Mildred was a character that Crawford really could relate to. She wanted that part—so much so that she even (gasp!) agreed to screen test for it.

"Just like my weddin' night...so exciting."
Lottie to Mildred amidst the many, many, many pies.
Warner Brothers

And, of course, she got the part—and, was brilliant, giving perhaps the finest performance of her career. The film version of the story—as is often the case—veered away from Cain’s novel quite a bit. A murder plot was introduced to bring in some of the noir elements which were quite the fashion of the day. A lot of the smuttiness of the tawdry semi-incestuous relationship between Veda and Mildred’s new husband, fading socialite Monte Beragon, was toned down. In fact, a whole sub-plot involving Veda’s singing career was abandoned. And several characters were melded into one—Ida, played superbly by Eve Arden.

"It's for you.  Mrs. Biederhof."
Mildred's not too keen on her husband's
choice of card buddies.
Warner Brothers

Joining Miss Crawford in the cast were Ann Blyth as her bitch of a daughter, Veda; Zachary Scott as the icky Monte (or Monty depending on where you look) Beragon; Butterfly McQueen as Mildred’s maid, Lottie; Bruce Bennett as Bert, the first husband; Jack Carson as the equally icky and smarmy Wally Fey; and the always delightful Lee Patrick as Bert’s “poker buddy” (or was it canasta?), the charmingly-named Maggie Biederhof.

Miss Crawford won the Academy Award for her performance. In typical Crawfordian Style, she accepted the award while abed with some mysterious flu which seemed to have had the effect of curling her hair, rouging her lips and pressing her negligee. Still, she won. And, that’s quite nice.

She needed it.

"Don't look now, Junior, but you're
standing under a brick wall."  The wisdom of Ida.
Warner Brothers

Everyone should see Mildred Pierce for the superb acting, beautiful lighting, nifty sets, shoulder pads, fur hats and sharp dialogue. Hollywood royalty, indeed.

Oh, by the way, there's an upcoming remake of Mildred Pierce coming up with Kate Winslet as "Mildred."  It promises to be more like the source novel.  Still, Winslet has some big, strappy-pumps to fill.  Good luck...never let go and all that.