James (June 2005)
 out of 5

Of the numerous movies produced in the "film noir" style during the 1940s, only three 
of them stand out in my mind: Laura starring Gene Tierney, The Strange Love of Martha
Ivers starring Barbara Stanwyck, and Mildred Pierce starring Joan Crawford.

"Mildred," based on a novel by James M. Cain, is easily the best of the three, holding 
up as a classic by which all other films of this genre are compared to. As a definitive film
of its type, it defines an era. As a comeback vehicle for Crawford following her two year
hiatus from movies, it permanently established her screen persona and subsequently 
influenced every other role Miss Crawford played for the remainder of her long career.

After twenty years of shopgirl, showgirl, and society girl roles, Mildred Pierce allowed 
Crawford to dramatically switch gears and portray a common, lower-middle-class 
housewife saddled with two kids, a mortgage, and a husband who prefers the company 
of the flashy divorcee up the street. Joan portrays Mildred's drab existence in an 
unpretentious, world-weary manner, which perfectly reflects the unhappiness of her 
marriage and her life. After Mildred kicks her philandering husband out, she quickly 
realizes she's got bills to pay and that she needs to make some changes in her life. 
After finding a job as a waitress, Mildred begins to blossom and discovers previously 
untapped strengths and talents that she wasn't aware she possessed. With each new 
success, she comes more and more alive, culminating in a successful chain of 
restaurants where her former employer becomes her employee, and where she finds 

love with a dashing, albeit oily, society heir.

Playing opposite Joan are many talented actors and actresses: Eve Arden as the 
amusing, hard as nails Ida, Jack Carson as the lecherous Wally Fay, Zachary Scott 
as the morally (and fiscally) bankrupt Monty Beragon, Jo Ann Marlowe as spunky Kay 
Pierce, Butterfly McQueen as scatterbrained Lottie, and (most importantly) Ann Blythe 
as Mildred's spoiled, conniving daughter Veda. Much of the movie's plot concerns the 
relationship between Mildred and Veda, and Miss Blythe adds just the right note of 
willful spite and malice to her role, playing beautifully opposite Joan as they spar and 
jab at one another like every good love-hate relationship demands. Mildred isn't perfect, 
but everything she does she does out of love. Veda, on the other hand, is an 
unmitigated little bitch who only cares about money and social stature. Her mother 

works hard to give Veda everything she desires, but Veda remains blatantly disdainful 
of Mildred, thoroughly embarrassed that her mother makes money running a chain of 
greasy spoons. The acting between Crawford and Blythe is electric, and they 
compliment each other perfectly.

Joan's costumes in this movie firmly established her as an icon of the twentieth century.
Her style in this film is the one she held on to for the rest of her life, rarely deviating 
from the broad padded shoulders, bold jewelry, upswept hair, heavy eyebrows, and 
ankle strapped "fuck me" shoes that she wore as Mildred Pierce. The look virtually 
defined the 1940s, and the tailored, mannish "power-suits" worked extremely well both 

for the character and for Joan. 

With a top-rate cast, an excellent script by Ranald MacDougall, visually riveting 
cinematography by Ernest Haller, a haunting score by Max Steiner, and strong 
direction by Michael Curtiz, Mildred Pierce succeeds as a highly entertaining movie 
that one can watch repeatedly and never grow tired of. Joan Crawford outdid herself 
as Mildred, and she wholeheartedly deserved her Academy Award. 

Memorable lines:

Veda: "You think just because you made a little money you can get a new hairdo and 
some expensive clothes and turn yourself into a lady. But you can't. Because you'll 
never be anything but a common frump whose father lived over a grocery store and 
whose mother took in washing."

Mildred: "Veda, I think I'm really seeing you for the first time in my life and you're 
cheap and horrible."

Veda: "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."

Mildred: "Get out, Veda...get out before I kill you!"

Ida: "Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat 
their young."  

Ida: "When men get around me, they get allergic to wedding rings."

Wally Fay to Ida: "I hate all women. Thank goodness you're not one."