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Mildred Pierce



Melodrama casts noirish shadows in this portrait of maternal sacrifice from Hollywood master Michael Curtiz. Joan Crawford's iconic performance as Mildred, a single mother hell-bent on freeing her children from the stigma of economic hardship, solidified Crawford's career comeback and gave the actor her only Oscar. But as Mildred pulls herself up by her bootstraps, first as an unflappable waitress and eventually as the well-heeled owner of a successful restaurant chain, the ingratitude of her materialistic firstborn (a diabolical Ann Blyth) becomes a venomous serpent's tooth, setting in motion an endless cycle of desperate overtures and heartless recriminations. Recasting James M. Cain's rich psychological novel as a murder mystery, this bitter cocktail of blind parental love and all-American ambition is both unremittingly hard-boiled and sumptuously emotional.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Conversation with critics Molly Haskell and Robert Polito
• Excerpt from a 1970 episode of The David Frost Show featuring actor Joan Crawford
• Joan Craw­ford: The Ultimate Movie Star, a 2002 feature-length documentary
• Q&A with actor Ann Blyth from 2006, presented by filmmaker Marc Huestis and conducted by film historian Eddie Muller
• Segment from a 1969 episode of the Today show featuring Mildred Pierce novelist James M. Cain
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith

Joan would be so pleased that she made it into the Criterion Collection before Bette.

Indeed this is the Michael Curtiz page.

HelenLawson wrote:Joan would be so pleased that she made it into the Criterion Collection before Bette.

Now I want All About Eve, forgetting the already available edition.

HelenLawson wrote:Joan would be so pleased that she made it into the Criterion Collection before Bette.

Oh shit, this movie owns. The 2011 version is good too but there's a dramatic punchiness to this one that makes it disgustingly watchable.

Slightly disappointed by the lack of inclusion of Carol Burnett's "Mildred Fierce", but we can all enjoy that on Youtube.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ann Blyth gives the definitive bratty teenager performance in this movie. Her character is the world's greatest argument for birth control!

domino harvey wrote:I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ann Blyth gives the definitive bratty teenager performance in this movie. Her character is the world's greatest argument for birth control!

"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. . .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." That is some of the best, most corrosive dialogue ever.

It's been a great time for fans of Joan Crawford recently, what with Johnny Guitar getting a special edition; releases of Daisy Kenyon, Sudden Fear, and now Mildred Pierce; and the You Must Remember This podcast's Six Degrees of Joan Crawford. Happy to see another extra featuring Eddie Muller.

Notwithstanding Warner's lack of interest in releasing b&w Academy films on Blu, it surprised me that they didn't even want to release this one even with the high-profile miniseries re-adaptation of the Cain novel.

Gregory wrote:it surprised me that they didn't even want to release this one even with the high-profile miniseries re-adaptation of the Cain novel.

Yes, agreed - I am frankly gobsmacked that Warner did not choose to release this one. But given that they only released 'The Big Sleep' and other classic Bogart's this year, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.

In any case, I am very stoked about this coming from Criterion. It's one of my favourite movies of all time, and one of the great proto-noirs.

Beaver

For its age, looks fantastic.

The whole package looks like a terrific edition. Just wish there was something more on Curtiz. He is an underrated director from that era and seems to get a little neglected by the scholars.

He was a workhorse who produced an incredible amount of films over the course of his career, with as many terrible titles as great and far more dross than either extreme. I've gathered even from those who starred in his films that he was inscrutable and treated each assignment like a 9-5 job. It's like asking why there's not more appreciation for Henry Hathaway

Actually Hathaway might be easier to do as he gave a few interviews and actively pursued a few assignments. If memory serves he even masterminded How the West Was Won. That said I'd love to see a n overview of Curtiz's biography which was fairly interesting and unique at least until the '30s.

domino harvey wrote:He was a workhorse who produced an incredible amount of films over the course of his career, with as many terrible titles as great and far more dross than either extreme. I've gathered even from those who starred in his films that he was inscrutable and treated each assignment like a 9-5 job. It's like asking why there's not more appreciation for Henry Hathaway

That being said, I still think he deserves to have something more on the supplements. He's was the director for some of the biggest films of his time.

Maybe they're saving Curtiz material for another of his films!

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the restoration screened at NYC IFC Theater. It was a packed house. I think everyone from the Criterion Collection was there. They invited a number of celebrities, Joel Coen and Frances Mcdormand were there along with Paul Dano and even the director for The Lure, Agnieszka Smoczynska was sitting across the aisle from me. I'm sure there were others that I didn't notice. Before the film, Lee Kline spoke about the restoration and then introduced a 5 minute clip on how the restoration came together. Surprised this is not on the bluray/dvd. One little piece of interesting info, Lee Kline said that Criterion jumped at the opportunity when WB offered them Mildred Pierce.

He then called Todd Haynes up to talk about and eventually introduce the film. That was fun. Then the movie starts, and wow, the opening scene on the boardwalk was just stunning. Overall the film looks deliciously terrific. A little softness in some scenes. Think more to do with the photography and the use of filters for Crawford.

The only downside, there was no question and answer session, so no tidbits on what else may be coming from WB.

• Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star, a 2002 feature-length documentary on Crawford's life and career

This film's thesis: You probably only know Joan Crawford from "No wire hangers!" But there's another side to Joan. She was also a terrible person. Also an actress.

You left out Pepsi

Years ago, I read "Mommie Dearest" and thought the truth lie somewhere in between. Many defended Joan but some didn't. I'm sure that becoming an older actress in Hollywood at that time was very difficult and stressful for her and throw in a personality disorder. So her children got the brunt of her anguish.

I haven't picked up the Mildred Pierce bluray yet. I'll get during the B&N sale. I really want to check out that doc.

I'm pretty sure it was on the flipside of the WB DVD if you already have it

There's not any thread about Feud, so...

How sad, deeply sad is the last episode of the series! After almost 8 continuous hours, I miss the originals. Only at the end, Susan Sarandon plays (but doesn't speak) a perfect Bette. Where the hell is her Mid-Atlantic accent? I did not believe Jessica's work (or make up). Joan had a better body and spoke a perfectly clear English.

The Oscar night episode is very good.

Aldrich, how is it possible that a Rockefeller's cousin had got financial troubles for making his films? Strange. Molina's is the best of the show, because Aldrich, or Warner were not public persons.

Sweet Olivia was a bitch. Catherine Zeta Jones plays a much better Havilland than Sarandon or Lange.
Even Kathy Bates as Joan Blondell is more credible.

Thoughts? Gossip? sissy fans? I loved the rescue of the "arcade blow job detention".

This summer is going to be a Davis one. Last one was the Crawford. I have to read both Charlotte Chandler biographys. I'm going to watch 'The Gorgeous Hussy" where Crawford co stars with that hot Robert Taylor. She was right when she says "I played with the most handsome". Who the hell did thought that George Brent was handsome? Bogart? Cagney? The last two were talented. Brent was like a brick.

How sad is to be the most beautiful and getting old! Not all the women are like Charlotte Rampling. Not all refused surgery as Claudia Cardinale. May be Garbo was right when she said goodbye. And she's still well remembered: not the case of Norma Shearer.

I liked the feminist touch of the series.

Who does remember the magnificent Margaret Sullivan? or Irene Dunne?

Curious that all the box office poison in 37-38 are the most remembered today.