Mildred Pierce (Keepcase)
by Michael Curtiz
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ann Blyth, Eve Arden, Jack Carson, Joan Crawford, Zachary ScottDirector: Michael Curtiz
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 109 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-06-14
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 67538
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- What Veda wants, her mother Mildred Pierce provides. Even if Mildred must end her middle-class marriage, climb atop the male-dominated business world and marry a wealthy man she doesn't love. "I'll do anything," Mildred says in explaining her love for her daughter. But does anything include murder?Just when you think you got this nominee for five other Oscarsincluding Best Picture figured out, alo
Movie Reviews of Mildred Pierce (Keepcase)
Movie Review: 100% pure Joan Crawford!
Summary: 5 Stars
In Joan's 6-decade career she had 5 career defining pictures. These are: Our Dancing Daughters, Grand Hotel, The Women , What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and her most famous movie role ever, "Mildred Pierce." All of these movies were extremely influential for both the film industry and for fans of Joan, especially. But "Mildred Pierce" is truly extra special because it opened the floodgates for an entirely new genre and showcased a brand-new Joan Crawford.
Joan is no longer the loveless shop girl when she goes to work for Warners portraying workhorse Mildred Pierce in her comeback picture, after leaving MGM. In this film, Joan plays the title-role (later known as either Mildred Beragon or Mildred Pierce Beragon.)
Mildred Pierce (September 24, 1945) (Studio: Warners)
Runtime Listing: 109 mins
Color/BW: Black and White
(Joan played: Mildred Pierce Beragon)
Brief Synopsis:
A woman turns herself into a business tycoon to win her selfish daughter a place in society.
Special Features on this double-sided disc:
Joan Crawford Warner Bros. Documentary
Cast & Crew Info
"Mildred Pierce" Original Trailer
"Humoresque" Original Trailer
"Flamingo Road" Original Trailer
"The Damned Don't Cry" Original Trailer
"Goodbye My Fancy" Original Trailer
"This Woman Is Dangerous" Original Trailer
Note: "Mildred Pierce" is also included on Joan's Warner Home Video Boxed Set .
The movie starts out with Mildred trying to jump off a bridge in an apparent suicide attempt. A cop who's patrolling the area talks her down and she is later taken downtown for questioning when it is revealed that her second husband has been shot and killed!
Most of the movie is a flashback, as Mildred tells her story to the investigator. Joan sounds so empathetic and has such a morose look on her face as she's sitting there being questioned. Everyone can see what she is going through and everyone can tell how despondent she is simply by looking at her.
Here are the main cast members of the movie:
Joan Crawford / Mildred Pierce Beragon
Ann Blyth / Veda Pierce Forrester
Butterfly McQueen / Lottie
Jack Carson / Wally Fay
Zachary Scott / Monte Beragon
Eve Arden / Ida Corwin
Jo Ann Marlowe / Kay Pierce
Bruce Bennett / Albert Pierce
Over the course of only a few years Mildred managed to turn herself into a business tycoon and tried to do just about anything to win the love and attention of her children. Mildred even left her husband when he couldn't sit by any longer and watch as she continued spoiling them. Mildred's response was: it may not be right, but that's just the way it is.
Joan was so breathtakingly beautiful in this movie. (Although Joan has since said that she looked "crummy" in this movie.) Her makeup and dresses and hats and accessories were all pure 1940's style. But Joan added her own touch of elegance and beauty which helped shape an entirely new fashion trend for bored American Women who were otherwise busy suffering through their second World War. My favorite outfit is that oversized fur (mink?) coat with matching hat that she can be seen wearing during the beginning. So over-the-top and dramatic. Pure Joan Crawford!
Veda. She was a handful. And so beautiful and talented. Ann Blyth has such a lovely voice and appeared in a variety of musicals after this film. Veda and Mildred looked so much alike. They almost looked like they could be sisters because Joan looked so young. This was probably done to convey that Mildred got married at such a young age and was virtually trapped.
Throughout the entire picture Joan's acting is hands down her very best performance, ever. It's like she was taking an important exam and studied for it day and night and when it came time she aced it. Joan has given many stellar performances throughout her long career, but none of them are as captivating or as memorable as "Mildred Pierce."
It's hard to say which is my very favorite scene because there are so many that I really enjoy. I especially loved the scene in the beginning with Veda berating her mother. Did you notice how dramatic it was when Joan gave her that much-deserved smack? I felt like I could hear a pin drop because everyone got quiet. I also loved the scene on the steps with Veda taunting Mildred after she weaseled the 10 grand from the rich family. "At this stage it's a matter of opinion," she says when Mildred questions if she is really with child. "Veda I'm beginning to see you for the very first time," Joan says with such passion and despair. Veda continues taunting her mother, finally Mildred snatches the check out of her hand and tears it to shreds! And all of a sudden Veda clocks her mom in the face and Mildred falls down in such a theatrical, yet speedy manner (just like how Dorothy's house landed in Oz.) "Veda you get your things and you get out," Mildred orders. Even though Mildred was always nice as pie to Veda I bet in this situation she would have loved to beat the hell out of this little monster; Veda took off up the stairs as fast as she could!
The scene with Kay dying was especially tragic. Some have said that Joan didn't act enough in this particular segment of the movie. I tend to disagree. I believe it was the just the right balance of composure and mournfulness. Because the plot was trying to convey that Mildred still had Veda, who was really her favorite. (God knows why?)
There are some really great supporting roles in this movie. Ann Blyth was perfect and deservedly received an Oscar nomination for her role as the spoiled (rhymes with) witch because her entire being was so devious and sinister; from star to finish. I also enjoyed Miss Butterfly McQueen, typecast as Lottie; Mildred's do-anything maid. Zachary Scott was really convincing as the sneaky snake Monte Beragon. He played a really good con-man. And, finally I was very impressed with Eve Arden. She was such a funny actress and gave some great one-liners: leave some clothes on me, or I'll get cold (she said sarcastically to Wally as he was staring at her legs.)
This was Joan's first dramatic role after switching to Warners (her first film for them was the musical Hollywood Canteen) and during this time Joan was just churning out some of her very best movies. Joan also made a variety of other top-notch movies that were not unlike "Mildred Pierce," these of course include "Flamingo Road," "The Damned Don't Cry" and "This Woman is Dangerous."
Contrary to popular belief Joan did not have to take a screen test for "Mildred Pierce." That is an absolute fallacy. In 1943 when Joan signed on with Warners she was given complete control over all of her movies; which included script approval, cast approval and director approval. At the time, this was completely unheard of; even stars such as Greta Garbo or Bette Davis were never afforded the same courtesy. In 1945 (when this picture was filmed,) Joan was one of the most powerful women in all of Hollywood. Joan did agree to be filmed reading some of the lines, but this was hardly a test and she did this only because she was always a team player and she knew that her director was threatened by such a powerful woman. But this did not decide Joan's fate in this movie, at all. The only person Joan answered to as far as her career with Warners was the executive producer and owner of the studio, Jack Warner.
Joan won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of "Mildred Pierce." "I felt like it was for all of my roles up to then just as much as for Mildred," Joan once proudly said. Unfortunately, on the awards night Joan was deathly ill. Her doctor warned her not to leave her home under any circumstance. Joan didn't want to get even sicker nor would she have ever gone out in public if she ever thought that it may disappoint her public. So she stayed in bed and awaited the news.
Movie Trivia
* Laughing Sinners is Joan's only other movie that starts out with her character attempting to jump off a bridge.
* Joan won her only Oscar for this movie (she was nominated 2 other times since this picture.)
* Miss Butterfly McQueen is uncredited in both "Mildred Pierce," and in Joan's '39 classic "The Women."
* The movie is based on the book by James M. Cain, by the same title.
* The alternative band, Sonic Youth has a song titled "Mildred Pierce."
* Zachary Scott has often been confused with Joan's costar from When Ladies Meet , Robert Taylor.
* The director, Michael Curtiz also directed both Joan and Zachary Scott in Joan's '49 classic Flamingo Road .
* Bruce Bennett is the oldest living cast member (at the age of 99.)
* There was an actress in this film whose real name was Veda. Veda Ann Borg played the role of Miriam Ellis.
Joan was always such a thankful person who never forgot her coworkers that helped her along. When she was asked about "Mildred Pierce" (more than 3 decades later) all she wanted to do was thank her colleagues: First of all credit, big credit where credit is due. To Jim Cain, who wrote the novel and created a character so real couldn't help play. "Play" in quotes. To Jack Carson, Ann Blyth, Zachary Scott, George Tobias, and Eve Arden, who breathed life into the subsidiary characters and made Mildred come off.
Who would enjoy "Mildred Pierce?" If you enjoy classic pictures during Hollywood's Golden Age you will love this movie. If you enjoy anything with Joan Crawford you will love this movie. If you enjoy suspense or mystery then you will certainly like this one. Remember, you are what you watch!
Summary of Mildred Pierce (Keepcase)
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