"Mildred Pierce" on 7/9/2023 at 3pm ET / 1pm MT
Jul 10, 2023 16:39:05 GMT
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Post by Fading Fast on Jul 10, 2023 16:39:05 GMT
Mildred Pierce form 1945 with Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott and Eve Arden
With a famous movie like Mildred Pierce, you come to see that its well-done story - a divorced mother builds a business to support her two children, but nothing she does is good enough for her stuck-up eldest daughter - isn't why the movie is a classic.
It's everything else that makes it timeless and special. It is the excellent acting from the entire cast, the incredible characters they create and the screenwriters' sharp and funny dialogue - all amplified by the picture's beautiful cinematography and enduring themes.
Joan Crawford's captivating performance, as the mother who takes an entire movie to finally see her daughter for who she is, earned her an Oscar and enough box-office mojo to extend the leading-lady phase of her career for another decade.
She's matched, though, by Ann Blyth playing 5'2" of one of the scariest daughters ever on screen. Blyth is so good, she even returns Crawford's signature slap with a better one of her own that knocks Joan off her feet.
Blyth and Crawford's uber dysfunctional relationship drives all the drama as Crawford can't accept who her daughter really is, while Blyth has a sociopath's skill at exploiting the people who love her. It's a sick and incredibly engaging relationship to watch.
Jack Carson, Warner Bros.' big-guy utility infielder, gives a career performance as the jolly friend who is shrewd as heck. You almost don't take him seriously until he dope slaps the arrogant white-shoe attorney around in the tense divorce-negotiation scene.
Zachary Scott as the old-money playboy who is now out of money but not out of tricks and Eve Arden, once again playing the wisecracking best friend, bring verve and depth to what could have been two-dimensional characters.
Bruce Bennett as the good husband, Lee Patrick as "the other woman" who proves to be a very kind person and Moroni Olsen as the sharp but understanding police inspector all elevate their small but impactful roles.
The writers, including James M. Cain, who is the author of the original novel, and screenwriters William Faulkner and Ranald MacDougall produced a script that is so dense with good lines, you need several viewings to catch them all.
Ernest Haller's beautiful noir cinematography not only made incredible use of the California coast and Los Angeles' art deco architecture, but he also created memorable indoor images that engage you visually as they advance the narrative.
Watch for Jack Carson looking like a scared trapped animal in an early scene when he can't get out of the beach house. Also look for the "suspects" scene in the police inspector's outer office for examples of Haller's noir cinematography at its best.
Director Michael Curtiz shows that Casablanca wasn't a one-off home run as he elevates good material to greatness by knowing when to slow the movie down to let you absorb a poignant moment or to speed it up to prevent boredom during exposition.
With themes of unconditional love, arrant greed and family betrayal, Mildred Pierce could have become an okay soap opera or just a good drama, but outstanding acting, directing and cinematography turned this Warner Bros. production into a classic.
Today, the fun in watching Mildred Pierce again and again is that each additional viewing is like visiting with an old friend, but an old friend who can still surprise you with something new and amazing each time.
N.B. The Slapfest:
Round one goes to Crawford:
But it's Blyth wining by a knockout in round two: