Mildred Pierce (1945)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Ranald MacDougall (screenplay)
James M. Cain (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

20 October 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

In her heart of hearts she knew it would happen this way !

Plot:

After her cheating husband leaves her, Mildred Pierce proves she can become independent and successful, but can't win the approval of her spoiled daughter.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Divorce | Snobbishness | Housewife | Source Music

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Mildred Pierce Beragon
Jack Carson	...	Wally Fay
Zachary Scott	...	Monte Beragon
Eve Arden	...	Ida Corwin
Ann Blyth	...	Veda Pierce Forrester
Bruce Bennett	...	Albert ('Bert') Pierce
Lee Patrick	...	Mrs. Maggie Biederhof
Moroni Olsen	...	Inspector Peterson
Veda Ann Borg	...	Miriam Ellis
Jo Ann Marlowe	...	Kay Pierce
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Alcorn	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Betty Alexander	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Ramsay Ames	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
George Anderson	...	Peterson's assistant (uncredited)
Robert Arthur	...	High School Boy (uncredited)
Lynn Baggett	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Leah Baird	...	Police Matron (uncredited)
Dorothy Barrett	...	Dorothy (uncredited)
Barbara Brown	...	Mrs. Forrester (uncredited)
Elyse Brown	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Claire Carleton	...	Thieving Waitress (uncredited)
Doria Caron	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Personnel Man (uncredited)
John Christian	...	Singing Teacher (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Wally's Lawyer (uncredited)
Chester Clute	...	Mr. Jones (uncredited)
John Compton	...	Theodore 'Ted' Ellison Forrester (uncredited)
Joyce Compton	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Policeman (uncredited)
David Cota	...	Pancho (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Evans	...	Sailor (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Detective (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Restaurant patron (uncredited)
Don Grant	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Angela Greene	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Dorothy Hack	...	Teenage girl (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	First Night Diner With Cane (uncredited)
Charles Jordan	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Marjorie Kane	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Bumped First Night Diner (uncredited)
Dick Kipling	...	Personnel Man (uncredited)
Manart Kippen	...	Dr. Gale (uncredited)
Perk Lazelle	...	Attorney's Clerk (uncredited)
Marion Lessing	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Jimmy Lono	...	Monte's Houseboy (uncredited)
Robert Loraine	...	Man (uncredited)
Jean Lorraine	...	Woman (uncredited)
Butterfly McQueen	...	Lottie - Mildred's Maid (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Man (uncredited)
Mary Ellen Meyran	...	Woman (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Man (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Jack (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	First Night Diner (uncredited)
Jack O'Connor	...	Detective (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Policeman on Pier (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Helen Pender	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Larry Rio	...	Reporter (uncredited)
William Ruhl	...	Personnel Man (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Diner Customer (uncredited)
Mary Servoss	...	Nurse (uncredited)
John Sheridan	...	Clerk (uncredited)
George Tobias	...	Mr. Chris (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Mr. Williams (uncredited)
Johnny Walsh	...	Delivery Man (uncredited)
Joan Wardley	...	Wife (uncredited)
Joan Winfield	...	Piano Teacher (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Ranald MacDougall		(screenplay)
James M. Cain		(novel "Mildred Pierce")
William Faulkner		uncredited and
Catherine Turney		uncredited

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Ernest Haller		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Weisbart

Art Direction by
Anton Grot

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Heath	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Special Effects by
Willard Van Enger	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milo Anderson	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestral arranger

Other crew
Herschel Daugherty	....	dialogue director
James Leicester	....	montages

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #10660) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

26652 Latigo Shore Drive, Malibu, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

William Faulkner contributed to the script, but his additions were not used. He wrote a scene that had Butterfly McQueen consoling Joan Crawford while singing a gospel song.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Just before Veda is taken into custody, she tells Mildred: "I'll get by," but her lips don't move.

Quotes:

Ida: I like Mexico; it's so... Mexican.

Movie Connections:

References Now, Voyager (1942)

Soundtrack:

South American Way

Great acting....but beware!

This gets high points for the fine acting, memorable characters and successfully melding a film noir with a soap opera. The movie is very interesting all the way through but if stupid and/or annoying characters get to you, then don't bother with this because there are some big-time fools in this film who are guaranteed to raise your blood pressure! There are six major characters in this film, only one of which I can find no fault. Three people are totally despicable, one is nice and sensible, and two are somewhere in the middle.

NICE AND SENSIBLE - Eve Arden, who provides the humor and common sense consistently. For those Baby Boomers who remember her as TV''s "Our Miss Brooks," that's what she is here: same voice, same wise cracks.

HORRIBLE HUMAN BEINGS - Ann Blyth, the Daughter from Hell, one of the worst spoiled kids in the history of film. Zachary Scott as Mildred's second husband, a slimy, gold-bricking bum who has absolutely no morals. Jack Carson as the way-too-horny slob and ruthless businessman/lawyer .

IN THE MIDDLE - The lead character, Mildred Pierce, played by Joan Crawford. Her good characteristics: hard-worker, good business sense (until the end) and very devoted mother. Her bad characteristics: absolutely no sense of judgment on how to raise kids or what a marriage is all about. Bad hairdo, too! Bruce Bennett as Mildred's first husband. Good - has common sense regarding the kids, shows forgiveness and loyalty at the end. Bad - cheats on his wife to begin with and walks out.

Note: Get the DVD. It's a beautiful transfer: nice sharp picture with good contrasts.