mildred pierce ( film )
pam cook, “duplicity in mildred pierce”, women in film noir, london: bfi 1978 .
11 responses to “ mildred vs. the miniseries: structure and scheduling in hbo’s mildred pierce ”
the front cover of the press kit sent to critics for hbo’s mildred pierce suggests that kate winslet is mildred pierce in a five - part miniseries .
nelson, joyce ,
mildred pierce reconsidered ,
in film reader (evanston, illinois), january 1977 .
haynes' s mildred pierce and michael curtiz' s mildred pierce are fascinatingly different, and malcolm mackenzie touched on the comparisons in his recent interview with haynes .
ann blyth (left) and joan crawford in mildred pierce (1945) .
note: criterion blu - ray compared to the dvd of mildred pierce here .
adaptation, adaptations, film, james m. cain, joan crawford, kate winslet, mildred pierce, miniseries, novel
mildred pierce (1945) - - (movie clip) - - ...
mildred pierce (1945) - - (movie clip) mother, ...
hbo' s
mildred pierce
is a plodding remake. | the new republic
[ 7 ] james m. cain, mildred pierce, new york: alfred a. knopf, 1941; mildred pierce (warner bros, 1945, directed by michael curtiz); mildred pierce (hbo miniseries, 2011, directed by todd haynes) .
as a film guy, i’ve definitely treated mildred pierce as a 330 - minute movie–ditto carlos. just makes sense to my brain .
mildred pierce (1945) - - (movie clip) - - we ...
mildred pierce (1945) - - (movie clip) he' ll ...
the best foreign - language film honor was awarded to the iranian film
a separation .
mildred pierce (1945) - - (movie clip) - - keeps me ...
mildred pierce (1945) - - (movie clip) - - if you ...
you are so right about the movie getting better over time. “mildred pierce” hypnotizes the viewer .
james m. cain' s novel mildred pierce: comparing the book... | bartleby
more about james m. cain' s novel mildred pierce: comparing the book and movie version
ann blyth and joan crawford are the daughter and mother in mildred pierce as a murder mystery .
mildred pierce (as played by a frumpified winslet) is most decidedly not happier than most .
truhler, kimberly (2011), ‘the style essentials: joan crawford works hard in 1945’s film noir mildred pierce’, glam amor, 30 march .
weiss, j. ,
feminist film theory and women' s history: mildred pierce and the twentieth century ,
in film & history, vol. 22, no. 3, 1992 .
cook, pam (1978), ‘duplicity in mildred pierce ‘, in e. ann kaplan (ed .), women in film noir, london: british film institute. revised edition 1998 .
lavalley, albert. mildred pierce. madison, wisconson: the university of wisconson press, 1980 .
mildred pierce is great on a double bill with all about eve. makes for a fantastic evening .
cover of warners pressbook for mildred pierce. click on image to see pages from the whole book .
a huge hit, mildred pierce made up more than half of warner brothers' profits in 1945 .
kate winslet plays the role that won joan crawford an oscar in hbo' s miniseries mildred pierce .
one solution: “mildred pierce, ” the opera. i’m sure someone is already thinking about it .
…curtiz’s other film of 1945, mildred pierce, was one of his best. a brilliant film noir reworking of a novel by james m. cain, it featured joan crawford giving one of her strongest performances, as a mother who sacrifices everything for her spoiled daughter (ann blyth). mildred pierce was nominated…
if you want to answer the questions ,
who starred in the movie mildred pierce ?
and
what is the full cast list of mildred pierce ?
then this page has got you covered .
the group’s discussion on mildred pierce focused on the following areas: the film as melodrama and / or film noir; comparison of michael curtiz’ film to james m. cain’s novel and the recent tv series starring kate winslet; the central mother daughter relationship and differences between mildred’s daughters veda and kay; the career woman in 1940s hollywood film; joan crawford’s star image .
mildred pierce is an interesting film noir, but i' ve never understood how joan crawford was selected as best actress by the motion picture academy ...
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing mildred pierce near you .
this cast list of who was in mildred pierce includes both lead and minor roles. (16 items )
cain, james m. (1941), mildred pierce, new york: alfred a. knopf .
with: kate winslet (mildred pierce), guy pearce (monty beragon), evan rachel wood (veda pierce), melissa leo (lucy gessler), james legros (wallyburgan), brian f. o’byrne (bert pierce) .
“ mildred pierce, ” the classic film noir - meets - melodrama that won joan crawford her only oscar, was released on this day in 1945, 70 years ago .
mildred pierce cast list, listed alphabetically with photos when available. this list of mildred pierce actors includes any mildred pierce actresses and all other actors from the film. you can view additional information about each mildred pierce actor on this list, such as when and where they were born. to find out more about a particular actor or actress, click on their name and you' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career. the cast members of mildred pierce have been in many other movies, so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .
ignored for the next 11 years, mildred pierce randomly made its third known appearance on 4 / 23 / 01 .
but things are not quite so simple. the role of excess in relation to mildred pierce' s ...
“mildred pierce” was remade by todd haynes as an hbo miniseries in 2011 that starred kate winslet as the entrepreneurial mildred, with evan rachel wood playing the ungrateful veda .
this
mildred pierce
has only a nodding acquaintance with the much - remembered 1945 film, a murder whodunit that brought its star, joan crawford, a best actress oscar .
' mildred pierce': a masterpiece of modern film noir the hbo miniseries mildred pierce is based on the 1941 novel by james m. cain, replacing joan crawford — who won an oscar for the 1945 film version — with kate winslet. tv critic david bianculli says winslet does wonders with her role — and will be tough to beat, come emmy season .
a remarkable thing (and there are many) about the hbo miniseries
mildred pierce
: the way it breathes .
bennett, bsabas a. joan crawford online - films: mildred pierce. 26 may. 2002. 30 may. 2002
claudia gorbman, “the drama’s melos: max steiner and mildred pierce”, the velvet light trap, no. 19, 1982 .
extraordinary housewife... kate winslet stars in todd haynes' s mildred pierce. photograph: hbo / everett / rex features
todd haynes' five - part hbo miniseries
mildred pierce
is not just great television, it' s a revelation .
highlights include :
mildred fierce
( a takeoff on the 1945 joan crawford film
mildred pierce
), with carol as the title character, vicki as her daughter and harvey as her suitor; guest... see full summary »
i absolutely love your daughter and her friends talking about this film. actually, any classic film. she was brought up right! 😀
robertson, p. ,
structural irony in mildred pierce, or how mildred lost her tongue ,
in cinema journal (austin, texas), no. 1, 1990 .
mildred pierce is built on three flashbacks. two long ones explain the course of her life with her family, and a final one dramatizes mildred’s explanation of what happened during monte’s murder .
macdougall, ranald, and catherine turney, mildred pierce, edited by albert j. la valley, madison, wisconsin, 1980 .
david, john ,
the tragedy of mildred pierce ,
in velvet light trap (madison, wisconsin), fall 1972 .
kate winslet, left, and guy pearce are shown in a scene from the hbo mini - series ,
mildred pierce .
kate winslet plays the role that won joan crawford an oscar in hbo' s miniseries mildred pierce. andrew schwartz / hbo hide caption
in september 1944, ann rutherford showed interest in the role of veda pierce .
whether reading it, watching it as a film, or watching it in five parts, the story of mildred pierce is sure to leave an impression. in my opinion, all three versions are great !
churchwell, sarah (2011), ‘re - reading: mildred pierce by james m. cain’, guardian books section, 24 june .
- love and hate in james cain' s mildred pierce some may say that the character mildred pierce of the novel, mildred pierce by james cain, may be a good role model for an entrepreneur or a single working mother. some may say that she was hopelessly devoted to her ungrateful daughter, veda. some may also argue that veda was a terrible daughter who lacked compassion, sincerity, and most of all, respect. as true as that may all be, the candlelight glowing about the flawless, sugar - coated heroine shall be blown out. fluorescent lights, please. mildred pierce loved her daughter. perhaps she had l... [ tags: cain mildred pierce essays ]
hugo
rounds out the nominations for the best movie drama category. martin scorsese won best film director for the 3 - d family film .
[ 10 ] for example, kimberly truhler, ‘the style essentials: joan crawford works hard in 1945’s film noir mildred pierce’, glam amor, 30 march 2011. online at: urltoken, accessed 21 january 2015 .
evan rachel wood, left, plays veda and kate winslet plays the title character in the hbo mini - series ,
mildred pierce .
oceanfront waves crash to the shore in the moonlight, rippling over and washing away each screen of the cast and credits, accompanied by max steiner' s dramatic score. [ note: the time period of the film extends over four years in the early 40s, including most of the war years. one of the film' s posters, titled
oh boy! home and mildred pierce ,
promoted the idea that the film was a good date film for couples following the war' s end :
warner' s mildred pierce is the big date of the day .
]
[ … ] see review like this: likebe the first to like this post. this entry was posted in 2012 in film and tagged kate winslet, mildred pierce, todd haynes. bookmark the permalink. [ … ]
‘writer - director todd haynes has previously recounted how film scholar pam cook’s 1978 foundational article “duplicity in mildred pierce” informed his 2011 hbo miniseries adaptation of james m. cain’s novel (an effective remaking of michael curtiz’ 1945 film). now, in her new essay for the open access serial sequence (a
great post. thanks so much for sharing the differences between novel and film and the reviews of the film and mini - series. would you say the crawford film is more “noir” than either the book or the mini - series ?
divorced single mom mildred pierce decides to open a restaurant business, which tears at the already - strained relationship with her ambitious elder daughter, veda .
a woman (joan crawford) turns herself into a business tycoon to win her selfish daughter a place in society in mildred pierce (1945) .
great stuff. except for those who really wanted to see cain' s mildred pierce onscreen. they would have to wait until the next century .
the ad slogan
don' t tell anyone what mildred pierce did
was parodied by a los angeles diner which had a sign that read :
for 65 cents we' ll not only serve you a sell blue plate - - we' ll tell you what mildred pierce did .
“mildred pierce, ” the classic film noir - meets - melodrama that won joan crawford her only oscar, was released on this day in 1945, 70 years ago. like many of crawford’s pictures, michael curtiz’s “mildred pierce” — based on the novel by james m. cain — told a story that in its essence, if not its details, was the [ … ]
garrett, greg ,
the many faces of mildred pierce: a case study of adaptation and the studio system ,
in literature / film quarterly (salisbury), vol. 23, no. 4, october 1995 .
mildred pierce (michael curtiz, 1945) is the next film to be screened in the melodrama research group’s series of maternal melodramas, leading up to our symposium on this topic on 3 june. but if it is a maternal melodrama, why is so much written about it under the film noir label ?
ultimately, jurassic world evolution feels built largely for the film franchise’s biggest fans .
source: out of the shadows: expanding the canon of classic film noir .
theme crafted by george e. frog. film music reporter wordpress theme by :
a woman (joan crawford) turns herself into a business tycoon to win her selfish daughter a place in society in mildred pierce (1945). >
jean dujardin won the sag best actor in a film award for his lead role in
the artist ,
a black - and - white, silent film .
ward, l. e. ,
the great films: mildred pierce ,
in classic images (muscatine), no. 119, may 1985 .
ann blyth as veda in mildred pierce would also be up there for me, to be honest. a different kind of villain perhaps but zero redeeming qualities .
i understand that joan crawford won and oscar for her performance but her role, that of mildred pierce, is a bizarre character. crawford really ...
cook, pam. ‘text, paratext and subtext: reading mildred pierce as maternal melodrama’, sequence: serial studies in media, film and music, 2. 2, 2015. issn 2052 - 3033 (online). online at: urltoken
in association with: amazon, ebay, zazzle, allposters, cafepress. all transactions are safe and secure with a reliable history in online purchasing behind our associates. explore film adaptations by browsing 1945 movies based on books, including mildred pierce .
- the relationship between mother and daughter in james cain’s mildred pierce i have always been of the belief that in order to truly love, hate must exist within the core of the relationship. nowhere in modern fiction is this dictum examined more accurately than in the novel by james cain, mildred pierce. looking at the concept in a familial context, james cain has created two well - developed characters, mildred pierce and her daughter, veda, that not only emphasizes the nature of mother - daughter relationships, but looks at how love and hate permeates the very essence of the relationship... . [ tags: mildred pierce essays ]
summary: mildred pierce, by james m. cain, begins in pre - depression california, and ends during world war ii times, also in california. the main character, mildred pierce, is a very attractive housewife of 29, raising two daughters, ray and veda. although mildred loves both her daughters, veda is a particular obsession with mildred. she constantly slaves away throughout the novel to do whatever she can to make veda happy, despite the constant abuse and deception veda inflicts upon mildred. after a…
“mildred pierce” is not about southern california during the depression. it’s about mildred pierce. why is it that so many viewers either want to focus on mildred’s role as a working woman / successful businesswoman and somewhat ignore her relationship with her elder daughter, veda? is it because veda was never punished, as she was in the 1945 movie? or is it because no one wants to acknowledge that mildred was complicit in the development of veda’s monstrous personality ?
with the headline: the screen;' mildred pierce,' warner drama starring joan crawford, new bill of the strand - - western thriller moves into gotham .
the relationship between mother and daughter in james cain’s mildred pierce i have always been of the belief that in order to truly love, hate must exist within the core of the relationship. nowhere in modern fiction is this dictum examined more accurately than in the novel by james cain, mildred pierce. looking at the concept in a familial context, james cain has created two well - developed characters, mildred pierce and her daughter, veda, that not only emphasizes the nature of mother - daughter…
cook, pam (2013), ‘beyond adaptation: mirrors, memory and melodrama in todd haynes’s mildred pierce ‘, screen, 54 (3), autumn .
after that, mildred' s dedication to veda doubles and her desperate need for veda to be extraordinary to justify her own life choices should give many a modern parent pause. there are no angels in this
mildred pierce ,
and the only sweet satisfactions on offer are mildred' s pies .
the film, adapted loosely from the james m. cain novel of the same name, tells the story of mildred pierce and her journey to business success and personal failure. much of the film’s moody opening seems as if it is trying to force mildred into the role of noir’s usual femme fatale, but as the narrative succumbs to its flashbacks, her motherhood, as well as other factors, complicates this .
comparing movie and book versions of cain' s mildred pierce i pity the screenwriter who had to adapt the novel, mildred pierce, from 289 pages down to an hour and 57 minute movie. the main character, mildred pierce, repeatedly steps out of the traditional role for women of that era, and challenges society’s norms about class. significant changes were made to the plot while converting it from book to movie. these changes add up to a significant difference in the meaning. in both the book…
mildred pierce is a wonderful “potboiler” directed by michael curtiz and based on a novel of the same name by james m. cain. the film stars joan crawford, zachary scott, ann blyth, jack carson, and eve arden. a classic film noir, the story explores the consequences of an ambitious woman overstepping her bounds in a man’s world .
hollinger, k. ,
listening to the female voice in the woman' s film ,
in film criticism (meadville, pennsylvania), no. 3, 1992 .
for more on the planning of this scene and the overall production of the film, see the screenplay mildred pierce, ed. albert j. lavalley (university of wisconsin press, 1980). you can sample some of lavalley’s enlightening introduction here. the opening scene of the screenplay is quite different from that of the film, but it does retain the false clue of monte seeming to name mildred in his death throes .
in 1941, cain published mildred pierce, his first novel to focus on a female protagonist; in 1945, it was duly made into a film, starring joan crawford in her only oscar - winning performance, as an overprotective mother trying to cover up for her homicidal daughter. that version of mildred pierce is now a classic piece of stylish film noir; but its plot and tone diverge sharply from the novel, a more ostensibly
realistic
story about a divorced woman trying to raise her daughters in depression - era california. now the film - maker todd haynes has returned to cain' s original text to bring us a mini - series of mildred pierce, with a cast including kate winslet in the title role, evan rachel wood as the treacherous daughter and guy pearce .
before he had a script, todd haynes told me he was thinkig of making a film of the james m. cain novel mildred pierce. todd and i had previously worked together on velvet goldmine, and i found him to be a musically astute director. i remembered a subplot to the 1945 joan crawford film of mildred involving a musical daughter, but todd told me that this thread was much more prominent in the novel (which i hadn' t read), and this would be reflected in his film .
rivera, a. ,
the ideological function of genres in mildred pierce ,
in imagenes (hato rey), vol. 3, no. 1, 1987 .
- james m. cain' s novel mildred pierce: comparing the book and movie version mildred pierce is one of the greatest novels written by james m. cain. after the success of the novel, the hollywood film came out, produced by jerry wald. the novel and the movie are very different from each other. “james m. cain sent several letters of complaint to producer jerry wald, objecting to the changes wald wanted to make, especially the dramatic idea of making veda a washout musically and putting her in a tawdry nightclub” (bennett notes)... . [ tags: mildred pierce essays ]
joan crawford presents a consistent and sustained characterisation of the harassed mrs. pierce fighting against relentless spiritual degradation .
[ 11 ] pam cook, ‘beyond adaptation: mirrors, memory and melodrama in todd haynes’s mildred pierce ‘, screen, 54: 3, autumn 2013: 378 - 87 .
[ 28 ] it is worth noting that norma contemplates infanticide after her lover betrays her, which connects the opera with the adult strand of maternal melodrama to which mildred pierce belongs .
at the start of mildred pierce we see monte shot down in a beach house, but we don’t see who did it. at the climax of the film, we’ll see a flashback replay the murder, filling in elements that were suppressed in the earlier version. in these sequences, director michael curtiz and the film’s screenwriters make choices about at least three narrative conventions .
adapted to film in 1945, mildred pierce has long been one of my favorite old hollywood stories, so i was very excited to come across a vintage copy of the book at a used book shop. now i can say that i’ve read the book, seen the film several time, and watched the hbo miniseries… so, here are my thoughts on them all !
rob reiner' s film rests on broad, sweeping proclamations about the importance of factual reporting .
fidelity may be a buttress of marriage, but it is sometimes a burden on film adaptations .
because of script problems some of the film was improvised by the actors together with michael curtiz .
michael curtiz and joan crawford would clash frequently over crawford' s insistence that mildred pierce would always be dressed glamorously. curtiz felt this was inappropriate for a working mother while crawford said it was because mildred was proud and wanted to project an upwardly mobile appearance .
gorbman, c. ,
the drama' s melos: max steiner and mildred pierce ,
in velvet light trap (madison, wisconsin), no. 19, 1982 .
oh, and one last thing — hbo' s mildred pierce will make you hungrier for pie than any television offering since twin peaks and pushing daisies. select your tv snacks accordingly .
an accomplished star among the movie set, it may seem out of the ordinary for kate winslet to be appearing on the small screen – but there is nothing small about mildred pierce .
boozer, j. , jr. ,
entrepreneurs and' family values' in the postwar film ,
in florida state university conference on literature and film, vol. 18, 1993 .
after seeing the film, james m. cain sent joan crawford a signed first edition of the original novel. the inscription read :
to joan crawford, who brought mildred pierce to life just as i had always hoped she would be, and who has my lifelong gratitude .

the lamp in mildred' s living room
: cain' s mildred pierce and veblen' s conspicuous consumption
by robison, lori - papers on language & literature, vol. 52, issue 3, summer 2016 | online research library: questia
2014 cimba award: best film review (comedy / musical) for meet me in st. louis
spielberg' s
the adventures of tintin
won the golden globe for best animated feature film .
film noir guide: 745 films of the classic era, 1940 - 1959 by michael f. keaney
[ 9 ] sarah churchwell, ‘re - reading: mildred pierce by james m. cain’, guardian books section, 24 june 2011. online at: urltoken, accessed 21 january 2015 .
it' s surprising there haven' t been more than two adaptations of james m. cain' s mildred pierce. especially since the first one is so wildly divergent from the novel .
in
mildred pierce ,
he sports a devil - may - care attitude, a pencil mustache and a roadster as monty, who sweeps mildred off her feet at the end of episode 2. he re - enters her life years later, in episode 5 .
- the female entrepreneurial role in james m cain' s mildred pierce a woman' s place in the post - depression era is usually one where a woman would commonly be known to have a role in the economy; only to be waiting in her kitchen to cook for the
money - making husband .
it was often rare to encounter one woman who had the ability to take her inner interests and turn them into an entrepreneurial role in society. yet, through this novel by james m. cain, one will encounter mildred pierce, in which mildred uses her inner talent, and cooking... . [ tags: mildred pierce essays ]
when bert takes mildred to wally' s waterfront dive to see veda perform
the oceana roll
, mildred is wearing a brooch shaped like a lobster .
kate winslett as mildred pearce photograph: c. hbo / everett / rex features
mildred pierce begins to shift between past and present when the protagonist discloses her back story to the police. this film technique brings to light mildred’s character development and eventually exposes her husband’s murderer. it also intrigues the viewer, leaving them constantly guessing who the killer is. for example, in the introduction, the viewer is lead to believe that mildred is the culprit and later that her ex - husband is guilty of the crime. as the movie progresses, the viewer is even tricked into suspecting wally killed mildred’s husband out of jealousy. this enhances the shock the audience feels when the film ultimately reveals that veda is the true murderer .
evan rachel wood, left, and kate winslet in
mildred pierce ,
a mini - series, based on the novel by james m. cain, beginning on hbo on april 3 .
the 84 - year - old, who received a best supporting actress oscar nomination 67 years ago for' mildred pierce,' reflects on her life and career with thr' s scott feinberg .
mildred pierce provides insight to the psychological desire to be needed that so many crave. so many aspects of the human psychological condition and experience can be seen in this classic film. the aspect of the deep desire to be needed is brilliantly delivered to the audience through a riveting and enticing storyline, presenting to the audience a tale of desire and passion and the constant battle of mildred pierce to live her life in the way that most fulfilled her. the director did a superb job in the film when it came to the film form. the film started off in present time and then moved to the past in a chronological order, occasionally returning to the present until the final scene which finished the film in the present. also, the narration of the film added a great effect to the movie as it was coming from the main character mrs. mildred pierce and then slowly vanished with the audience barely noticing it was missing. although through her journey mildred encountered many obstacles and tribulations, she continued to fight on for her daughter, consistently trying to buy herself a place into veda’s life. she fought until the end when even all she had done no longer counted, and she lost the person most important in her life, the one she craved to be needed by the most .
- the love story in james cain' s mildred pierce in mildred pierce, by james cain, the novel revolves around some very interesting and universal concepts that seem to be themes in many of his novels. “as in his previous work, the novel revolves around love, money, and sex, but though success is perverse and wish fulfillment destructive, there is no murder” (gale group biography) one most interesting theme is the theme of love and lust, and what drove the characters to their actions, and what motivated them... . [ tags: mildred pierce essays ]
i find it interesting that you focused on the psychological features of this film because those were the aspects that stood out to me as well, as opposed to the murder story line. while this film certainly has some film noir characteristics, with the inclusion of the murder of monte, i was not riveted to the screen until the film started to delve into mildred’s past. her obsession with being needed was really the driving force for the entire film, and it could be argued that had it not been for her desire to be needed, the murder may not have occurred in the first place .
when mildred pierce' s out - of - work husband leaves her for another woman, mildred decides to raise her two daughters on her own. despite mildred' s financial successes in the restaurant business, her oldest daughter, veda, resents her mother for degrading their social status. in the midst of a police investigation after the death of her second husband, mildred must evaluate her own freedom and her complicated relationship with her daughter .
if todd haynes' s mildred pierce was going out as a feature film, it would be a very big event, and even now i wonder if hbo could not put on a special epic - length theatrical release – a five - hour extravaganza, rather like olivier assayas' s carlos, that whoppingly long film that started life as a television series and just seemed to zip past in an instant .
the film is less concerned with placing gauguin in his historical context than it is with his emotional tribulations .
literature / film quarterly (salisbury, maryland), vol. 11, no. 1, 1983 .
the inside cover, meanwhile, touts academy award winner kate winslet starring in a film by todd haynes .
copyright © 2013 - 16 sequence serial studies in media, film and music and authors. some rights reserved
ok, yes, definitely going to check out mildred pierce, the book. i saw the movie earlier this summer for the first time and i still think about it. i loved the contrast between the book and film that you’ve described, aurora. fascinating! thanks for the book tips…my other obsessions 🙂
[
mildred pierce is melodramatic trash .
] when you say ...
melodramatic trash
, are you saying that all melodrama are trash? or that this particular melodrama is trash ?
a scheduling conflict means that the melodrama research group will meet in jarman 6 for the screening of mildred pierce at 4. 30pm on tuesday the 20th of may – a little later than originally planned .
in an interview with david frost, joan crawford revealed that michael curtiz wanted barbara stanwyck to play mildred pierce, but joan won him over after a screen test with her co - star ann blyth .
the fact that you make mention of the flashback is a winner in my opinion. the flashback in this film showed the different side of mildred’s character and how she grew throughout the film. it also was a way for the plot to move from mildred’s story of why her ex husband could not have killed monte, and it turns the flashback into the actual murder mystery story .
the misleading narration of mildred pierce has its parallel in crime fiction, particularly the thrillers of the 1940s. see this entry on the site for more background. a ruth rendell novel, wolf to the slaughter (1967), contains a boldly misleading opening that is somewhat similar to what happens in our film .
when mildred pierce' s out - of - work husband leaves her for another woman, mildred decides to raise her two daughters on her own. despite mildred' s financial successes in the restaurant business, her oldest daughter, veda, resents her mother for degrading their social status. in the midst of a police investigation after the death of her second husband, mildred must evaluate her own freedom and her complicated relationship with her daughter. written by jwelch5742
' mildred pierce' was remade at five hours so it could be more faithful to the book. why not do that with' bonfire of the vanities,' vonnegut' s work, and more ?
cast: joan crawford (mildred pierce); jack carson (wally); zachary scott (monty beragon); eve arden (ida); bruce bennett (bert pierce); ann blyth (veda pierce); jo ann marlowe (kay pierce); mannart kippen (dr. gale); lee patrick (mrs. biederhof); moroni olsen (inspector peterson); barbara brown (mrs. forrester); charles trowbridge (mr. williams); john compton (ted forrester); butterfly mcqueen (lottie); chester clute (mr. jones) .
the film flirts with miserablism, but it counterbalances the direness of nisha' s situation with moments of levity .
ida corwin :
personally, veda' s convinced me that alligators have the right idea. they eat their young .
too right. joan' s master performance a riveting film noir film with a suprising ending .
source :
tough guy: james m. cain interviewed
in film comment may - june, 1976 .
jack l. warner originally wanted vincent sherman to direct the film but jerry wald held out for michael curtiz .
along with a trailer. good film and i' d like to know more about the sepia tint .
michael curtiz’ film was also discussed in relation to james m. cain’s novel. it was noted that curtiz’ film kept a flavour of cain’s punchy social commentary. we were a little surprised that under hollywood’s production code fairly obvious references to extra - marital sex and pregnancy were included. the film was still, as variety noted in its review, fairly cleaned up from the novel. while in cain’s novel veda became a successful opera singer – and therefore profited from her hideous behaviour – in curtiz’ film she ends up a low - rent cabaret act. a more significant difference is mildred’s response to finding her eldest daughter veda (ann blyth) and mildred’s second husband monte (zachary scott) in a compromising position. in cain’s novel mildred is so enraged she attempts to strangle her daughter. such an understandable response is not present in curtiz’ film, though. instead mildred’s suffering sacrifice is played to the hilt. mildred’s one refusal of veda’s demands occurs when veda has shot monte dead. mildred soon reconsiders, however, and is prepared to take responsibility for the crime herself .
i pity the screenwriter who had to adapt the novel, mildred pierce, from 289 pages down to an hour and 57 minute movie. the main character, mildred pierce, repeatedly steps out of the traditional role for women of that era, and challenges society’s norms about class. significant changes were made to the plot while converting it from book to movie. these changes add up to a significant difference in the meaning .
[ … ] talked about transliterations a while back in my review for mildred pierce and i would like to bring it up again. i haven’t read the entirety of the original novel, but, [ … ]
to audiences who’ve read or seen the film version of “mommie dearest” — the story of the very unhappy childhood reportedly inflicted by crawford on her own adopted daughter, christina — however, the film resonates in a way that it did not when first seen seven decades ago, as “mildred pierce” is the story of a mother so self - sacrificing and dedicated to her daughter that the girl grows up well groomed, well educated and completely ungrateful .
mildred pierce was also famously adapted in the much - loved 1945 film starring joan crawford – the actress won an oscar for her portrayal. “i deliberately didn’t see the film because i felt i might feel under terrible pressure, ” winslet says. “i mean, who wouldn’t, for god’s sake? joan crawford won an academy award in that role and i just didn’t want to scare myself. acting is scary enough as it is. ”
james m. cain' s novel mildred pierce: comparing the book and movie version mildred pierce is one of the greatest novels written by james m. cain. after the success of the novel, the hollywood film came out, produced by jerry wald. the novel and the movie are very different from each other. “james m. cain sent several letters of complaint to producer jerry wald, objecting to the changes wald wanted to make, especially the dramatic idea of making veda a washout musically and putting her in a tawdry nightclub” (bennett notes). the three main differences in the film were, the murder of monte, veda not having a successful career, and the time period only covering 1941 to 1945. the main difference between the film and the novel
, the film, is one of those that gets better with each viewing – with wonderful performances across the board, a gorgeous noir and story that render it unforgettable. it is certainly worthy of a post dedicated to its merits as a film alone. that one is to come – one of these days. i’ll give one view i have toward the film now – that is that although joan crawford won the best actress academy award for her depiction of the film’s title character, and a damn good acting performance it is, it’s ann blyth’s portrayal of veda that lingers. she’s magnificent in a despicable sort of way. actually, she may well be the most hateful character in all of film to me. here’s the film’s original trailer to whet your appetite if you’ve yet to see the film…
when mildred pierce' s (joan crawford) wealthy husband leaves her for another woman, mildred decides to raise her two daughters on her own. despite mildred' s financial successes in the restaurant business, her oldest daughter, veda (ann blyth), resents her mother for degrading their social status. in the midst of a police investigation after the death of her second husband (zachary scott), mildred must evaluate her own freedom and her complicated relationship with her daughter .
along these same lines, in cain’s novel mildred has a very healthy sexual appetite and enjoys physical relationships with both wally and monte. the film steers away from this characterization after that day at the beach because it is simply not acceptable. in the film the character of wally pursues her but never quite gets anywhere .
tagged academy awards, ann blyth, bruce bennett, butterfly mcqueen, ceda, eve arden, jack carson, james m. cain, joan crawford, michael curtiz, mildred pierce, the production code, zachary scotth
- comparing movie and book versions of cain' s mildred pierce i pity the screenwriter who had to adapt the novel, mildred pierce, from 289 pages down to an hour and 57 minute movie. the main character, mildred pierce, repeatedly steps out of the traditional role for women of that era, and challenges society’s norms about class. significant changes were made to the plot while converting it from book to movie. these changes add up to a significant difference in the meaning. in both the book and the movie, the story is about a housewife who dramatically changes her life... . [ tags: comparison compare contrast essays ]
todd haynes has adapted mildred pierce, james m cain' s novel about a divorced mother in the depression, as a sumptuous tv mini - series. but what has been gained and what lost in the process ?
kimberly reed' s approach is too bloodless to make us feel the full weight of the injustices her film identifies .
kaplan, e. ann, editor, women in film noir, london, 1978; revised edition, 1980 .
the sag actor trophies go to both television and film actors, and the winners are chosen by their acting peers .
although mildred' s maternal sacrifice is portrayed as noble, some have claimed that the film is cautionary and anti - feminist, with mildred presented as a typical 1940' s post - war housewife whose' american dream - fulfilling' role - switching movement from suburban, middle - class home - maker to divorced, successful business entrepreneur (restaurant - chain owner) results in corruptive, destructive disaster (both financial and personal). this was symbolized in the film in movements from bright, daytime s. california scenes to dark, criminal, nightmarish scenes. the film' s taglines described mildred' s character :
cook, pam (2014), ‘word vs. image: making mildred’s kiss (2013) ’, reframe: the audiovisual essay: practice and theory in videographic film and moving image studies, september .
the film opens with a dramatic shooting rather than an argument between mildred and her husband, which was how the novel opened. the rest of the film’s story is told through the frame of a police interrogation, with mildred recounting her sordid tale through flashbacks. though it differs from the book, this structure is successfully used, bringing a great sense of tension and a noir - style edge to the story .
haralovich, m. b. ,
too much guilt is never enough for working mothers: joan crawford, mildred pierce, and mommie dearest ,
in velvet light trap (madison, wisconsin), spring 1992 .
criterion has done a splendid job on this edition for the film. the supplements are all quite good but the real selling point to this edition is the new restoration for the film, which looks very striking. it comes highly recommended .
gunshots crack and a dying man gasps ,
mildred !
in a classic of mother love and murder, mildred toils her way from waitress to restaurateur to fulfill her spoiled daughter veda' s demands. mildred' s indulgence and the ungrateful veda' s precocious appetite .
back in 1992 i wrote an essay about this technique. “cognition and comprehension: viewing and forgetting in mildred pierce ” focuses on the murder of monte beragon in the 1945 film. a revised version of the essay appears in poetics of cinema and is now available on this website. the piece tries to show that a cognitive approach to comprehension and recollection can explain how a film shapes viewers’ responses—in this case, creating mystery while making viewers forget certain things they’ve seen .
highlights include :
mildred fierce
( a takeoff on the 1945 joan crawford film
mildred pierce
), with carol as the title character, vicki as her daughter and harvey as her suitor; guest ken berry sings and dances to
love stolen
; a couple spends one last night together on the eve of their divorce; and tim as the world' s oldest hot dog stand vendor, tending to a customer .
in the television movie or miniseries categories, best actress award went to kate winslet for
mildred pierce .
paul giamatti won best actor for his portrayal of federal reserve chairman ben bernanke in
too big to fail .
the replay explains why mildred contemplated drowning herself afterward: she was in despair at the couple’s treachery and the crime that veda committed. when suicide was blocked, mildred tried to frame wally for the murder in order to protect veda. and the replay suggests that it’s not mildred but veda who drives off from beach house, leaving mildred to drift down to the pier .
this film, a tremendous box - office hit and critical success, was an adaptation by ranald macdougall and catherine turney (and william faulkner) of james m. cain' s 1941' hard - boiled' novel of the same name. cain' s original novel was a satire about bourgeois values, and a tale of poor parenthood. [ note: cain was responsible for two sources for film noir classics - his 1936 novella for double indemnity (1944) and his best - selling work for mildred pierce (1945). ] atypical for film noirs, the main protagonist in the film is a female - but she is typically brought down by a femme fatale - her own daughter. the intriguing murder story is told with a flashback structure reminiscent of citizen kane (1941). successful promotional copy for the film read :
phelps, d. ,
gros garcon ,
in film comment (new york), september - october 1993 .
imogen sara smith is the author of in lonely places: film noir beyond the city and buster keaton: the persistence of comedy. her writing has appeared in sight & sound, cineaste, film quarterly, reverse shot, and other publications .
mildred pierce won crawford the oscar she desperately coveted and still endures as her most popular picture. while the film launched her on a new phase as an icon of pulp torment, it is distinct from the rest because it is superbly nasty noir that plays havoc with the era' s american ideals of women, home, mom and her apple pie .
and “mildred pierce, ” a beautifully made mini - series that begins sunday on hbo and stars kate winslet, proves the point. it’s a five - part drama that is loyally, unwaveringly true to james m. cain ’s 1941 novel and somehow not nearly as satisfying as the 1945 film noir that took shameless liberties with plot, characters and settings .
mildred pierce is the third joan crawford film i have been lucky enough to see in theaters this past year or so. the first one i saw was johnny guitar, and i really enjoyed it. the second was pretty recently, and it was flamingo road, and was so much better than i had expected. you can read that review here :
a last musing: might viewers exposed to publicity come into the film expecting mildred to be the culprit? (on mildred ‘s marketing, see mary beth haralovich, “selling mildred pierce: a case study in movie promotion, ” in thomas schatz, boom and bust: american cinema in the 1940s (scribners, 1997), 196 - 202 .) the french poster below seems to put her in a doorway with a smoking gun. or is that veda in the doorway? perhaps the uncertainty of the narration is prefigured by this advertisement.
mildred pierce is a 1945 american film noir directed by michael curtiz and starring joan crawford , jack carson and zachary scott , also featuring eve arden , ann blyth and bruce bennett . based on a novel by james m. cain , this was crawford 's first starring film for warner bros. after leaving metro-goldwyn-mayer , and won her the academy award for best actress . in 1996 , mildred pierce was deemed " culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant " and selected for preservation in the united states library of congress national film registry . 
mildred pierce is a 1945 american film noir directed by michael curtiz and starring joan crawford, jack carson and zachary scott, also featuring eve arden, ann blyth and bruce bennett. based on a novel by james m. cain, this was crawford's first starring film for warner bros. after leaving metro-goldwyn-mayer, and won her the academy award for best actress. in 1996, mildred pierce was deemed " culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant " and selected for preservation in the united states library of congress national film registry.
mildred pierce is a 1945 american film noir directed by michael curtiz and starring joan crawford, jack carson and zachary scott, also featuring eve arden, ann blyth and bruce bennett. based on a novel by james m. cain, this was crawford's first starring film for warner bros. after leaving metro-goldwyn-mayer, and won her the academy award for best actress. in 1996, mildred pierce was deemed " culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant " and selected for preservation in the united states library of congress national film registry.