Mildred Pierce is an American film noir released in 1945 and directed by Michael Curtiz.^[1] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 396 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (499 × 755 pixel, file size: 59 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is of a poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher or the creator of the work depicted. ... Michael Curtiz (December 24, 1886 - April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, whose best known films include The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and White Christmas. ... This article is about Jack Warner, the head of Warner Brothers. ... Jerry Wald, born Jerome Irving Wald (16 September 1911 - 13 July 1962), was a producer and screenwriter for motion pictures and radio shows. ... James Mallahan Cain (July 1, 1892 – October 27, 1977) was an American journalist and novelist. ... William Cuthbert Faulkner (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American novelist and poet whose works feature his native state of Mississippi. ... Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905[1]– May 10, 1977) was an acclaimed, iconic, Academy Award-winning American actress, arguably one of the greatest from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. ... Jack Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 3, 1963 was a Canadian actor. ... Zachary Scott (Austin, Texas February 24, 1914 – October 3, 1965 also in Austin from a brain tumour) was an American actor, most notable for his roles as villains and mystery men. He was a distant cousin of both George Washington and Bat Masterson. ... Eve Arden (April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy--winning American actress, who established a lengthy career as a supporting and character actor but was best remembered for playing a sardonically engaging high school teacher in the radio and television classic Our Miss Brooks. ... Maximilian Raoul Walter Steiner (born May 10, 1888 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary; died December 28, 1971 in Hollywood, California) was an Austrian-American composer of music for theater production shows and films. ... Ernest Haller, also credited as Ernie B. Haller, (31 May 1896-21 October 1970), was an American cinematographer. ... David M. Weisbart (January 21, 1915 July 21, 1967) was an American film editor and producer A native of Los Angeles, California, David Weisbart began working in the film industry in 1942 as an editor. ... Warner Bros. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945and died 2007 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This still from The Big Combo (1955) demonstrates the visual style of film noir at its most extreme. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... Michael Curtiz (December 24, 1886 - April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, whose best known films include The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and White Christmas. ...

The picture is based on the 1941 novel Mildred Pierce, written by James M. Cain. For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... For other uses, see Mildred Pierce (disambiguation). ... James Mallahan Cain (July 1, 1892 – October 27, 1977) was an American journalist and novelist. ...

Joan Crawford plays the title character. The most astonishing fact about the adaptation is that it was designed as a thriller. For that reason, a murder was introduced into the plot.^[2] It was Crawford's first starring role for Warner Bros. after leaving MGM - ironically, WB would later acquire the rights to the pre-1986 MGM library. Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905[1]– May 10, 1977) was an acclaimed, iconic, Academy Award-winning American actress, arguably one of the greatest from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television. ... Warner Bros. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ...

While the novel is told by a third person narrator in strict chronological order, the film uses voice-over narration (the voice of Mildred). The story is framed by the questioning of Mildred Pierce at the local police station where she has been brought after the police discover the body of her second husband, Monte Beragon. A voice-over is a narration that is played on top of a video segment, usually with the audio for that segment muted or lowered. ... A frame story (also frame tale, frame narrative, etc) is a narrative technique whereby a main story is composed, at least in part, for the purpose of organizing a set of shorter stories, each of which is a story within a story. ...

Plot

The film in noir fashion opens with smarmy Monte Beragon (Zachary Scott) being shot. He cries out the name "Mildred" as he collapses and dies. Zachary Scott (Austin, Texas February 24, 1914 – October 3, 1965 also in Austin from a brain tumour) was an American actor, most notable for his roles as villains and mystery men. He was a distant cousin of both George Washington and Bat Masterson. ...

The police are led to believe that the murderer is the restaurant owner Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford). She then relates her life story in flashback. We see Mildred unhappily married to Bert Pierce (Bruce Bennett) as the story is told. Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905[1]– May 10, 1977) was an acclaimed, iconic, Academy Award-winning American actress, arguably one of the greatest from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. ... In literature and film, a flashback (also called analepsis) takes the narrative back in time from the point the story has reached, to recount events that happened before and give the back-story. ... Bennett in Sudden Fear Actor Bruce Bennett (born, and originally credited as, Herman Brix) was a movie and television actor, born May 16, 1906, in Tacoma, Washington. ...

She divorces him, and keeps custody of her two daughters: Veda (Ann Blyth) and Kay (Jo Anne Marlowe). Ann Blyth Ann Marie Blyth (born August 16, 1928 in Mount Kisco, New York) is an American actress and singer, most often cast in Hollywood musicals, but who also succeeded in the dramatic roles she was given. ...

She tries to keep oldest daughter Veda in luxury, so Mildred takes a series of jobs. The best work she finds is a waitressing position. With the help of her new friend and supervisor, Ida (Eve Arden), Mildred opens a restaurant and turns it into a genuine money-maker. Real estate agent Wally Fay (Jack Carson) helps Mildred buy the restaurant and it grows into a chain of "Mildred Pierce's" throughout Southern California. Eve Arden (April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy--winning American actress, who established a lengthy career as a supporting and character actor but was best remembered for playing a sardonically engaging high school teacher in the radio and television classic Our Miss Brooks. ... Jack Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 3, 1963 was a Canadian actor. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ...

Mildred continues smothering Veda in affection and giving her worldly goods. She goes as far as entering into a loveless yet sexually charged marriage with the formerly wealthy Monte Beragon in order to improve her social standing. Yet, Beragon lives the life of a playboy, much to Mildred's dismay and potential financial ruin.

Cast

Crawford and Zachary Scott.

• Joan Crawford as Mildred Pierce Beragon
• Jack Carson as Wally Fay
• Zachary Scott as Monte Beragon
• Eve Arden as Ida Corwin
• Ann Blyth as Veda Pierce Forrester
• Bruce Bennett as Albert ('Bert') Pierce
• Lee Patrick as Mrs. Maggie Biederhof
• Moroni Olsen as Inspector Peterson
• Veda Ann Borg as Miriam Ellis
• Jo Ann Marlowe as Kay Pierce

This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905[1]– May 10, 1977) was an acclaimed, iconic, Academy Award-winning American actress, arguably one of the greatest from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. ... Zachary Scott (Austin, Texas February 24, 1914 – October 3, 1965 also in Austin from a brain tumour) was an American actor, most notable for his roles as villains and mystery men. He was a distant cousin of both George Washington and Bat Masterson. ... Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905[1]– May 10, 1977) was an acclaimed, iconic, Academy Award-winning American actress, arguably one of the greatest from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. ... Jack Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 3, 1963 was a Canadian actor. ... Zachary Scott (Austin, Texas February 24, 1914 – October 3, 1965 also in Austin from a brain tumour) was an American actor, most notable for his roles as villains and mystery men. He was a distant cousin of both George Washington and Bat Masterson. ... Eve Arden (April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy--winning American actress, who established a lengthy career as a supporting and character actor but was best remembered for playing a sardonically engaging high school teacher in the radio and television classic Our Miss Brooks. ... Ann Blyth Ann Marie Blyth (born August 16, 1928 in Mount Kisco, New York) is an American actress and singer, most often cast in Hollywood musicals, but who also succeeded in the dramatic roles she was given. ... Bennett in Sudden Fear Actor Bruce Bennett (born, and originally credited as, Herman Brix) was a movie and television actor, born May 16, 1906, in Tacoma, Washington. ... Lee Patrick (November 22, 1901 – November 21, 1982) was an American theater and film actress. ... Moroni Olsen (27 June 1889 - 22 November 1954) was an American actor. ... Veda Ann Borg (11 January 1915-16 August 1973) was an American film actress. ...

Awards

Wins

• National Board of Review: NBR Award; Best Actress, Joan Crawford; 1945.
• Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Actress in a Leading Role, Joan Crawford; 1946.

Nominations The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George McClennans revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

• Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Eve Arden; Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Ann Blyth; Best Black-and-White Cinematography, Ernest Haller; Best Picture, Jerry Wald; Best Screenplay Writing, Ranald MacDougall; 1946.

Other distinguishments

• In 1996 the film was selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry.

Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ...

Comparison to novel

Ann Blyth as Mildred's daughter Veda.

The novel Mildred Pierce spans a period of nine years (from 1931 to 1940), whereas the action of the film is set in the 1940s and spans only four years. Accordingly, in the film, the characters do not really grow older: Mildred does not change her appearance, she does not put on weight and become matronly; Veda does grow older though, but only four years, from around 13 to around 17. Generally speaking, Mildred is more of a tycoon in the film. Her restaurants are glamorous places, and she owns a whole chain ("Mildred's") rather than just three. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Ann Blyth Ann Marie Blyth (born August 16, 1928 in Mount Kisco, New York) is an American actress and singer, most often cast in Hollywood musicals, but who also succeeded in the dramatic roles she was given. ... For other uses, see Mildred Pierce (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Also, all references to the Depression and the Prohibition era were removed. The Great Depression was a time of economic down turn, which started after the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. ... The term Prohibition, also known as A Dry Law, refers to a law in a certain country by which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. ...

The plot is simplified and the number of characters reduced:

For example, the part of the action which revolves around Veda's training and success as a singer (including her performance at the Hollywood Bowl) was dropped altogether. Obviously, Veda's music teachers do not appear in the movie version. Hollywood Bowl opening night 2005. ...

Lucy Gessler, who was a key character in the novel, being a good friend of Mildred's and later working in Mildred's restaurant chain, is not present in the film version.

Mildred's numerous domestic servants are primarily represented by a single young and rather pretty African American housemaid Butterfly McQueen (stereotyped as sweetly dumb and thus comical) who also seems to be helping out at the restaurants. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Butterfly McQueen Butterfly McQueen (January 7, 1911 – December 22, 1995) was an American film and television actress. ...

References in popular culture

Carol Burnett parodied the film on her television show in a sketch called "Mildred Fierce." Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is a successful comedienne mostly on American television, thanks largely to her eponymous variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, that ran on CBS from 1967 through 1978. ... The original cast in 1967. ...

Rock group Sonic Youth's 1990 album Goo contains a song called "Mildred Pierce." Sonic Youth is a seminal American alternative rock group formed in New York City in 1981. ... Goo is an album by alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. ...

In one episode of the television series Gilmore Girls (season 6, episode 13) "Mildred Pierce" is used as a verb. Gilmore Girls is an hour-long American television drama/comedy that began on October 5, 2000 and aired its final episode on May 15, 2007. ...

There are allusions to Mildred Pierce in Pedro Almodovar's Volver. Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) starts a successful restaurant as a result of the murder of her husband by her daughter, Paula. Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (pronounced ) (born September 24, 1951, in Calzada de Calatrava, Spain) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer. ... Volver (Spanish: to return (specifically: to return to a place), (IPA pronunciation: )) is a 2006 Academy Award-nominated Spanish film by director Pedro Almodóvar. ... Penelope Cruz Penélope Cruz Sánchez, nicknamed simply Pe, (born April 28, 1974) is a Spanish actress. ...

Footnotes

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... All Movie Guide is a commercial database of information about movie stars, movies and television shows. ...

External links

• Mildered Pierce at Rotten Tomatoes.
• Mildred Pierce at Film Site, by Tim Dirks; contains spoilers.