Mildred Pierce (1945)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott

directed by Michael Curtiz

111 minutes

Mildred Pierce is brought in for questioning after Monte Beragon (Zachary Taylor), her second (and current) husband is found dead. The movie opened with him getting shot and then whispering her name. Suspicion is first cast on Bert Pierce (her first husband). There is also some suspicion that Wally Fay (Jack Carson), her business partner, might have killed Monte.

Mildred proceeds to tell the policeman investigating the death. Mildred tells the police about how she she had to find work, after separating from Bert, in order to support herself plus Veda (Ann Blyth) and Kay, her two daughters. She lives in fear of what Veda thimks of her. Veda, like Mildred, is obsessed with money. This leads to more than one conflict between mother and daughter.

Mildred opens a restaurant, called Mildred's, with some help from Wally who frequently hits on her without success. They buy the building that they turn into the restaurant from Monte, who is from old money. Monte also hits on Mildred, with considerably more success than Wally.

Monte turns out to be a bad influence on Veda. Mildred eventually ends her romantic relationship with Monte which then drives a wedge in her relationship with Veda. Mildred eventually reunites with Monte, in the hopes that it will help improve her relationship with Veda, which it does. Reality comes crashing down on Mildred when Monte wrecks her business and then she catches him amorously kissing Veda.

Thoughts

I can't help but think of the significance of Veda's name. It sounds like vida or vita both of which can be translated as life. Veda is the center of Mildred's emotional life but she puts so much energy into her business that she doesn't have time to cultivate her relationship with Veda. It seems like that is ultimately what tears her life apart.

This was my first time watching this movie. I was very impressed by it. I thought all the performances were very good to excellent. I didn't know what was coming but I wasn't terribly surprised by some of the twists and turns the story took. I didn't see them coming from a distance but it wasn't hard to guess what was coming next just before the story veered in a different direction. Despite the near-sighted predictable moments I still found Mildred Pierce to be a great watch.

Notes

Joan Crawford won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in this movie. The movie was nominated but did not win for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Eve Arden and Ann Blyth were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress but neither own the award.