Mildred Pierce [VHS]

Starring: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth

MGM (Video & DVD), 1945, VHS Tape

Product Description

For a full dose of pure, unfiltered Joan Crawford, look no further than this slab of scorching film noir. Crawford is in her element as the heroine of James M. Cain's pulp-fiction classic, a ditched wife and mother who is forced to become a waitress. On the strength of Crawford's steely willpower (and maybe those intimidating wide-wing shoulder pads), she constructs an empire of eateries, only to be disappointed by her rotten daughter (Ann Blyth) and a ferret-faced new husband (Zachary Scott). Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) whips up a storm of atmosphere, and the script is a series of tartly written exchanges. The best lines go to perennial wisecracker Eve Arden, as Crawford's acid-tongued pal — she earned her only Oscar nomination for the role. Commenting on the ungrateful daughter, Arden says, "Alligators have the right idea. They eat their young." Crawford herself took home the best actress Oscar, and the film was a triumphant personal comeback: her longtime studio MGM had released her from her contract before Mildred Pierce came along. Is this great acting? (Pauline Kael called it "heavy breathing.") Whatever Joan Crawford is doing in this movie, it's movie presence at its most formidable. — Robert Horton

Product Details

Title: Mildred Pierce [VHS]
Sales Rank: 8349 in DVD
Actor: Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden, Ann Blyth
Director: Michael Curtiz
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD), 1994-11-29, Theatrical Release: 1945-10-20
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Running Time: 111 minutes
Package Dimensions: 7.32 x 4.19 x 1.12 inches, 0.38 pounds

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Crime Drama!: This is one of the best Joan Crawford movies and is terrific to boot. Joan plays a mother with an obsessive love for her older daughter. The daughter constantly rejects her and Mildred gives her just about anything she wants including the girl's choice of stepfather. Joan portrays a strong woman who goes from being impoverished with a loafing… More reviews

Ms. Crawford at her best! but the dvd was a defect.: I never seen Joan Crawford do any better than this. I will not say any more. See her for yourself. Now the Problem: The dvd stopped less then half way through & it is headed for the land fill. Defect! More reviews

Awesome Film From One Of Hollywood's Greatest Actresses: Prior to a year and a half ago, most of what I knew of Joan Crawford was from the biopic "Mommy Dearest" based on the novel written by Joan's adopted daughter, Christina. Both the book and the film portray Joan Crawford as an immensely insecure, malevolent, narcissistic, disturbed woman...which knowing Hollywood...was probably all true. Yet despite her personal flaws, she… More reviews

Mildred Peirce DVD: Shipped quickly, DVD in good shape and a good price. The DVD case looked cheap and there was no documentation inside.
This is one of Joan Crawford's classic movies.
Carol Burnett spooffed this movie on her TV Show. More reviews

An Archaic Curio: An archaic and rather lengthy film with an unusually detailed storyline--some of which touches on universal themes of human nature--avarice, seduction, ambition,fraud, etc. Enjoyable to watch the stars of old, but really couldn't get into the more ludicrous aspects of the plot. The ending in particular made little sense when you think about it. Logic is not this film's strong… More reviews