#mildred pierce 1945

[oscarupsets]

Billy Wilder has brought us a pair of successful, dark dramas for 1945. This year we also see a bit of weird...sexism?

The Lost Weekend was handling a serious topic in a much realer sense than Best Picture winners before it, which some worried may be difficult for women's "sensitive tastes".

Even from a ~woman's perspective~, I found The Lost Weekend to be just exquisite. Ray Milland's acting was superb. Watching his character's struggles in such a short timeframe is quite heartbreaking but expertly done.

Mildred Pierce seemed reminiscent of last year's Double Indemnity. Mainly because a husband was dead and we have to discover who did it through a series of flashbacks. Even with its dark premise, this one was apparently acceptable for women!

Mildred Pierce was equally as great as The Lost Weekend, albeit with far less realism. The daughter is aggressively unlikeable by design, which made the storyline seem a bit unrealistic. It was still a fantastic story with great acting from all players.

The Lost Weekend swept the Golden Globes and the NYFCC Awards for Picture, Director, and Actor for Ray Milland. Clearly critics were in favor of The Lost Weekend, but the general audience finds the two to be on equal playing fields.

*EDIT: The Lost Weekend was added to the OFTA Hall of Fame in 2012. Somehow missed that one.*

Unofficial Review: Both were great. The general audience agrees.

Both films are available (FOR ALL VIEWERS!) on archive.org

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Which version of this do you prefer?

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MILDRED PIERCE (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

[normasshearer]

With this money, I can get away from you [...] From you and your chickens and your pies and your kitchens and everything that smells of grease. I can get away from this shack with its cheap furniture. And this town and its dollar days, and its women that wear uniforms and its men that wear overalls [...] With this money, I can get away from every rotten stinking thing that makes me think of this place or you!

MILDRED PIERCE  1945, dir. Michael Curtiz

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favourite movies wached in 2023

3. Mildred Pierce (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

It's your fault I'm the way I am.

[onefootin1941]

[sincerethoughtsblog]

joan crawford in her noir movies

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Mildred Pierce (1945) Michael Curtiz

December 5th 2022

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[houseofcatwic]

[dimepicture]

[tourneurs]

“You’d do anything for money, wouldn’t you?”

Mildred Pierce (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

[astonishinglysane]

Movies I’ve Watched - 2024

148/?: Mildred Pierce (1945) - watched 5/25/24

I have seen this one before, and I really liked it, but I was still surprised this time by how great it actually is. It is shot gorgeously, and the performances are all top-notch. Joan Crawford looks stunning, and she truly earns that Oscar. One of her best performances. Jack Carson is also a delight as always, in a slightly shadier role that I’m used to from him. (When I think of Carson I think of him crowing “Mayor Fiorello La Guardia!” in Arsenic and Old Lace.) I’m on the record as not being too into film noir, but this one really works for me because I enjoy the story of Mildred building her empire at the same time all the personal shenanigans are going on.

Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce (1945)

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JOAN CRAWFORD in Mildred Pierce (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

[womansfilm]

Mildred Pierce (1945) / The Reckless Moment (1949)

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MILDRED PIERCE (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz