Mildred Pierce (1945)

Joan Crawford is the upwardly mobile waitress/restaurant owner in Michael Curtiz’s adaptation of James M. Cain’s novel.
A noir melodrama adapted from James M Cain’s novel, Mildred Pierce finds the titular waitress-turned-restaurateur (Joan Crawford) coming into conflict with her beloved but brattish daughter over a feckless playboy. The film is at once a critique of patriarchy and greed, and a celebration of female friendship and determination (cue the inimitable Eve Arden as Mildred’s pal).
1945 USA
Directed by
Michael Curtiz
Produced by
Jerry Wald
Written by
Ranald Macdougall
Featuring
Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, Zachary Scott
Running time
110 minutes