I’ve never seen the original 1945 Michael Curtiz version of Mildred Pierce (’45), mainly because I’ve always sensed a “woman’s picture” vibe. This despite Joan Crawford‘s tough-as-nails lead performance having won a Best Actress Oscar. I’ve always felt a bit guilty about this, and so next month I’ll probably sit down with the new Criterion Bluray (4K digital restoration, 2.21.17).
I did, however, watch HBO’s five-part Mildred Pierce miniseries, which aired in 2011 and costarred Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, Mare Winningham and James LeGros. I didn’t drop to my knees but I was largely intrigued by this effort. I was initially puzzled about the absence of a murder plot, but then I read that the ’45 version added this.
