'Mildred Pierce'

Mildred Pierce is a sweet mother of two, who finds herself lacking money after her husband leaves her and the kids.

With a little hard work and elbow grease, she breaks into the restaurant business is a flying success. There she meets the shadiest of all millionaire financiers, a partner and real estate agent who doesn't know the meaning of "no means no" and begins to lose control of her eldest daughter (the youngest dies), Veda.

Veda because carousing, drinking, smoking and being relatively disinterested in her mother. One minute she is sweet as sugar and the next there is all kinds of bile emitting from her pie hole. She quickly fell out of favor in this film-watcher's opinion.

Director Michael Curtiz apparently did not want to work with Joan Crawford, who had a reputation for being difficult. That wasn't the case. You could even tell how hard she was working on this film.

Curtiz, a guy that I'd never heard of, had a brilliant career. His career began in his mid-20s during the silent era. His titles included The Adventures of Robin Hood, Angels With Dirty Faces, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Casablanca, White Christmas and King Creole.

How have I never heard of this guy?