A Numerical Scale of Trash Men
Host Shelly Brisbin with Nathan Alderman
Here’s the film, based on James M. Cain’s story, that won Joan Crawford an Oscar, and began the Warner Brothers phase of her career, after MGM sent her packing. It tells the story of Mildred, who begins a new life when her marriage ends by building a restaurant empire. But her selfish daughter (Ann Blyth) and her lover (Zachary Scott) don’t make things easy for the proprietor of Mildred’s Fatburger. Bonus? Film noir with a female protagonist.
Listen to this episode (1 hour, 10 minutes)
Show Notes
Old Movies, New Things: discs, books and other physical objects * Blu-ray: The Reluctant Debutante (1958)
Sightings: what’s coming on TCM, streaming services, and the festival circuit
- TCM Spotlight: Jazz in Film (Mondays & Thursdays in June), Pride: LGBTQ Critics Choice, History of the Swimsuit, TCM Essentials
The Movie
- Mildred Pierce (1945) trailer Available to stream, rent or buy digitally, and to subscribers to HBO Max, Fubu and Watch TCM
- On disc: Blu-ray (Criterion)
- Mildred Pierce cocktail (video)
- Mildred Fierce parody
- Released by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Jack Carson, Ann Blyth, Eve Arden, Bruce Bennett
