Mommie Dearest

Tina, bring me the axe!

Ugh, Ovation has commercials.

Thank you.

Tina?!! Bring me my pipe.

[italic]Unsuitable?![/italic] How dare you judge me!

You're gonna march yourself UP THOSE STAIRS. . .

How does she keep those eyebrows from running in the pool?

You will STAY IN HERE until you are ready to apologize!

I'm not watching BECAUSE. I. AM. NOT. ONE. OF. HER. FANNNNNNNNNNNSSSSSS!

No wire hangers, ever!

Dammit, Pierino's is MY PLACE!!

"Miss Jenkins said it was clean."%0D %0D Apparentrly Miss Jenkins was a filthy bitch!!!

Christina! Christopher! DAMN IT!

I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the DIRRRRRRT!

Ovation always cuts the abortion scene, when they air it.

When you polish the floor you have to move the tree!

I already got this on DVD, bitches!

Was Joan a lesbian?

I have it on DVD but Ovation is showing it in HD. Paramount needs to get this bitch out on Blu-Ray, pronto!!!

"Was Joan a lesbian?"

Well, did you see the way she tore into that bush?

I brought you a refresher, Uncle Greg.

"Why did you adopt me?"%0D %0D And the fight is ON!!!

Don't FUCK with meeee, fellas!

Tear down that BITCH of a bearing wall...

Tear down that BITCH of a bearing wall and put a window where it OUGHT to be. %0D %0D

You love to make me hit you.

The sword. . .cuts both ways. . .

Smell you, R17. I'VE got it playing in my head almost all the time without the need for your external amplification devices!

It's a shame we don't have the actual footage from The Secret Storm to see. . .

Christina: There's a liquor store to the right.

Joan Crawford: I should've known you'd know where to find the boys and the booze.

Joan Crawford: [after giving Christina a pearl necklace as a gift]: Oh, and Tina - if you don't get this part, for Chrissakes, don't hock 'em

Is this an institution of learning or a teenage brothel?

Chadwicke has an IMPECCABLE reputation! Your daughter, on the other hand. . .

I think the opening of the film is just perfect. The percolating coffee, the ice cubes in the bowl, the closet, her walking down that staircase in the quiet, early morning, the signing of the photos, the drive to the studio, and finally the "look up" when they call her to come on the set.

I always get such a kick out of it.

Paramount needs to re-release MD on DVD with the deleted scenes. That's right bitches, did you know there are deleted scenes? No one has ever seen them and they've been locked in a vault for 30 years. Why Paramount doesn't do this, I have no idea, because the DVD would be a really hot seller.

Let's go!

Joan's Brentwood manse is my dream home. I loved that house, and the walk-in closet is still the best one I have ever seen, on film or in real life.

Do you know what those deleted scenes are, R35? I would snap up a second copy in a heartbeat if they put those out there!

Would you put a great big portrait of yourself in the living room, R37?

Oh, I am going to tell. I AM. I am going to TELL.

You EMBARRASSED ME! In front of a REPORTER! *grabs tits*

I'm bigger than you, I am faster than you... and I will always BEAT you.

Christopher: As usual, she has the last word ...

Christina: Does she? DOES she?

I'll get the CARDS out on time--OK?

The cue cards are too GODDAMN HIGH!

Do YOU think it's clean?

DO YOU THINK IT'S CLEAN?

My babies. Where are my babies?

QUITTER?

I fix all of my uncles' drinks this way.

And your room looks like a two-dollar a week furnished room in some two-bit backwoods town in Oklahomaaaaaaa!

She can't. My character is only 28 years old.

The mansion was not exactly a replica of Joan's actual Brentwood home. The staircase was based, somewhat, on the staircase from the set used in Queen Bee, one of her iconic "scary bitch" movies. There is a scene in THAT movie where the real Joan regally descends the stairs in her black strapless Jean Louis gown. That scene was relatively copied in Mommie Dearest.

[R47] They were thoughtless, selfish, spoiled children. And now they won't disturb you when you need YOUR rest.

Times are tough; still I treat you to a lovely evening, and I get smart-alek BACKTALK.

"But Mommy, it's [italic]bleeding![/italic]

I love the scene where she is washing her face with ice cubes.

I dare any of you bitches to...

What about the socks?

I can handle... the socks.

We've had to let Helga go....

Just gimme a drink and raise the GODDAMNED cue cards!

That's what he calls you when he can't remember your name...

[R62] Well played!

You first...

She looks like she has a snapper flange.. you would lose all your fingers in that!!

It's the SCRIPTS!

Hollywood royalty.

It's the GODDAMNED SCRIPTS!

Ahhhh, but nobody ever said life was FAIR, Tina. I'm bigger and I'm faster. I will ALWAYS beat you!

She negotiates everything like a goddamn Hollywood agent!

You know THAT'S NOT TRUE.....

(maybe just a little true....)

I don't ask much from you, GIRL!!!!

No, listen to me L.B., I have been BEGGING you... begging you for a good script. Now you've always given me my share of bad movies because you knew I'd make them work. Well, I can't keep doing it, L.B.!

And the cross-eyed Kabuki ninja terrified another generation of Crawford fans!

Could you....call?

UNDERSTAND....

The first word I ever heard out of any of you was that word...understand.

There'll be time enough to understand, when I'm old....if I ever am old.

Oh, but not now.

Darling, rare meat is good for you. The doctor said so.

"Why must EVERYTHING be a CONTEST?" %0D

What the hell is going on in the scene where Tina makes the cocktails for her "uncle"? Is she trying to seduce him? It's really bizaare and I don't blame Joan at all for sending the kid away after that.

[quote]Tina... ...if you don't get this part, for Christ's sake, don't hock 'em.

I'm mad at the dirt.

I will ALWAYS beat you.

Beat you....

Beat you...

Beat you...

I bet that three headed shower was completely cutting edge at the time.

Love that hot daddys entrance too.

This time...we'll make an exception. You may KEEP...the doll, AND the bracelet.

[quote]What the hell is going on in the scene where Tina makes the cocktails for her "uncle"?

Her reference to "all my uncles' drinks" was a cunty passive-aggressive way to let the guy know how many other guys Joan fucks. Joan was none too pleased.

Also, Joan could tell that Christina was taking an interest in sex. She didn't want Christina ending up a slut like her, so she sent her to the Chadwick School. Of course that didn't work out as intended ("I am going to TELL!"), so off to convent school.

Well, you are SUPPOSED to pet the animals in a barn!

Miss Connie should have been flogged savagely until she bled for telling on poor Tina.

But it's got all this red juice when I press down on it.

Damn it, Perinos is MY place!

I'd rather you go bald to school than looking like a tramp!

YOU BE QUIET!

If you watch that scene carefully, R90, you'll notice that Tina's hair keeps changing length after Joan cuts it! Very bad editing.

I can handle the socks.

You finger it out!

Barbara, PlEASE!!!!!!!

My favorite: "Don't fuck with my fellows - this aint my first time at the rodeo!"

[R82] Yeah, I would have done Greg in a second. He looked good there.

Wasn't that a sexy scene R96. He did look good and that entrance with a towel and then a hot kiss....

Flirting can be...taken the wrong way.

RE 37 & 52 - There were actually 3 Crawford houses used in the film. Joan's actual house , at 426 N. Bristol Ave., in Brentwood was extensively remodeled in 2006, and now looks like any typical faux Mediterranean mansion in the neighborhood. For the film , the home, in Bel Air, used as the front of the house and yard (on a small hill) is at 417 Amapola Lane. You see it when Joan's out jogging, with Carol Ann following next to her, up the driveway, when Joan's out of breath, and later, when Joan drives Christina back after her Chadwick 'incident'. The other home used as the backyard, and pool, (" you lost again") is a few blocks away , at 355 Mapleton Dr. , in Holmby Hills . It is across the street from the Playboy Mansion. The interior of the house, with small 'outdoor' areas - like the rose garden (" Tina...bring me the axe") were all sounstage sets , built at Paramount Studios, in Hollywood. And by the way, the furnishings in the film ( blue velvet sofas, etc.) were nothing like the William Haines designed interiors Crawford really had. His furniture, if you can find it, sells for thousands more now, than back in the day.

Jesus CHRIST!

I always forget that scene when the journalist is in the house doing a story on Joan and then Joan starts beating Tina. So uncomfortable to watch. Dear Lord. Good movie though.

Carol Ann had the worst aging makeup I have ever seen in a movie.

BTW, and I know most DLers probably know this already, but Carol Ann and Gregg never existed in real life. They were composite characters of several assistants (Carol Ann) and Joans's second husband Phil Terry and hotshot LA attorney Greg Bautzer (Greg) who were concocted to avoid lawsuits from the real people who were still living when the movie was made.

It's on Netflix Watch Instantly.

Good night, Joan.

Please don't leave, because if you do, you'll never come back in again, no matter what you say, or ask, or do.

I'll always wish you well, Joan. And I'll only speak well of you.

Please don't go! Don't leave me here alone. Please.

If you're acting, you're wasting your time. If you're not, you're wasting mine.

I'm not acting! I'm not acting.

Good night. Good luck. Goodbye.

Did you scrub the bathroom floor today? DID YOU?

Yes, Mommie.

Yes, Mommie what?

Yes, Mommie Dearest.

When I told you to call me that, I wanted you to mean it.

SCRUB, Christina. SCRUB.

Discipline, mixed with love, is such a very good recipe

[quote]And your room looks like a two-dollar a week furnished room in some two-bit backwoods town in Oklahomaaaaaaa!

I don't recall that line. Is it real?

My favorite observation in the movie is that "The Secret Storm" kitchen set is the Happy Days kitchen set! I noticed it the first time I saw the movie.

R108, that's what Joan is saying while she beats Christina with the wire hanger!

"No... wire... hangers. What's wire hangers doing in this closet when I told you: no wire hangers EVER? I work and work 'till I'm half-dead, and I hear people saying, "She's getting old." And what do I get? A daughter... who cares as much about the beautiful dresses I give her... as she cares about me. What's wire hangers doing in this closet? Answer me. I buy you beautiful dresses, and you treat them like they were some dishrag. You do. Three hundred dollar dress on a wire hanger. We'll see how many you've got if they're hidden somewhere. We'll see... we'll see. Get out of that bed. All of this is coming out. Out. Out. Out. Out. Out. Out. You've got any more? We're gonna see how many wire hangers you've got in your closet. Wire hangers, why? Why? Christina, get out of that bed. Get out of that bed. You live in the most beautiful house in Brentwood and you don't care if your clothes are stretched out from wire hangers. And your room looks like some two-dollar-a-week furnished room in some two-bit back street town in Okalahoma. Get up. Get up. Clean up this mess. "

Here's a fun find: the audio from Joan's [italic]Secret Storm[/italic] guest stint.

I love you R110

No Christopher, strap yourself in...she'll kill us both!

Christopher please strap it on again

It's on Sundance right now.

On THIS now {Eastern Time).

Joan/Faye's house in Mommie Dearest is pretty much my dream house.

Mommie Dearest is on Netflix!

Mother's Day is almost over an no one has quoted or posted about this yet?

Yes Mommy Dearest.

Joan grabbing her breasts in the scene r41 mentions was such a compelling acting choice on Faye's part.

.....because I am NOT ONE OF YOUR FANS!!!!!!!!

Where is Joan in R110's post? Her character is talked about, but never heard.

r122, that's only Part One. She is in PART 2.

Wow. She does sound plastered.

It was also on Netflix in alleged "HD". Actually, it was HD for a DVD (720p), which is what it is on Ovation. I believe this is the highest quality this film was ever scanned at, and no deleted scenes were ever scanned.

Blu-Ray is 1080p. The movie has made enough money that it's inevitable it will come out on Blu-Ray sooner or later.

Mildred Pierce comes out on Blu-Ray in February, I think.

Mother's fans are getting younger and younger!

I'm 3 quarters way through the film and I'm on Joans side. Christine seems like an ungrateful little brat that had to always have her way. I would of been tempted to hit her. I don't think Joan was very bad with her kids, she tried to teach them about life and the daughter was always giving her back talk and not doing what she was told. And Christine did say in an interview that the film exaggerated what was in the book. I would of loved for Joan to be alive to defend herself from this book and film as there is always two sides to a story, but unfortunately we only have Christine side.

Did Joan son ever say anything about it all?

Wow, I didn't know Joan had 4 kids and the other 2 were twins. Fuck, why didn't she put them in the film. Just seems like she made up an alternate reality. I just seen YouTube vids of the twins and they said that Joan was strict but wasn't anything like Christine has made her out to be, and that Joan wanted them to be independent people. What do you all think? Joan a bitch or Christine a lying fucker? I think that Christine is a lying fucker.

[R128] - Actually, they were "twins".

Christine is an ungrateful little cunt!

[R130] - No......Christine is a possessed car.

Sorry, that little lying fucker gets me so vexed I can't even type sometimes!!

[R132] - No problem Joan. Here, let me refresh your drink......

It's ChristinA, bitches.

I read that the son was a deadbeat dad and husband, any gossip on him?

I'm watching this now. I love the look she gives the photographer at Christina's party when he tells her the grass stain might read.

This movie is like Spam and cube steaks to me. I at so much of it for so many years I can't bear to look at them anymore. Sorta feel the same way about this movie, THE BOYS IN THE BAND and VALLEY OF THE DOLLS also. Enough already.

This will still be a fucking classic when Feud is a faded memory.

R137 is a quitter

I just realized the girl that plays little Christina was Roseanne's chunky next door neighbor Charlotte Tilden from season 5.

R127/R128/R132 you sound like a Lange stan who just recently discovered Joan Crawford on FEUD. It's amazing to me that you're so willing to believe that Christina is a liar and a little bitch and what not, without knowing all of the facts. Or many of them. You seem ignorant of the details and yet you want to side with Joan? Why? Because Lange played her, sentimentally?

As for the twins, I've heard that they were not real twins or just fraternal. Whatever. They seemed to have a better relationship with Joan. They also came later. They were several years younger than Christina and Christopher so were most likely not cognizant of the events. Also, they seem really passive, whereas Christina and Christopher seemed like normal, lively children, which I think Joan hated. She was a control freak! It was all about control. She couldn't control Christina and Christopher so resorted to hitting them and whatever else. This has been confirmed by the likes of Helen Hayes, Betty Hutton, Lana Turner, etc. Whatever Ryan Murphy wrote at the end of his series ("Crawford's colleagues denounced the book) is bullshit!

[quote]Did Joan son ever say anything about it all?

Seriously. Do your research before jumping to conclusions. Christopher has gone on record confirming Christina's allegations:

Jessica Lange could NEVER:

"I'll roll it to you this way, go get it Christopher! Come on, just get it, *squeak* GET IT CHRISTOPHER!" "CHRITINA! CHRISTOPHER! DAMN IT!"

When she says "I can handle the socks" to Greg, was a sock supposed to be an innuendo for his dick? I love that bit... she's so scary-sexy.

It's a meta commentary about Jessica Lange's performance and it's lack of glamour and sex appeal.

Mommie Dearest for Mothers' Day.

The Great Santini for Fathers' Day.

Happy Mommie's Day!

I should've known you'd know where to find the boys AND the booze.

Walk me to my car?

Its on IFC until 6:00am Monday morning!!

Ooooohhhhh, its the Barbara Bennett scene! RIGHT NOW!!!!!

God, I hate this NIGHT!

Tear down that BITCH of a bearing wall and put a window where it OUGHT to be!

If you can't do something right don't do it at all.!

DON'T FUCK WITH ME FELLAS! This ain't my first time at the rodeo! ... The sword cuts both ways.

Its the kitchen from Happy Days!!

Could you...call?

Why must everything be a CONTEST?

Mother's Day is almost over and only a handful of posts in the Mommie Dearest thread? What has happened to DL?

Cheap bastards.

They were the first gift Al ever bought me. Now, Tina, if you don't get this part, for Christ's sake, don't hock 'em!!!!

Turn it off.

Close-up of the titty clutch!

I love the Christmas radio scene, with the guy who played John Abbott on Y&R

Jessica L just wishes to leave a mark on this role the way Faye did. Iconic, legendary, destructive, amazing, camp, wonderful, awful, beloved, hated, mocked and perfect. That's what Faye was as Joan. Jessica is to old for this shit.

Faye slaying the catwalk with Naomi Campbell last night at Cannes!

love that shower shot

IFC is having an all day marathon repeating Mommie Dearest over and over again.

Those eyebrows were just WRONG! Faye’s features were too delicate for them to mimic Joan’s look 100%. Between that and the atrocious wigs in some scenes...no wonder the drag queens like this movie.

[quote] Tear down that BITCH of a bearing wall and put a window where it OUGHT to be!

That scene is literally my favorite. Joan Crawford (played by Faye Dunaway) as a home decorator would've been a riot.

For those who collect physical media, one of our signature features will be available on blu-ray on June 1st, 2021.

Same extras as the "Hollywood Royalty Edition", plus Hedda Lettuce does a full commentary.

Unfortunately, no commentary from Faye, Mara, Rutanya, Christina, Diana...

In the beauty routine intro, what's the bottled clear liquid that she adds to the bowl of ice?

I have read that IRL, she splashed her face with ice water 25 times after cleansing it. I have started doing something similar.

I actually once bought a coffee maker for my bathroom because of this movie.

Wow, what a bitch!