Mildred’s Fine Foods

Never leave a room without something in your hands!

Yes, me too! There is no place like Mildred's near me!

Was Mildred’s a place like Marie Callender’s or was it swankier.

Don't forget about the potatoes!

The joint is always jumpin'...

I think it was a little nicer than Marie's.

In the book, Mildred's place sold chicken and waffles, a combo I'd never heard of when I read it in the '90s.

Mildred was always ahead of her time.

^ And immaculately turned out. No, not that kind of turned out.

Mother, you smell of fried chicken

There was a Mildred Pierce restaurant in Toronto for about 15 years. 30 ft ceilings, casually glamorous. It was in industrial area of downtown west. Catered to the gays and film people. Famous for its brunches, natch. It closed permanently during COVID.

Mildred later married a soft drink executive, moved to New York, became a spokesmodel and businesswoman... but her daughter problems followed her til the end.

Been years since I watched it so may be wrong, but did it appear Mildred wasn't that upset when the younger daughter died? Seemed she went straight back to work

Why should people eat here and go somewhere else to drink?

And then there's that hostess...

R15- her name is Miss Brooks

Bitch was fierce.

For a while there was a restaurant in my hometown of St. Paul, MN called "Mildred's" that was named after the restaurants in "Mildred Pierce."

R13 That was the weakest part of the film. Her little girl dies, she cries for a bit, then in the next scene, she's busy opening up her restaurant.

Her name, r16, is...Ida.

There was a restaurant in Toronto called Mildred Pierce about ten years ago. I think it's closed now.

R18- There was a restaurant in MY hometown called MAUDE'S in the 1970's.

Thank you for sharing, r22.

Aren't the pies bad enough?! Did you have to degrade us?

We have two restaurants in my town called WENDY'S. Cute name.

Better than DAHMER'S, I suppose, r25.

I learned the restaurant business the hard way.

In three weeks, I was a good waitress.

-One chicken. Hold veg.

-Chicken. Hold veg.

Steak, medium. Club san. Roast beef.

Hold one. Combin salad.

In six weeks, I felt like I'd worked in a restaurant all my life.

In three months, I was one of the best waitresses there.

Veda Pierce: Did you have to degrade us?

I suppose, I'm not surprised. You've never spoken of your people,

where you came from, so perhaps it's natural.

Maybe that's why Father--

R13 Mildred didn’t give 2 fucks about her younger daughter who died. She only cared about Veda and her restaurant.

"I always found the food a little greasy, not to my standards at all."

"The bourbon was cheap; they didn't have enough ashtrays, and the owner is a WHORE!"

You know, I've got a successful business and a way with the ladies...but I never could get that Mildred interested in me.

She was a cold fish...sometimes I thought she was either asexual or a lesbian - especially the way she palled around with that big dyke Ida who worked for her.

^ I bet Wally had a big dick and was probably a good fuck!

Joan & Jack...together again!

Wally (Jack Carson) was girthy...and he threw a mean fuck!

If you could get him drunk enough to swing...

Death was so common back then- from disease, poverty, war, etc.- that people weren't that blown away about one less mouth to feed.

My great grandmother had 13 live births, only 6 of which survived into adulthood.

Are you a Kennedy R36? All those kids were rickety and sickly or mental or dead.

How old are you r36? 100?

Good meat is timeless...

I would've pined for Butterfly McQueen to be my waitress; or, in her possible absence, Vicki Lawrence substituting for her.

Lenora...the divine

Michael Curtiz said that he would tell Joan to dress middle class, but she would show up on the set in expensive shoulder padded suits and elegant gowns. She always had to change her clothes before he would shoot a scene.

A film has a wardrobe designer and many fittings, consultations and wardrobe tests before filming starts R42. Crawford was particular about such things. If you're saying that Joan monster Crawford dressed like a "movie star" to come to set, say so. But what you imply is misleading and preposterous. Every actor changed out of their street clothes when they arrived for a day's work shooting a film. They put on the costume(s) for that day's scenes.

That ugly bitch was no different.

[quote]Every actor changed out of their street clothes when they arrived for a day's work shooting a film.

Oh yes, Joan always had to be the "movie stahr".

I, on the other hand, cared only about acting.

I had two sturdy print dresses that saw me through the war - sometimes I'd wash 'em out, but the cigarette smoke mostly covered up any odors.

I generally didn't wear panties, because most days I stopped and took a big shit on the steps to Jack Warner's office as I came onto the lot.

What's all this noise about cooking? Throw a couple of lamb chops in a hot oven, what's to keep 'em from getting done?

I made tips and I was glad for them!

R35- That Monte from Mildred Pierce was supposed to be such a LADIES man.

To me he seemed like a FAIRY.

Isn't there a sort of day bed/cot in the dressing room at Wally's bar where Veda sings The Oceana Roll? Does this indicate that she was turning tricks there for real money? I think that's what we are supposed to infer.

<- I roomed with her. She was a pig, a whore and a thief.

Our mother's Aunt Lucille and her husband were Joan's neighbors in the fabulous 5th avenue building where Joan pushed the Pepsi guy down the stairs.

Previously they had owned a house in Westport, CT., where their summer parties included Broadway stars such as Martha Raye.

I hear the Catch of the Day AKA Mildred’s Snatch was quite cheap and very popular with men and women. Allegedly, even Lassie was said to like it.

I'd go for the greasy chicken and stay for the hats.

Veda "That's what I like about you Ida, your so delightfully provincial."

I've only seen the Kate Winslet version

You need to see the original. No one slaps better than Crawford. She owned slapping.

I'm a huge Winslet fan and not that big a fan of Crawford, but Joan's version is far superior. The story needs a bit of Joan's phony glamour and the black and white noir element (along with a condensed narrative). The Winslet version was just so dreary and long, plus Mare Winningham is no Eve Arden.

This guy sewed a replica of Mildred's waitress uniform/costume. And it's not even his size. He did well.

Was Joan bi polar in real life. That's on top of being obsessive compulsive. Eve Arden thought so.

Crawford’s Mildred Pierce co-star, actress Eve Arden, sided with Christina about Crawford’s parenting abilities, saying that Crawford suffered from bipolar disorder; a good woman in many ways but, as an alcoholic with a violent temper, simply unfit to be a mother. In the book Understanding the Borderline Mother, author Christine Ann Lawson suggests that Joan Crawford may have had Borderline personality disorder (BPD),[7] along with an obsessive compulsion with cleanliness.

Perfection Joan. Can you imagine her trying to flute a pie?

"A dozen peach, a dozen berry, a dozen pumpkin, a dozen cherry".

"Lottie, listen carefully and don't make any mistakes on those pies."

"I don't want to have to slap you again."

Director Michael Curtiz manage to make Joan's character likeable in "Mildred Pierce"...I think that's part of the secret of this movie...

while also allowing Joan to show her sort of strong-willed, rigid OCD, and perfectionist personality, which was clearly a part of her, as a person, and came through on screen.

This was a hard balance for Joan to find as she got older and she didn't achieve it much after "Mildred Pierce",

In most of her later movies like "Harriet Craig", "Torch Song", "Johnny Guitar", "Female on the Beach", etc, etc, etc...the part of Joan that was a stone cold bitch was primarily what she conveyed...