Mystery, intrigue, murder, chicken and waffles—MILDRED PIERCE is the foodie film noir that resurrected Joan Crawford’s career and earned her an Academy Award. Based on James M. Cain’s hard-boiled pulp paperback, it is also one of the most important examples of film noir, with its focus on a complex female protagonist paving the way for more progressive filmmaking within the genre. Featuring Aviva the Mirage bringing some Joan Crawford realness to the stage, this LADIES of BURLESQUE promises to satisfy your taste buds and your eyes alike!
Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) is forced to raise two young daughters after her louse of a husband leaves her for a younger woman. Strapped for cash, she bakes pies for neighbours and waitresses in secret, terrified of the shame it will bring to her capricious, social climbing teenage daughter Veda (Ann Blyth). To please Veda, Mildred opens a restaurant specializing in chicken and waffles and transforms a small business into the nightclub empire “Mildreds’s.” Wealth and success, however, bring her nothing but trouble as subsequent louses take advantage of her and her own daughter turns into a greedy monster, with the end result being murder. Ann Blyth’s performance as a diabolical, demon-child-femme-fatale is remarkable in its depravity and commitment. Joan Crawford’s favourite performance, MILDRED PIERCE is a legendary tour-de-force from Michael Curtiz, the director of CASABLANCA. Screening in a beautiful 4K restoration.
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