It’s another exciting Supporting Actress Smackdown at StinkyLulu today, and I’m happy to say I was allowed to participate with this fine group of Smackdowners. The Smackdown this month was for Academy Award year 1945, and the nominees were Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, Joan Lorring, Angela Lansbury, and Anne Revere.
I had already seen these four films, but it was once again eye-opening to revisit these movies. I finally confirmed my complete dislike for “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, came to peace with the treacle that is “The Corn is Green”, and renewed my love for “Mildred Pierce.” It was a film I always knew I liked, but this time I realized I fully adored it. I’ve decided I need to blog about “Mildred Pierce”, but of course can’t until my computer is fixed, so it won’t be any time soon.
1945 is on the edge of the era I most enjoy, and it’s no surprise that I loved the film noir “Mildred Pierce” more than the family-friendly “National Velvet”, but I wasn’t expecting to have such negative reactions to some of these performances. And I certainly didn’t expect to be the only one who loved Eve Arden. EVE. ARDEN. Come on, people, how can you not love her? She takes the role as the only sane person in a pile of overly-dramatic freakshows and makes something really wonderful out of it.
Don’t just stand there – head on over to the Smackdown and read for yourself!
Oooh – a Mildredposting! Can’t wait! There were two women born for noir, with the right planes and shadows on their faces – Lizabeth Scott, and Joan Crawford, and MP was a doozy because of that; Crawford’s acting was top notch, too, and besides, Jack Carson is crackerjack there, as well. Looking forward to your, as always, interesting views on one of my favorite films.
I’m not crazy about Dorian Gray as a whole, but I like the style and some details- it’s full of great parts that don’t add up. Hurd Hatfield is perfect in the lead, but that’s because he had a soulless handsomeness that grates in any other picture he’s in but is perfect here. Other than that the only part I remember with much pleasure is the camera move over a miniature to the nasty little tavern where that beaten down old pianist is coaxing Chopin out of a ruined piano.
I loved Mildred Pierce, and I too believe that Ann Blyth or Eve Arden should have won the Oscar.