Regardless of the content of "Mommy Dearest" and with all due respect to the sufferring of Joan's adopted children Joan was a successful actor of several film eras and genres. She consistantly put out great performances and film collection highlights her attributes. She was not only beautiful she was talented and a real trooper and artistic phenomenum. Her work anthology and ethic are rewarded by the collection. In "The Women" Joan plays a gold digging femme fatale opposite the ever devine Norma Shearer as the wife of Joan's lover. There are no men in the film, just talk of them,but who needs them when there are so many women making classic performances as bitches,witches,vamps,tramps,cynics and lambs. Joan looks quite lovely as she was still very young when she made the film and her character almost imitating her life at the time. Joan was very familiar with how it felt to be "frozen" out by "it society" and she plays the role of stereotypical femme fatale with sincerity although in real life she was neither gold digger or stereotypical. The womens' clothes in the film are absolutely wonderful and Norma's hats are to die for! The film is a visual feast and delightful comedy with a sharp accurate and witty script that just rolls along like clockwork. "Possessed" and Mildred Pierce" are both heart breaking stories. Joan's performance as a mentally ill paranoid character in "Possessed" driven to murder to protect her step daughter is contrasted against her performance as a mother in "Mildred Pierce". The latter film sees Joan trying to give her ill fated and selfish daughter everything. The films depict motherhood in an over protective light blind to risk and adversities whilst the mother characters hurt themselves by deny themselves of the love they desire no matter how healthy or unhealthy the love interest. The "film noir" content of the collection sees Joan in black and white in "The Damned Don't Cry" and the story candidly reinvents her as a gold digger on another level that doesn't necessarily flatter her physical attributes, you just can't stop watching what unfolds in the story. Instead the film highlights the melodramatic performance that she became adept and capable of. She is almost an antiheroine as she finds elegant decadence where ever she goes in the gambling underground whilst attracting men of all kinds along the way. Whilst looking for love and self respect she stumbles upon lovers pitted against each other that almost ruin her. Triumphantly she returns to small town life in the final scenes for respite but without further hurt and suspicion. This film I believe may mark Joan's drift into film noir. Her eyebrows would become thicker and her entire appearance quite exaggerated to emphasise her dark characters. This was quite a brave move on her behalf. Finally "Humoresque". Having a mother who is an opera singer I have met many patrons of the arts and find them mighty painful. Joan's character isn't very different to what I expected but she's busy sufferring the whole film for her musician.I pity Joan's character as her control and infatuation turns into love that pays the ultimate price, her life in exchange for the artistic freedom of her violin playing young lover. She is at her melodramatic best. She looks so beautiful as she walks to her death in the deep blue sea. If you like melodrama this film collection is for you. I was not a big fan of Joan Crawford but I think I'm converted,the girl could act!Read full review
A strong collection encompassing some of Crawford best known films -- MGM's The Women and Warner Bros.' Mildred Pierce and Humoresque. A fourth film, Possessed, features her lesser-known foray into film noir. The collection also includes her early descent into late 1940s-1950s melodrama with The Damned Don't Cry. An interesting collection that will give movie buffs some idea of Crawford's star magnetism at both studios. Missing from the collection are earlier MGM vehicles, such as the light-hearted Susan and God and the high drama of A Woman's Face. Made within a year of each other those two films in particular might best showcase Crawford's range at MGM before bolting for the greener pastures at Warner's.
If you like Joan or want to find out the types of films she made, this is an excellent set to find out why she was such a big star. On side "B" of Mildred Pierce is an excellent and informative TCM summary of Crawford as a movie star and as a human being, told by many in the film industry including her daughter who wrote "Mommie Dearest"...Recommended
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5 great movies all together by one of Hollywood's legendary actresses. Joan Crawford at her best. A must for anyone who enjoys great scripts excellent acting and the golden age of when Hollywood was at it's best.
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Exactly what I was looking for! Joan Crawford is My Favorite Actress, HANDS DOWN! Now I can watch Her perpetually...
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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