MOVIE MUSIC UK

GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Original Review by Craig Lysy

After eighteen years as a marquee actress for MGM, Joan Crawford departed the studio in search of better roles, signing a three-year contract with Warner Brothers. The studio had purchased the film rights to the popular novel “Mildred Pierce” by James M. Cain and Crawford campaigned hard for the role. Director Michael Curtiz did not believe she was right for the role, but relented when she acquiesced to the indignity of a screen test, which changed his mind. Jerry Wald was placed in charge of production with a $1.4 million budget, Curtiz would direct, and Ranald MacDougall was hired to write the screenplay. Joining Crawford would be Jack Carson as Wally Fray, Zachary Scott as Monte Beragon, Eve Arden as Ida Corwin, Ann Blyth as Veda Pierce Forrester, and Bruce Bennett as Bert Pierce.

The story follows the trials and tribulations of the long-suffering Mildred Pierce, who endures a divorce from Bert Pierce and then for the sake of her daughters works tirelessly as a waitress and baker to provide them a good life. Eventually she saves up enough money to start a business of her own. She allows Pasadena playboy Monte Beragon to pursue her romantically, as leverage to purchase of one of his buildings and start a restaurant. She becomes very successful, eventually opening a franchise of five restaurants, however nothing she does is adequate for her insufferable, spoiled and gold-digging daughter Veda who berates her at every turn, an ingrate ashamed that her mother is a mere waitress and baker. Eventually Veda self-destructs, and she and Monte’s extravagance force Mildred into bankruptcy. It gets worse, when Veda tries to steal Monte. Yet when Monte rejects her as a “rotten little tramp” she murders him and Mildred’s ill-considered effort to save her by framing Wally fails. As Veda is hauled off to jail, the film ends with Mildred finding comfort in the arms of her first love, Bert. The film was a massive commercial success, earning $5.6 million. Critical reception was universal in its praise of Crawford’s performance, which relaunched her career after years of decline, however the film itself was criticized for a poor script and lack of stimulating drama. The film received six Academy Award Nominations, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actress, winning one for Best Actress.

Max Steiner had collaborated with director Michael Curtis on seventeen prior films including classics such as “Charge of the Light Brigade” (1936), “Dodge City” (1939), and “Casablanca” (1942)”. Curtis, without forethought, tasked him with scoring the film. Steiner was renowned in Hollywood for his mastery in scoring women’s films, and Curtis sought to utilize this asset for this quintessential woman’s film. Upon viewing the film Steiner recognized that it was a its core a psychological drama, with Mildred serving as the intersection of several people using her for their own ends, including her two-timing second husband Monte, and her cruel, and sociopathic daughter Veda. His music would be needed to create sympathy for Mildred, and flesh out the interpersonal dynamics between the characters, as well as their motives, both overt, and covert.

Four primary Themes supports Steiner’s soundscape. The Main Theme, Mildred’s Theme, opens with three notes, which Steiner conceived ingeniously as a musical translation of her name; Mil (D-flat), dred (C-natural), Pierce (A-flat). This opening trio usher in Steiner’s classic long-lined, string born lyricism with statements, which are warm, maternal and endearing. This film is her story and so the theme is pervasive. The opening trio of notes are used through the film as a motif, while the theme itself is remarkably malleable finding versatile expression across the full spectrum of emotions. Veda’s Theme however is a profound juxtaposition, offering a meandering, never resolving jazz line of piano and woodwinds, which lack a tonal center. This lack of tonality speaks to her appalling amorality. Kindred to Veda’s Theme is Monte’s Theme, which is also jazzy, meandering and lacking of a tonal center, for him reflecting his parasitism. Masterful is how Veda’s and Monte’s themes slowly change over the course of the film, drawing ever closer to each other until the finale when they coalesce into a single loathsome and repugnant identity; as she attempts to steal her mother’s husband, and he uses Veda for sex and then discards her as a “dirty little tramp”. The final theme was an interpolation of his romanza, the song melody from “It Can’t Be Wrong” from his score to “Now Voyager”. It is used primarily in scenes as a Love Theme when Monte becomes amorous. Throughout much of the film Steiner offers musical set pieces, which evoke character feelings and the setting’s ambiance. Lastly, as was his practice, Steiner infused his soundscape with source and classical tunes to ensure a contemporaneous cultural sensibility.

0:00 “Main Title” opens grandly with Max Steiner’s iconic Warner Brothers fanfare. At 0:11 horns dramatico empower a prelude that usher in Mildred’s Theme, empowered by its first three notes, D-flat, C-natural, A-flat which offer a phonetic match of her name. The roll of the opening credits unfolds with her theme’s declarative three notes synchronizing with waves crashing in the sand. At 0:21 the expansive melody blossoms and Steiner graces us with an expansive lyrical exposition. Subtly woven in the notes are tinges of both sadness and perseverance, which speak to Mildred’s tribulations. At 1:39 “Monte Is Murdered” we enter the film proper with an ominous musical narrative. A car arrives at an oceanside house and we hear gun shots ring out. Monte is shot in the back six times followed by a death descent motif. The gun is thrown at his body and with his dying breath he calls out “Mildred” as her theme is softly stated. Elegiac trumpets sound as we see a non-descript woman in the car drive away.

2:17 “Mildred’s Despair” reveals her walking down a pier at night. The opening three notes of her theme usher in a molto tragico exposition, cloaked in surreal musical auras as we see her tearful and distraught. As she looks down on the waves below, horns of despair resound. A policeman approaches and as she starts to climb up the railing, he strikes the metal rail, and she steps down on the pier. He lectures her and orders her to go home. She walks away, and at 3:58 in “Wally and Mildred”, as she passes the pier saloon, the song melody of “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” wafts out. Wally sees her, gets her attention knocking on the glass window, and joins her outside. He sees she is despondent and takes her into his saloon for a drink on the house. Inside a woman sings the song’s lyrics as they take a table. He flirts, and she turns him down, as she always done since they were kids. She downs a shot, says it is cheap liquor, adding that she has better liquor at her beach house. He takes that as an offer, and they depart.

8:55 “Gruesome Discovery” reveals their arrival at the beach house. As they enter, he inquires if her husband Monte has become open minded. She says he is not at home, turns on the lights, and they walk to the bar, not noticing Monte’s corpse. He makes his move, yet she swipes her glass to the floor and gets up, saying she feels sticky and needs to change. She locks the door and sneaks out of the house. Later, as he tries to open her bedroom door, he finds it locked. Steiner now offers a musical narrative of escalating tension as he slowly becomes frantic as he finds every door locked and feels trapped. At 10:05 he knocks over a lamp, punctuated with dire chords and as he turns, he discovers Monte’s corpse. He realizes a this is a setup, and the tension narrative resumes as he unplugs a ringing telephone. He is again frantic and at 10:47 swirling strings of anger support him smashing a chair through a window and escaping to a balcony as police arrive. Steiner closes the scene with suspense as they spot light him, fire warning shots as he flees, and then take him into custody.

12:05 “Mildred Returns Home” reveals Mildred returning home supported by a dramatic trumpet empowered musical narrative. Veda runs to her disclosing that police are here. At 12:42 the detective asks MIldred to come to the station with him for questions. He will not disclose why as ominous quotes of the opening three notes of her theme sound. As they depart a sad rendering of her theme supports. Outside she is advised that her husband has been murdered. As they depart in a police car, rumbling drums of doom sound. In 13:33 “Mildred is Questioned”, ominous trumpets resound as narrative script reveals; “Hall of Justice Los Angeles.” As she is being escorted through the grey dimly lit corridors to the criminal division, muted horns portend doom. As they escort her in for questioning Steiner reflects the anxiety on her face. Wally exits an interrogation room, looks at Mildred, and says he had a hard time talking his way out of this. Then her first husband Bert Pierce exits an interrogation room and says he is sorry to Mildred. He is told to shut up and sit down across the room. She is escorted into Inspector Peterson’s office who relates that Bert Pierce, will be charged for the murder of Monte Beragon, because he owned the gun, had a motive, and does not deny the crime. Mildred protests that Bert is too kind and gentle a man to commit murder, and we flashback as she tells her story.

In 20:15 “Flashback” offers a pleasant, almost idyllic musical narrative that slowly shifts to simmering tension. Mildred’s narration informs us that Bert and Wally were partners in Real Estate and had a profitable business that went bust when the market collapsed. They split up with Bert departing the business. As he walks home to their beautiful Spanish house on Corvalis Street, she relates that she was always in the kitchen, which she loved. She reveals that she married young at seventeen and had two daughters, Veda and Kay. Bert comes home, is not affectionate, and is curt with his answers. He becomes argumentative and defensive because of mounting bills, and Mildred spoiling their daughters. They drop all pretenses and their quarrel becomes bitter after a phone call from Bert’s mistress, Maggie Biederhof. At 24:26 she asks him to pack up and leave, supported by a distraught rendering of her theme full of aching pathos. 25:03 “Veda and Kay” reveals Kay, who is a tomboy, playing street football with the boys. Steiner offers a vibrant and playful musical narrative as Kay has fun. Veda arrives, pulls her from the street and chastises her for behaving like a peasant. The music loses vitality and descends into sadness as they see their father putting his clothes and luggage in the car and then driving off. The girls arrive, Mildred deflects their observation of their father leaving, and ask Veda to play at 26:38, her new piano piece, the elegant Waltz in E Flat Major (Grand valse brillante) by Frédéric Chopin. The piece, one of Chopin’s most famous, offers a shimmering valzer brilliante. Eventually Veda worms the truth out of Mildred, who admits that she and their father had separated. Veda then runs up the stairs ecstatically when she is told that her new dress had arrived.

In 28:13 “Wally Makes His Move” Mildred over hears Veda complaining that her dress was cheap, horrible, and that she would not be caught dead wearing it. Mildred is sad, which Steiner emotes musically as she returns to the first floor where her narration relates that she is broke as we see several overdue bills. At 28:33 the music darkens as she finds Bert’s gun in the drawer as the doorbell rings. A soft and tender rendering of her theme carries her to the door. It is Wally who asks to see Bert. When Mildred informs him that they have separated, he brushers her aside, walks in. He begins to shamelessly make advances, then paws her, and repeatedly tries to force a kiss. Yet Mildred is impervious and usher him out, only to be told that this was only round one. 32:05 “Mildred’s Promise” reveals an illuminating conversation with Veda. Veda relates that she overheard their conversation and says that Mildred should marry him so they can continue to live well in a fine house. When Mildred says I do not love Wally, Veda stuns her by saying is love really necessary as long as we get a good life? She relents however when Mildred asks Veda if she really loved her and cares for her happiness. Mildred holds Veda and then makes a solemn promise that she will have everything she desires. Steiner supports with a tender rendering of Mildred’s Theme, which is tinged with sadness, with interplay of Veda’s Them, which offers woodwind descents, string figures and harsh harp glissandi. We close with Mildred’s Theme full of warmth and maternal love as mother and daughter both express love for each other.

34:06 “Mildred Needs a Job” offers a montage of Mildred repeatedly being turned down for jobs due to lack of experience. Her theme supports with optimism and determination, which with each rejection, loses its vibrancy. She stops off at a restaurant and meets the feisty manager, Ida. Instead of ordering food, she asks for a job, which Ida offers as she is understaffed. Mildred’s buoyant theme supports a new montage with her narration of becoming a good waitress, learning the restaurant business, and baking pies for the restaurant at home. A new montage with her narration reveals her success financially, that allows her to hire a singing teacher for Veda, and send Kay to ballet school. 37:32 “Mildred Worries” reveals her relating her fear that Veda would find out that she is a waitress. She comes home to find Lottie, her assistant that helps her bake wearing her waitress uniform. She finds that Veda told her she had to wear it, which elicits Mildred to join the girls in the living room where Veda plays the exotic song “South American Way” as Kay dances. She sends Kay upstairs with Lottie to clean off her make-up and then confronts Veda. As she interrogates Veda about fetching the uniform from her closet, she reprises the Chopin waltz. Until 39:11 when the music darkens as Mildred reveals that she is a waitress, and Veda, with condescension says that making pies and being a waitress degrades them, and that it is the reason dad left. Mildred is furious and impulsively slaps Veda. She instantly regrets it and apologizing as her distraught theme supports her tears of anguish. When she says that she plans to open a restaurant business and that if run right it is profitable, Veda warms and says, you mean we could be rich?

42:37 “Wally Assists” reveals Mildred seeking Wally’s help to purchase a house that she will convert into a restaurant. He secures a meeting with the owner, Monte Beragon, a scion of a wealthy Pasadena family that afternoon and they drive to meet him at his ocean front mansion. As they depart, sunny lyrical strings support their travel. We can see immediately that Monte is attracted to Mildred and Steiner offers a subtle wink of romanticism. Although he refuses their offer, Mildred’s counters with a passionate response exhorting him to sell as she is convinced, that she can make it successful. Her spirit and determination win him over and he agrees to a deed transfer with twelve months to pay off the $10,000 purchase price. On the way home Wally advises that she seek a divorce or face Bert’s creditors under California’s community property laws. She is resistant, but broaches the subject the next day when Bert comes to pick up the kids. He refuses and promises to fight her tooth and nail. 48:06 “Monte Visits” as Bert and the girls depart for Lake Arrowhead, violin cycling, which never resolves supports her contemplation. An external camera shot of “Mildred’s” shifts inside as we see Mildred at work. A spritely musical narrative carries the arrival of Monte. He is clearly not there to see the restaurant and repeatedly asks her to join him at his beach house as it is a holiday. She declines three times, yet as she turns at 49:42, he offers a tender surprise kiss, supported by musical effervescence, which elicits a smile, and her agreeing to join him. The sunny travel motif reprises as we see them arriving at the beach house. She is offered his sister’s bathing suits and goes for a swim. She returns in a robe and he continues to be amorous, yet she resists until 50:52 when the musical effervescence of the surprise motif reprises when he pulls the robe’s tie and it falls to the ground to reveal her beauty in a two-piece bathing suit. She responds by saying, let’s go swimming and runs out with Monte in hot pursuit carried by a spritely musical narrative of joy.

51:21 “Monte’s Seduction” reveals it is night and as Mildred sits by the fireplace Monte puts on a record that offers Steiner’s romantic “It Can’t Be Wrong” from his “Now Voyager” score. He amorously offers his heart and a testament of his love, and she surrenders herself to him as the join in a kissing embrace. Later, he drives her home in a rainstorm and is greeted by a frantic Bert who says they have been trying to reach her all day. 54:03 “It’s Pneumonia” reveals Mildred asking what is wrong, and he says, Kay has pneumonia. An aggrieved rendering of her concern supports their departure to Mrs. Biederhof’s as he was frantic and sent for Dr. Gale. They drive to her house and Mildred, Bert, Veda and Mrs. Biederhof stand vigil as Dr. Gale ministers to Kay. Steiner offers an aching musical narrative, which ends with the devastation of Kay’s passing. At 56:08 strings affanato offer a tearful lament as Mildred holds Kay one last time. Soft strings lamentosi sustain the painful music as the family tries to absorb the loss.

57:27 “Opening Night” reveals the grand opening of Mildred’s Diner to which Steiner supports joyously. Mildred’s is a hit with happy customers, and she is also happy when Ida at the cash register flashes a huge bill fold to her. Monte arrives with an orchid corsage, which Wally intercepts in the kitchen and tosses in a garbage can. A 1:01:45 we see the order wheel for the cooks spinning with orders, which Steiner supports with a swirling motif punctuated with warm strings. After closing Monte selects jazzy, big band tune “Please Think of Me” on the juke box and begins dancing with a fawning Veda. Mildred sees the two dancing, smiles, and walks to join them. Mildred dispatches Wally to take Veda home and Monte joins Mildred closing up. 1:03:42 “Bert Agrees to a Divorce” reveals Monte asking where her second daughter was, with Mildred replying that she died. Strings tristi speak of her loss as Monte apologizes. She opens her ledger and say let’s move on and begins crunching numbers. Monte is amorous, woos her, and gently kisses her cheek, which she accepts, returning a loving kiss. Steiner again supports with a molto romantico rendering of “It Can’t Be Wrong”, yet the moment is shattered when Bert enters, sees them in a kissing embrace, and angrily slams the door. After an awkward introduction, Bert pulls Mildred aside and offers contrition, and acceptance. He adds that she no longer needs him, and so he is agreeing to the divorce. Steiner shifts the melody of “It Can’t Be Wrong” to one of sadness, and aching regret. Yet the melody again shifts, this time to anger as Monte offers Bert a drink, with a toast, saying that there is an ancient Spanish proverb that one man’s poison is another man’s meat, to which Bert angrily smashes his glass on the floor and storms out.

1:05:51 “Flash Forward” opens with a piano glissando, which supports a return to Mildred telling her story to Inspector Peterson. She admits that she had fallen in love with Monte. Petersen discloses that her story only tightens the noose around Bert’s neck, by validating jealousy as his motive. A courier interrupts and brings new information. A call from Mildred to Ida at 11:45 pm asking for Monte’s where abouts. Peterson presses when she admits she was at the beach house, asking why she brought Wally there, locked him in, and fled. He presses harder suggesting she knew Monte was dead and is concealing the real murderer. She responds that she killed him, but Peterson knows a lie when he hears one, and continues to press, saying you admitted you loved him and that you were a successful business woman. 1:08:02 “Flashback 2” offers a harp glissando, which takes us back to the story. She admits Mildred’s was an enormous success, which led to a chain of five, the last being the restaurant at Laguna Beach, the crown jewel of the franchise. A musical narrative of happiness supports a montage in which Mildred admits she became enormously wealthy and used her wealth to ensure Veda had everything she wanted. She adds that Veda had grown up to be a young lady and socialized in wealthy circles. We shift at 1:08:31 to her dancing with a handsome young man, Ted Forrester, scion of a rich Pasadena family, at an elite restaurant to the slow dance romanticism of “How Sweet You Are” as Mildred and Monte watch. He confides that he is going through hard times and so Mildred gifts him cash, which he initially refuses, but then does on the understanding that it is a loan he will pay back.

The next day in a scene with Wally Mildred narrates that over time it became a habit for Monte to ‘borrow’ money, which she indulged. Wally then rages against Monte, whom he derides as a loser and parasite, asking her why she tolerates it. Her reply hits him like a punch – that she loves him, which finally makes him realize that he has no chance with her. He gets up and departs with bitterness. Ida arrives with Veda’s birthday present – an $1,800 luxury convertible, as well as news that Veda has been borrowing money from her friends. She asks why Wally was sour, and she tells her that she informed him that she was in love with Monte. When Ida asks, “You are?”, Mildred responds I was, but not anymore. Mildred agrees to pay back Veda’s friends, as Monte and Veda arrive. She is ecstatic with her gift, asks Monte to join her, but Mildred asks Monte to remain. 1:13:24 “The Breakup” reveals Veda’s departure, which Steiner supports with joie de vivre. Inside, Monte kisses Mildred on the neck, but she pulls away. When he asks what is the matter, she unloads months of pent-up frustrations; that he spends too much time with Veda, that she is spoiled and he is making it worse, and that she is tired of him interfering in her business and life. He responds with derision, mocking her as a waitress and pie-maker. This is the last straw and she says it is over, and orders him to leave. As he departs, she gifts him a large check as recompense for money spent on Veda. He accepts, says their debts are paid in full, and walks out full of contempt. Steiner supports softly under the dialogue with a tense and unsettling musical narrative tinged with bitterness, within which is woven fragments of Monte’s Theme. At 1:16:01 a sad Mildred’s Theme joins, one full of regret, as the door slams and she looks out the window while Monte walks away.

1:16:04 “The Engagement” reveals Ted and Veda announcing their engagement to Wally at his club. He orders champagne and they toast to their happiness. Steiner supports the club ambiance with a reprise of “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby”. 1:18:24 “Mildred’s Rejoinder” reveals Ida interrupting Mildred’s meeting with her accountant to advise of the arrival of Mrs. Forrester. The meeting begins cordially, and offers a surprise when Mildred is informed that Ted and Veda are engaged. After this the discussion descends into acrimony when Mrs. Forrester says that she will not allow Ted to Marry Veda. Implicit in her palpable contempt is that Mildred’s family is low class and unworthy. As Mildred departs in a fury, she punctuates her departure with a potent rejoinder; “Having you in my family is a pretty dismal prospect.” Steiner supports the departure with a strident rendering of Mildred’s Theme, which also supports her arrival home. 1:18:32 “The Revelation” reveals Mildred joining Wally and Veda in the living room. She asks him to leave, but Veda says he already knows. Mildred says, that you are engaged? An unsettled and disjointed Veda’s Theme supports with a crest of shock at 1:18:52 when Veda replies, no, that we were married on my birthday. Veda’s disjointed theme resumes as we see that Mildred is hurt that she could not confide in her, doubly so when Veda adds that she was afraid. An aggrieved Mildred’s Theme joins as she sits down and Veda confides that she made a mistake and does not love Ted. She says she is sorry to hear that and hugs Veda. Mildred says that maybe they do not belong with people like the Forresters, to which Wally agrees, saying the best and cleanest way is to settle this privately, out of court.

In an unscored scene the Forrester attorney and Wally formalize the dissolution of the marriage, which declares Veda has no claim to any of Ted or the family’s assets. Wally, however adds a demand of $10,000 as his client has been unduly damaged. The attorney and Mrs. Forrester refuse until Veda drops a bombshell – that she is pregnant. Mildred is shocked, yet the lawyer, now under duress, consents and Veda receives a check. At 1:21:36 “Veda’s Shocking Admission” reveals her kissing the check at home as Mildred offers sympathy. Veda then drops another bombshell – that she is not pregnant, which horrifies Mildred who chastises her, saying she will do anything for money. Veda responds with a blistering personal attack that mocks Mildred to the core saying she needed the money so she would never again have to see her again and live with the shame of her mother being a low-class pie-maker. She bolts to the stairs, Mildred yells stop, and then seizes the check and tears it up. Veda’s slaps her in the face and knocks her to the ground. Until this point Steiner has empowered the scene with tense interplay of their themes, which crests atop a crescendo irato. Mildred gets up, and orders her out of the house with all her belongings, adding she will kill her if she does not leave. At 1:24:08 a molto dramatico declaration of Mildred’s Theme resounds with fury as Veda runs up the stairs.

1:24:19 “Mildred Leaves Town” reveals a train churning across the countryside with Mildred’s narration, in which she says she needed to get away for a while to clear her head. Yet she says something kept pulling her back, and so she went home. Grim horns resounds and then Steiner softly supports under the dialogue a churning, locomotive motif. In an unscored scene Mildred is welcomed back to the restaurant by Ida, who is informed that she wants to reconcile with Veda. Bert then calls, says Mrs. Biendenhof got married, and Mildred accepts his diner invitation. 1:27:55 “Dinner Surprise” reveals Bert taking Mildred to dinner at Wally’s. They sit and Mildred is shocked to see Veda performing as a cabaret singer on stage, singing the animated folk song “The Oceana Roll”. Mildred is dismays when sailors howl and whistle at Veda as this is not the life, she envisioned for her. At 1:29:09 the band shifts to an instrumental rendering of the festive folk song “Sweet Georgia Brown”. Mildred is angry and over Bert’s objections leaves the table to talk to Wally. She informs him that she is taking Veda home, and he says, good luck as she departs for the dressing room. Mildred asks her to come home, but Veda is cool, and unreceptive. She says she will not live the kind of life Mildred offers, preferring the life Monte showed her. She says her act is up next, needs to dress, and coldly shows Mildred the door.

In “Mildred Proposes”, the next day she visits Monte and arrives to see the estate up for sale. They reacquaint, she offers to purchase the estate, which Monte posits, is for Veda’s sake. Now exposed, Mildred proposes marriage, but it is clearly not for love but for reasons Monte knows – Veda. He refuses, yet opens his heart saying he has never fallen out of love with her, a would do anything to rekindle the romance. He then makes a counter offer; he will agree to marriage for shared ownership of Mildred’s franchise. She asks how much, and he says one-third. She consents, and he leans over for a kiss, but she blocks him saying; “Sold, one Beragon” as they toast. Music enters at 1:35:47 atop joyous woodwinds felice and spritely strings, which support a front-page newspaper story; “Business Woman and Beragon Heir Wed”. At 1:36:00 Bert visits the Beragon estate, which Steiner supports with pleasantries. 1:37:10 Mildred is happy to see him and takes him to the sitting room. 1:37:10 “Bert’s Wedding Gift” reveal Bert cutting to the chase, when he asks her if she really loves this guy? Grim strings rise up and empower a sad musical narrative as Mildred is evasive. When Bert persists, she relents and says she does not love him. Mildred’s Theme is rendered as a Pathetique as Bert exposes the truth – that she married to get this grand estate in hope of luring Veda back. She confesses and says she could not leave Veda in a life like that. Bert says he brought a wedding present, and at 1:38:15 the music brightens as she walks to the window and sees Veda. Joy unfolds as she asks Bert to bring her in. As she waits with anticipation, Mildred’s Theme unfolds with maternal love. Veda arrives, hesitates, and then runs to Mildred and they join in a kissing embrace as Mildred Theme blossoms anew. Mildred thanks Bert and as he departs, Monte joins at 1:39:51 to welcome the prodigal’s return, empowered by a warm rendering of the “It Can’t Be Wrong Theme”.

“Monte’s Betrayal” reveals a grand birthday celebration for Veda at the estate. Mildred however is late as she is tied up with Wally and her accountants. It turns out she has been forced into bankruptcy due to funding Veda and Monte’s lavish lifestyles. Wally says she either gives up control or her creditors will take he to court and win. He says she can still manage Mildred’s, but will no longer own them. An eerie Monte’s Theme entwines with her theme emoted with despair at 1:42:47 when Wally says that this event was triggered by Monte seeking to sell his share in the business. As Mr. Jones her accountant leaves, he says this did not need to happen, and that Mr. Baragon acted very badly. A crescendo irato rears up as she walks to the phone to call home and speak to Monte, but Ida says he departed 20 minutes ago. She is furious, grabs a revolver, and a crescendo of rage empowers her departure and arrival at the Beach house. We flash forward where Mildred tells inspector Peterson that she arrived and then killed Monte. The inspector replies that she is lying as he has evidenced to the contrary. He presses his buzzard and tells her, here is the real murderer.

1:44:42 “Veda Exposed” opens grimly as Veda is escorted in, with the officers advising that they arrested her at the airport. Her theme supports as she says she does not understand. Peterson tells her that they understand as her mother told her everything – a ruse meant to shake out the truth. Veda takes the bait and turns to Mildred and says “You promised not to tell”. The inspector lays out both their timelines, asks Mildred to confirm, and a molto tragico rendering of her theme supports her answering, yes. She says she did not know Veda was there when she came in and expected Monte to be alone. Dire statements of her theme carry her down the stairs. She finds them kissing, and Monte and Veda’s Theme merge into a single repulsive identity as they look up from a kiss to see Mildred. Mildred asks how long, and Veda says from before you were married, and now that you know, he is going to divorce you and marry me. When she says there is nothing you can do about it, an ominous Mildred’s Theme supports her reaching for the pistol. Monte comes to her and says stop, as this will not settle anything as we hear the gun drop on the floor. At 1:46:48 a devastating rendering of her theme carries her run up the stairs. Monte’s and Veda’s Theme supports him telling Veda that he has no intention of marrying her. She pleads, but he calls her a dirty little tramp. Outside Mildred’s aching theme supports as she tries to leave but the car will not start. She hears gunshots and a chord of death supports Veda’s hateful glare. Dire horns of expiration support Monte’s collapse and last words – Mildred.

1:40:16 “Veda Begs” reveals Veda begging Mildred to help her. But Mildred says I cannot help you out of this, and calls the police. A tortured rendering of Mildred’s Theme supports as Veda begs and uses guilt to get Mildred to hang-up, saying it was her fault as she made her like this. After hanging up, her theme regains maternal love as she hugs Veda as we fade out and return to the interrogation room. She tells Peterson that she felt she indeed was partly to blame, and so she tried to help her. Peterson says she will have to pay for this, and orders a detective to book her. Mildred hugs Veda, and tearfully says that she tried her best supported by her anguished theme. Veda then departs and says coldly, that she is not to worry and that she will get by. Peterson helps her with her stole and she departs supported by her theme, which has shed its sorrow and burden. She finds Bert waiting for her and they depart hand in hand to dawn skies as her theme crescendos with hope.

Sadly, there is no current bona fide commercial release of the score. A limited issue specialty LP album produced by the Max Steiner Music Society entitled ‘Music for Mildred Pierce and Other Melodramatic Ladies” exists, combining a five 6-minute suite from Mildred Pierce with music from four other Steiner-scored films (Without Honor, Caged, The Breaking Point, and Four Daughters), but it is a rare collectible, and not readily available for purchase anywhere

Steiner was renowned for his mastery scoring ‘woman’s films’, with “Mildred Pierce” adding yet another testament to his legend. Mildred’s life and struggles served as the nexus of this film and Steiner conceived her very essence musically with a warm, endearing and maternal theme, who’s opening three notes phonetically spoke her name. Mildred was tireless in her pursuit of her dreams, driven unselfishly to ensure a better life for her daughters. We discern a tinge of sadness in the notes as her altruism in the end brings ruin to all. Most interesting are the kindred themes of the loathsome Veda and Monte. Both are ingrates and parasites and so their identities meander, never resolve, and most importantly lack a tonal center. This lack of tonality was brilliantly conceived, and speaks musically to their amorality. In many ways Steiner was the musical version of a cinematographer, using his music to establish settings, create moods, and support the often-complex emotional dynamics of the characters. Folks, this is a score that demonstrates how music can speak to and underpin a psychological drama. I believe in scene after scene Steiner’s music astutely enhances the film’s narrative storytelling. I hope a kick starter in the future will lead to a new recording of this score, but until that day I highly recommend you take in the film.

For those of you unfamiliar with the score, I have embedded a YouTube link to the Main Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmnvropg43c.

Track Listing:

• NOT AVAILABLE

Music composed and conducted by Max Steiner. Orchestrations by Max Steiner and Hugo Friedhofer. Recorded and mixed by XXX. Edited by XXX. Score produced by Max Steiner and Leo F. Forbstein.