surely and the joan crawford in this laughably over the top 1953 melodrama must have be faye dunaway direct inspiration for her lacerating impersonation of the screen legend in mommie dearest . the garishly technicolor film mark crawford highly trumpet return to mgm after she be unceremoniously push out in the early 1940 only to make a comeback at warner brother in a series of meaty role in classic film like mildred pierce and humoresque and prove she have the chop to handle old role . it too bad this be such a silly vehicle because crawford and hover around fifty at that point in her career and seem determine to make something substantial out of it . with her hair a flaming orange and her face severely tighten and she play a disagreeably vainglorious broadway diva name jenny stewart and a musical comedy star that seem to have all of margo channing insecurity but little of her scathing wit . instead and crawford be make to snarl the line in john michael hayes and jan lustig limp screenplay without any noticeable irony . everyone kowtow to jenny and cowers when she have her frequent outburst and everyone except tye graham and a blind pianist hire to be her accompanist . of course and they will inevitably fall in love and but this absurdity occur almost in a vacuum since director charles walter seem more interested in show jenny a a rag harpy when she isn not act pitiable in the privacy of her bedroom . for an mgm production and the movie look surprisingly budget conscious and contain only one fully costume production number and the amazingly offensive and badly choreograph two face woman which crawford and a chorus of dancer perform in blackface ( . ) . it have to be see to be believe . crawford sing voice be dub by an emphatic singer name india adam and not the bad offense at the time since such lip syncing be pervasive . a a dancer and crawford like to show off her still impressive gam and but her move be so slow and deliberately minimize that carol burnett year later parody look all the more accomplished by comparison . michael wilding simply look embarrass a tye and especially in the final wrap up scene that require him to have an excessive tantrum and and an extremely disengaged gig young be waste ( and look waste ) a a sycophantic drunk leech off jenny . the one scene that work be between jenny and her beer guzzle mother and play with unapologetic relish by marjorie rambeau . they actually seem relate . the 2008 dvd contain several extra a 14 minute retrospective featurette call tough baby represent torch song and a psa for the jimmy fund featuring crawford at home with her subservient child and an audio clip of her recording session ( apparently do before the decision be make to dub her voice ) and a vintage mgm cartoon and short and and the original theatrical trailer . it just not good enough to be consider a camp classic and but there be moment that truly defy logic .