Mildred Pierce (miniseries) Mildred Pierce (miniseries) Mildred Pierce is a five-part miniseries that first aired on HBO on March 27, 2011. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1941 novel of the same name, it was directed by Todd Haynes, and starred Kate Winslet in the title role, alongside Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, and Melissa Leo. Carter Burwell wrote the original score for the miniseries. It is the second adaptation of the novel, after the 1945 film noir produced by Warner Bros. and starring Joan Crawford. "Mildred Pierce" depicts an overprotective, self-sacrificing mother during the Great Depression who finds herself separated from her husband,
Ann Blyth budgeted "Bowery to Broadway" (1944), a showcase of Universal musical talent. On loan to Warner Brothers, Blyth was cast "against type" as Veda Pierce, the scheming, ungrateful daughter of Joan Crawford in "Mildred Pierce" (1945). Her dramatic portrayal won her outstanding reviews, and she received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Blyth was only 16 when she made the Michael Curtiz film. (Crawford won the Best Actress award for that film.) After "Mildred Pierce", Blyth sustained a broken back while tobogganing in Snow Valley, and was not able to fully capitalize on the film's success She