A Dominadora

Watching this movie, I couldn't help but wonder if Christina Crawford had watched it several times with a notepad and pencil in hand- or Faye Dunaway, as fiction can lead you to believe it's the truth.

Joan Crawford's character in this film is immensely dislikeable, evil and obsessive-compulsive. She cares nothing about anyone around her, and focuses her attentions on her house. As well, in a rare Crawford move, she doesn't even attempt to tie on a shred of sympathy (Roz Russell played Harriet with a much more sympathetic edge). Her hair is terrible, her shoulder pads are big, and her makeup is at its most masky. The movie mentions Harriet being made the way she was because of her father leaving her mother- but is torturing your cousin, keeping tabs on your husband, faking infertility and barreling into everyone else and what they do a good way to deal with that... unless she knows no other way?

Wendell Corey was a much less effective Walter Craig than John Boles. There was just something about him that didn't tick for me. If this movie had been Joan Crawford with John Boles, I would have given it a higher rating. This film was not as strong as some of Joan's earlier Warner Brothers films (think Mildred Pierce, Humoresque, and the 1947 Possessed), but it was far from her weakest.

I recommend this one, but I recommend watching both the Roz Russell one and this one. It doesn't really matter if you watch them in order or not.

One of Joan Crawford's best roles. She plays a possessive domineering perfectionist housewife who tries to control everyone in her life, particularly her exceptionally nice husband (Wendell Corey). A lot has been said about the similarities between the character of Harriet Craig and Joan herself. Perhaps that's why Joan's performance is so superb. She plays the character of Harriet so effortlessly. Wendell Corey is terrific as her husband. Through most of the movie he's a pushover but when he finally realizes who his wife really is and what she's capable of, look out! It's a very good drama but also some funny parts. Moves along at a crisp pace. Unlike most dramas from the period (and today, really) it doesn't overstay its welcome and pad the length for another twenty minutes. Definitely recommended.

Harriet Craig (1950) : Brief Review -

Craig's Wife (1936) boosted for good. A superb remake that actually adds some originality of its own with a better set of actors. I saw Rosalind Russell's Craig's Wife a couple of months ago and called it an underrated gem. Now I come across the remake before that film fades away from my memory, with the legend Joan Crawford playing the lead role. It's not even a choice between Rosalind and Joan. The latter wins the race by a margin. I mean, come on yaar, she is THE JOAN CRAWFORD! Here's one more chapter in her legacy. Harriet Craig is a superb remake for many reasons, starting with the writing and screenwriting. So, the basic script is about the same, but the screenplay adds a few more conflicts that are far more modern and effective than the 1936 adaptation of the play. For instance, Harriet isn't obsessive only about herself; she is obsessed about having her husband stick to her. That "nobody in my family ever ended up as poor" worked just the same again. The big surprise was "No man's born ready for marriage. He has to be trained." Walter, the husband, is smarter and more active here, and there is one more solid reason in the end for him to leave the house as well as his wife. The pregnancy angle was new and too good. "You Married the House" was missing, but like I said, this film is more about Harriet Craig's obsession with having her home neat and her husband tied to her, while Craig's wife was more about her and herself only. This film uses some advanced theories with a better set of actors. Joan Crawford is flawless, and Wendell Corey has done a nice job. No complaints about Sherman's direction except why he didn't add "Those who live for themselves, are left to themselves." ??? Have you already seen Craig's Wife? Doesn't matter. This is equally great.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

What a movie, starring Joan Crawford at her most imperious. She demands everything in her house, including her servants, her relatives, and her good-natured husband, Wendell Corey, who barely escapes becoming Richard Cory, be exactly the way she wants it. Crawford is She Who Must Be Obeyed. She's devious. She lies to everyone shamelessly, blasphemously. She browbeats subordinates. She's as convincing as a psychopath. I would have laughed all the way through but my mirth was subdued by the activation of latent memories of my own marriage.

Crawford is perfect in the part. She was at an age at which she was given dark eyebrows the width of a highway dividing line and a severe hair do that brought out the chrome steel of her unforgiving features. It's her best performance, although not in the way she or director Vincent Sherman intended.

I wonder if it would ever have been made if "Leave Her To Heaven", a much more subtle film, hadn't been such a success. And I think Crawford's performance here may have been the dam that begat "Mommie Dearest." In these kinds of movies, Crawford was always either the victim of spite and contempt, as in "Mildred Pierce", or the purveyor of it. She purveys it magnificently.

What a total hoot this movie is... Joan Crawford, in FULL authority (matched only by her even more imperious turn in the later "Queen Bee") runs her ideal house and the people in it as though she were a puppeteer and her husband and servants are nothing more than marionettes at her disposal. The fun begins right off the bat as the staff trudges up and down her magnificent staircase and flutter about tending to her every whim. None of this is good enough for her, though. She takes turns knocking the wind out of each of their sails for things like taking too long, using the wrong steps and allowing unwanted flowers to enter her home. Her attention to detail and monstrous obsession with order HAD to influence the makers of the character-assassinating, but uproariously funny "Mommie Dearest". Every move Crawford makes in this film is calculated and played for maximum impact. Her expressions are tight and telling. It's impossible to take one's eyes off her...especially with her array of stylishly scary outfits and severely unflattering hair. There's a perverse thrill in watching Crawford browbeat Grandma Walton (Corby)! Battered husband Corey (often cast as dull or menacing men) is a perfect counterpart here with a rare chance to show off some of his charm and appeal. Watson adds some sly wisdom to the proceedings as Corey's boss's wife and McKinney stands up to Joan very well as a long-term maid. At 94 minutes, the film is PERFECT entertainment when one is in the mood for some campy, classic fun.