We don’t mean it as a slight to the stellar list of nominees for this Sunday’s Academy Awards, but we’re thinking about past Oscars ceremonies this week. In 1941, we gave a rare star to Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain, an incisive novelist and equally observant screenwriter. Cain, of course, is a master of suspense, but Mildred Pierce revealed his depth in developing characters, especially women. Cain adapted the novel into a Joan Crawford movie of the same title (for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1945); Todd Haynes created his own version for HBO in 2011. For those of you who loved Cain’s Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice (either in print or on film), you’ll be thoroughly satisfied with this vintage gem from the World War II era. — February 18, 2013
