13 Overlooked Films From Famous Directors

The guy behind Casablanca, Michael Curtiz was a fine director, but all his other films will always be overshadowed by his big classic. His 1945 film Mildred Pierce, despite its awesomeness, has very much been a victim of this and is sadly forgotten.

Mildred Pierce is an enormously entertaining mix of melodrama and Film Noir that's well-directed by Curtiz and full of memorable performances; among the players is Joan Crawford who bagged an Oscar for her performance. She's a strong performer in it, but the film's MVP is Veda (Ann Blyth), who might be the single most underrated movie villain in history. A character so vile, so selfish and so hateful she'll make your skin crawl, she steals the entire movie.

As well as that, the film's story is generally excellent. It's a genuinely moving film but it's also a demented, deliciously sensationalist and wonderfully dark melodrama with a real soap opera vibe to it. Not only is it a terrific movie, it'll be far more accessible to modern viewers than some films from this time are.