Mommie Dearest Page #4

She negotiates everything,

like a goddamn Hollywood agent.

Christina...

Eat your lunch.

You are not getting up from this table

until you have finished that meat.

You may get up from the table now.

Just a minute, young lady!

Pick up that plate, take it into the kitchen,

and put it into the refrigerator.

Now, do you know I'm going out this evening?

You will have dinner in your room alone.

You will eat everything on that plate.

Do you understand?

You may drink your glass of milk

and then you may be excused

from the table, Christina.

Tina...

Empty that plate...

Into the trash can.

Why must everything be a contest?

The envelope, please.

And the winner is... Ray Milland!

For the lost weekend.

[Applause]

God! I hate this night!

It turns every year into a crisis.

I wish I did have pneumonia.

I wish I was raging mad over the flu.

And a fever so I wouldn't have even listened!

Now for the best female

performance in a leading role,

the nominees are... Ingrid bergman

for the bells of St. Mary's,

Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce,

greer Garson for the valley of decision,

gene Tierney for leave her to heaven,

and Jennifer Jones for love letters.

You're going to win, I know it.

[Applause]

May I have the envelope...

The picture is a hit.

Shh!

And the winner is...

Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce!

Oh! Oh!

[Screaming]

Accepting for Joan Crawford

is the director of Mildred Pierce, Michael Curtiz.

[Applause]

Oh, mommie, you won!

Oh, it's wonderful!

[Car horns honking]

Oh... Joan!

Listen to them.

They're so happy for you!

Oh, I knew it!

I would rather be here with you

than anywhere else in the world!

Ohh! Ohh! Ohh!

You... All of you here

and everywhere...

Gave me this award tonight.

And I accept it from you and only you.

Ahh! That's beautiful!

[Congratulations and applause]

I love all of you!

Miss Crawford, we love you!

Now please forgive me.

Good night.

Radio:
...All this glamour, this has

surely got to be everyone's dream.

No... Wire... Hangers!

What's wire hangers doing in this closet

when I told you no wire hangers?

Ever!

I work and work until I'm half dead,

and I hear people saying, "she's getting old."

And what do I get?

A daughter!

Who cares as much

about the beautiful dresses I give her

as she cares about me!

What's wire hangers doing in this closet?

Answer me!

I buy you beautiful dresses,

and you treat them like they were some dishrag!

You'd put a $300 dress on a wire hanger?

We'll see how many you've got hidden over here!

We'll see!

We'll see-- get out of that bed!

All of this is going out! Out!

Mommie, please!

Out! Out!

No! Mommie!

Out!

[Muttering]

We're going to see how many wire hangers

you've got in your closet!

Wire...

Wire...

Wire hangers--

why?

Why? Christina, get out of that bed!

Get out of that bed!

Oh!

You live in the most beautiful house in brentwood...

Mommie!

And you don't care

if your clothes are stretched out from wire hangers!

Please! Mommie, don't!

Mommie... Don't! [Crying]

And your room looks like a 2-dollar refurnished room

in some 2-bit back-street town

in Oklahoma!

[Screaming]

[Crying]

Now, get up! Get up! Clean up this mess!

[Sobbing]

[Crying]

Did you scrub the bathroom floor today?

Did you!?

Yes, mommie.

Yes, mommie what?

Yes, mommie dearest.

When I told you to call me that...

I wanted you to mean it.

Come here.

Look at this floor.

Do you call that clean?

Do you?

Miss Jenkins said it was clean.

Miss Jenkins said it was clean?

Do you think it's clean?

Do you think it's clean?

Look at that. Do you?

Yes, I do.

Get on the floor.

We're going to clean this floor.

You and me together.

Go.

Go. Scrub hard.

Scrub.

Mommie--

scrub, Christina.

[Sobbing]

This floor's already clean.

It's not--this floor is not clean!

Look at it!

This floor is not clean!

Mommie, no!

This floor is not clean!

Nothing is clean!

This whole place is a mess!

Mommie!

It's... A... Mess...

[Sobbing]

Mommie! I... I don't understand!

[Crying]

[Crying]

Clean up this mess!

But...

How?

You figure it out.

I'll help you clean it up.

No. Go back.

Strap yourself in.

She'll kill me if she found out.

Jesus... Christ!

No report on Christmas would be complete

without a description

of how one Hollywood family spends this holiday.

So now, let us all hop on our imaginary sleigh

and whisk away to the home

of one of America's foremost actresses--

Miss Joan Crawford.

We're so very happy to have you with us, George.

This is my daughter Christina.

Hello, everybody.

And my son Christopher.

Hello.

All of America knows of your generosity

in adopting these two homeless children.

And might I say to all of our listeners

they're beautifully behaved.

Thank you, George.

I feel that discipline mixed with love

is such a good recipe.

Christina, do you and your

brother get lots of presents

at christmastime?

Yes, we do.

Mother's fans send us so many beautiful things,

but we like to share them with other boys and girls,

who aren't so fortunate.

Miss Crawford...

Could you tell us what will happen

after we leave you this evening?

Well, the children and I will probably

sit and watch the Christmas tree lights,

and then later we'll welcome

some of the children's friends

to help us sing Christmas Carols.

And surely you'll finish up by reading

'twas the night before Christmas.

No Christmas Eve would be complete without that.

Well, as a Christmas present to our listeners,

would all of you like to say the last two lines?

And I heard him exclaim

as he drove out of sight,

"merry Christmas to all,

and to all a good night."

And good night to you, Miss Crawford, and thank you,

for allowing all of us to share your Christmas Eve.

And thank you, George,

and merry Christmas to you

and to all your listeners.

Mommie's not quite ready yet, Mr. Gilbert.

Will it be scotch with ice tonight?

Please. Take it easy with the scotch, honey.

O.K.

Easy. Easy on the scotch, Christina.

Mr. Gilbert...

I fix all my uncles' drinks this way.

I... Am not your uncle.

Mommie?

Mr. Gilbert is here.

Very good, darling.

Hello, Ted.

Joan.

You know by now you can call him uncle Ted.

Yes, mommie dearest.

Uncle Ted.

[Clears throat]

See you later, Tina darling.

It's not good.

You didn't like it?

No. It's not good.

We have to find something wonderful.

I think we have everything here there is to find.

We've got company.

Tina?

I made you a fresh one, mommie dearest.

Thank you, Tina darling.

That's quite an extraordinary young lady.

Whatever I did...

I won't do it again.

I promise.

I can be better.

You'll see. The time will fly by.

You can call me anytime collect.

Oh.

Mrs. Chadwick, how kind of you to greet us.

This is Christina.

I know you'll be happy here, Christina.

I won't.

Please don't make me stay.

I don't want to leave home.

You're not, darling. Now listen to me.

You're not leaving home.

You'll be home some weekends and holidays.

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