Born on this day – Barbara O. Jones:

Barbara O. Jones

Actress

December 12, 1941 – April 16, 2024

Credits:

A Powerful Thang (1991); Back Inside Herself (1984); Black Chariot (1971); Bush Mama (1979); Child of Resistance (1973); Daughters of the Dust (1991); Demon Seed (1977); Diary of an African Nun (1977); Enigma (1977); Freedom Road (1979); Laverne & Shirley (1977); Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003); Lou Grant (1978); Maangamizi: The Ancient One (2001); Mute Love (1999); The Dream Catcher (1999); The Johnson Girls (1996); The Powers of Matthew Star (1983); The Quest (1976); Wonder Woman (1977).

Born on this day – Valora Noland:

Valora Noland

Actress

December 8, 1941 – March 27, 2022

Credits:

Beach Party (1963); Burke's Law (1963–1965); Dr. Kildare (1963); Laramie (1962); Mannix (1967); Muscle Beach Party (1964); Sex and the College Girl (1964); Star Trek (1968); Summer Children (1965); The Donna Reed Show (1963–1965); The DuPont Show of the Week (1963); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966); The Passionate Strangers (1966); The Rifleman (1961); The Virginian (1967); The War Wagon (1967); Up Your Teddy Bear (1970); Wagon Train (1964).

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - December 7:

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

December 7

Honoring all who served and died for our freedom.

We will never forget.

Born on this day – Wende Wagner:

Wende Wagner

Actress

December 6, 1941 – February 26, 1997

Credits:

A Covenant with Death (1967); Blondie (1969); Bruce Lee: The Legend Lives On (1999); Bruce Lee: The Way of the Warrior (2022); Destination Inner Space (1966); Flipper (1965); Fury of the Dragon (1976); Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969); It Takes a Thief (1968); Lassie (1968); Mannix (1967); Out of Sight (1966); Perry Mason (1965); Rio Conchos (1964); Rosemary's Baby (1968); September Storm (1960); The Aquanauts (1960–1961); The Bait (1973); The Green Hornet (1966–1974); The Life of Bruce Lee (1994); The Rookies (1973); What's My Line? (1960).

Born on this day – Laura Antonelli:

Laura Antonelli

Actress

November 28, 1941 – June 22, 2015

Credits:

A Man Called Sledge (1970); Belmondo L'Incorrigible (2022); Black Journal (1977); Chaste and Pure (1981); Collector's Item (1985); Detective Belli (1969); Devil in the Flesh (1969); Disperatamente Giulia (1989); Docteur Popaul (1972); Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966); Dream Girl of '67 (1967); Gli indifferenti (1988); Gradiva (1970); Grandi magazzini (1986); Hotel! (2001); How Funny Can Sex Be? (1973); Il malato immaginario (1979); Il turno (1981); Incontro d'amore a Bali (1970); Inside Laura Antonelli (1980); Isabella the Liar (1989); La rivoluzione sessuale (1968); L'avaro (1990); Le sedicenni (1965); Luchino Visconti (1999); Malicious (1973); Malizia 2000 (1991); Mi faccio la barca (1980); Nos italiennes, de Magnani à Muti (2022); Passion of Love (1981); Porca vacca (1982); Quelli che... il calcio (2008); Rimini Rimini (1987); Roba da ricchi (1987); Saucy 70's Volume 2 (2010); Scusi, lei è favorevole o contrario? (1966); Senza malizia (2021); Sesso e volentieri (1982); Sexy comédie: une brève histoire de l'érotisme à l'italienne (2023); Shoe Shine Caddie (2023); Simona (1974); Tal cual (1994); The Archangel (1969); The Divine Nymph (1975); The Eroticist (1972); The Hunter Will Get You (1976); The Innocent (1976); The Magnificent Cuckold (1964); The Night Caller (1975); The Swashbuckler (1971); The Venetian Woman (1986); Tigers in Lipstick (1979); Till Marriage Do Us Part (1974); Tranches de vie (1985); Un dia és un dia (1990); Venial Sin (1974); Viuuulentemente mia (1982); Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic (2013); Wifemistress (1977); Without Apparent Motive (1971); X-Rated Girl (1971).

Born on this day – David Hemmings:

David Hemmings

Actor

Director

Producer

Singer

Songwriter

November 18, 1941 – December 3, 2003

On this day in movie history - I Wake Up Screaming, a.k.a. Hot Spot (movie & novel):

I Wake Up Screaming

a.k.a. Hot Spot,

directed by H. Bruce Humberstone,

written by Dwight Taylor and Steve Fisher,

based on the novel by Steve Fisher,

was released in Spain on October 31, 1941.

Music by Cyril J. Mockridge.

Cast:

Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, Laird Cregar, Alan Mowbray, Allyn Joslyn, Elisha Cook, Jr., Chick Chandler, Cyril Ring, Morris Ankrum, Charles Lane, Frank Orth, Gregory Gaye, May Beatty, Stanley Blystone, Heinie Conklin.

Recommended reading:

I Wake Up Screaming

By Steve Fisher.

Paperback.

Published by Vintage.

First published 1941.

ISBN 13: 9780679736776

ISBN 10: 0679736778

ASIN: 0679736778

Description:

The classic novel of sexual obsession and murder amid the star-making machinery of Hollywood in the 1950s.

"She was as white as marble, but she looked lovely.  Her hair was splayed out in fine strands of gold, and her lips were bright, rich red, and there was a green eyeshadow on her eyelids.  You could see that because her eyes were closed and she was lying very still.  She was lying still and she wasn't breathing."

With its portraits of washed-up directors, jaded leading men, and a ruthless cop whose one-track mind leads straight to a cyanide pellet, I Wake Up Screaming is a magnificent thriller by a Hollywood insider whose screenplays included Lady in the Lake and I, Mobster.

On this day in movie history - The Maltese Falcon (movie & novel):

The Maltese Falcon

directed and written by John Huston,

based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett,

was released in the United States on October 18, 1941.
Music by Adolph Deutsch.

Cast:

Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr., James Burke, Murray Alper, John Hamilton, Walter Huston.

Recommended reading:

The Maltese Falcon

By Dashiell Hammett.

Introduction by Richard Russo.

First published 1930.

Published by Vintage Crime / Black Lizard.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0679722645

ISBN-13: 978-0679722649

Description:

“Hammett … wrote scenes that seemed never to have been written before.” – Raymond Chandler.

Detective Sam Spade is a private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. When his partner is killed during a stakeout, he is drawn into the hunt for a fantastic treasure with a dubious provenance – a golden bird encrusted with jewels. Also on the trail are a perfumed grifter named Joel Cairo, an oversized adventurer named Gutman, and Spade’s new client Brigid O’Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime.

These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett’s coolly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted generations of readers.

“Hammett’s prose [is] clean and entirely unique. His characters [are] as sharply and economically defined as any in American fiction.” – The New York Times.

Born on this day – Charles Richard Shyer:

Charles Richard Shyer

Director

Writer

Producer

October 11, 1941 – December 27, 2024

Credits:

Alfie (2004); Baby Boom (1987–1989); Barefoot in the Park (1970); Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023); Biography (1999); Cops (1973);  E! True Hollywood Story (2005Entertainment Tonight (2022); Father of the Bride (1991); Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish) (2020); Father of the Bride Part II (1995); Film '04 (2004); Getting Together (1971–1972);  Goin' South (1978); Happy Days (1976); HBO First Look (2001); Hey, Landlord (1967); Him and Us (2006); Home Again (2017); House Calls (1978); How Divine! (2014); I Love Trouble (1994); Ieri oggi domani (2011); In Creative Company (2022); Indie Film Hustle Show (2015); Irreconcilable Differences (1984); Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986); Lady Luck (1973); Let's Switch! (1975); Once Upon a Crime... (1992); Private Benjamin (1980); Private Benjamin / TV Series (1981); Protocol (1984); Search It Up with Sienna (2024); Smokey and the Bandit (1977); The Affair of the Necklace (2001); The Affair of the Necklace: Designing Affair (2002); The Bellinis (date?); The Media Show (1988); The Mothers-In-Law (1967–1968); The Multi-Hyphenate (2009); The Noel Diary (2022); The Noel Diary (2022); The Odd Couple (1970–1975); The Parent Trap (1998); The Parent Trap Reunion! (2020); The Partridge Family (1971); Woven (2016).

Born on this day – Anne Rice:

Anne Rice

Writer

October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021

Credits:

Interview with the Vampire (1976); The Vampire Lestat (1985); The Queen of the Damned (1988); The Tale of the Body Thief (1992); Memnoch the Devil (1995); The Vampire Armand (1998); Merrick (2000); Blood and Gold (2001); Blackwood Farm (2002); Blood Canticle (2003); Prince Lestat (2014); Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (2016); Blood Communion (2018); The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (1983); Beauty's Punishment (1984); Beauty's Release (1985); Beauty's Kingdom (2015); The Complete Vampire Chronicles (1989); The Vampire Chronicles Collection (1992); The Vampire Chronicles: Books 1-3 (2003); The Complete Vampire Chronicles 12-Book Bundle (2013); The Mummy (1989); The Passion of Cleopatra (2017); The Reign of Osiris (2022); The Witching Hour (1990); Lasher (1993); Taltos (1994); Pandora (1998); Vittorio the Vampire (1999); Out of Egypt aka The Young Messiah (2005); The Road to Cana (2008); Angel Time (2009); Of Love and Evil (2010); The Wolf Gift (2012); The Wolves of Midwinter (2013); The Feast of All Saints (1979); Cry to Heaven (1982); Exit to Eden (1985); Belinda (1986); Servant of the Bones (1996); Violin (1997); The Anne Rice Reader (1997); The Master of Rampling Gate (1991); Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story (2012); The Wolf Gift: The Graphic Novel (2014); Called Out of Darkness (2008); Anne Rice-Boxed Set (1993); Belinda / Exit to Eden (2010); Into the Mummy's Tomb (1989); The New Gothic (1991); The Ultimate Zombie (1993); The Vampire Omnibus (1995); The Vampire Hunters' Casebook (1996); American Gothic Tales (1996); Vampires, Wine and Roses (1997); Blood Thirst (1997); Freniere (1976); Interview with the Vampire (excerpt) (1976); The Master of Rampling Gate (1984); The Vampire Lestat (excerpt, part 1) (1985); The Vampire Lestat (excerpt, part 2) (1985); Doctor (1990); Ballad of the Sad Rat (1995).

Movies and television:

20/20 / Segment: Vampire Empire (2003); A Place Among the Dead (2020); Ancient Mysteries (1994); Anne Rice's the Talamasca (2025); Biography (2000); Bookmark (1993); CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley (2006); Charlie Rose (1994–2005); Crossing Over with John Edward (2002); Earth Angels (2001); Eli Roth's History of Horror (2018); Ellen (1996); Entertainment Tonight (2021); Exit to Eden (1994); Great Books (1993–1999); Interview with the Vampire (1994 / 2011); Interview with the Vampire / TV Series (2022–2024); Interview with the Vampire: In the Shadow of the Vampire (2001); ITW ThrillerFest Banquet Awards (2014); La galerie France 5 (2018); Larry King Live (2003); Les Carnets de route de François Busnel (2012); Lestat (2006); Lestat, Louis, and the Vampire Phenomenon (2014); Mayfair Witches (2023 / 2025); MsMojo (2023); Night Bites: Women and Their Vampires (2003); Prisoners of Gravity (1993–1994); Queen of the Damned (2002); Rag and Bone (1998); Scarborough Country (2005); SexTV (2001–2002); Talk Stoop (2016); The 700 Club (2010); The Book Show (2011); The Colbert Report (2012); The Factor (2005); The Feast of All Saints (2001); The Future of Fear (2011); The Hour (2012); The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2012–2013); The Oprah Winfrey Show (1991); The Queen of the Damned (2011); The Real Vampire Files (2010); The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996–2000); The Undead Series (2016); The Vampire Lestat (2011); The Young Messiah (2016); Tom Cruise: An Eternal Youth (2020); Without Walls (1993).

Recommended reading - The Black Curtain (1941):

The Black Curtain

By Cornell Woolrich.

Filmed as Street of Chance (1942), directed by Jack Hively.

First published 1941.

Published by Centipede Press.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1613471475

ISBN-13: 978-1613471470

Description:

A man is accused of a murder he cannot remember…

In a nightmare scenario, Frank Townsend has an apparently minor accident on his way home but he arrives to find his wife gone and doesn’t recognize his apartment. He had gone to work on a normal day but didn’t return for more than three years. Suffering from amnesia, he has to rediscover who he is, where he has been, and what he has done. A curtain has fallen to cut off all memories of his life.

First among the memories he wants to recover is whether he has committed the murder of which he has been accused. A mysterious stranger with a gun has been following him while he attempts to simultaneously understand what has happened in his past while doing all he can to extricate himself from a seemingly hopeless situation and regain his reputation. He does not yet know that he is in great jeopardy and there is no one he can trust to rescue him from the abyss.

The Black Curtain is the second of Cornell Woolrich’s celebrated “black” books, following The Bride Wore Black, which established his reputation as America’s greatest noir writer. It was adapted into film as the classic Street of Chance, starring Burgess Meredith and Claire Trevor.

Born on this day – Mariangela Melato:

Mariangela Melato

Actress

September 19, 1941 – January 11, 2013

Born on this day – Jeanne Valérie:

Jeanne Valérie

Actress

August 19, 1941 – September 25, 2020

Born on this day – Earl Boen:

Earl Boen

Actor

August 8, 1941 – January 5, 2023

Credits:

18 Again! (1988); 1st & Ten (1984–1985); 227 (1990); 3x3 Eyes (1991–1992); 9 to 5 (1980); A Man Called Sloane (1979); A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988); ABC Weekend Specials (1986–1994); Adams House (1982); Adventures in Odyssey (2001); Airplane II: The Sequel (1982); ALF (1987); Ali: An American Hero (2000); Alien Nation (1988); Als je begrijpt wat ik bedoel (1983); Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins (1999); Amanda's (1983); Amen (1988–1991); Angie (1980); Animaniacs (1995); Annihilator (1986); Antony and Cleopatra (1984); Atlantis: The Lost Empire - Search for the Journal (2001); Atlantis: The Lost Empire - Trial by Fire (2001); Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001); Baldur's Gate (1998); Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (2001); Barnaby Jones (1979); Barney Miller (1982); Batman: The Animated Series (1993–1995); Battle Beyond the Stars (1980); Baywatch (1989); Benson (1981–1983); Black & White (2001); Blood Omen 2 (2002); Bloody Roar: Primal Fury (2002); Blue Skies (1994); Bonkers (1993–1994); Boy Meets World (1999); Boys Will Be Boys (1988); Bruno the Kid (1996–1997); Bruno the Kid: The Animated Movie (1996); Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979); Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000); California Dreams (1994–1996); Call of Duty (2003); Capitol Critters (1992); Captain Sturdy: Back in Action (2001); Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989); Citizen Tony (2003); Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000–2003); Clifford the Big Red Dog: Reading (2000); Clifford the Big Red Dog: Thinking Adventures (2000); Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004); Code Red (1981); Cow and Chicken (1999); Crime Story (1987); Dallas (1988); Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (2004); Darkness Before Dawn (1993); Deadly Games (1995); Dexter's Laboratory (1997–2001); Dot & Spot's Magical Christmas Adventure (2005); Double Your Pleasure (1989); Dynasty (1986); Eight Is Enough (1978); Ellen (1996); Empty Nest (1990–1994); Escape from Monkey Island (2000); Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002); EverQuest II (2004); Evil Con Carne (2003); Extreme Ghostbusters (1997); Extreme Skate Adventure (2003); Fallout Tactics (2001); Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004); Family Law (2001–2002); Family Matters (1991); Family Ties (1983–1987); Fantastic Max (1988–1989); Fantasy Island (1983); For Members Only (1983); G.I. Joe (1985–1986); G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987); Gavilan (1982); Get a Life (1990–1991); Getting Physical (1984); Girls Mode 4: Star Stylist (2017); Going to the Chapel (1988); Gordy (1994); Great Performances (1971); Grim & Evil (2001); Growing Pains (1985); Guilty as Charged (1991); Gung Ho (1987); Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1993); Hawaii Five-O (1977); Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (2014); Herman's Head (1991); Hill Street Blues (1986); Hotel (1988); I Am Weasel (1998); I Take These Men (1983); Icewind Dale II (2002); I'm a Big Girl Now (1981); Invictus: In the Shadow of Olympus (2000); Isabel's Honeymoon Hotel (1987); It Takes Two (1983); It's a Living (1981–1982); Johnny Bravo (2001); Just Our Luck (1983); Justice League (2002); Kim Possible (2002–2004); Kim Possible: Revenge of Monkey Fist (2002); Kingdom Under Fire: A War of Heroes (2001); King's Crossing (1982); Knots Landing (1986); Kojak (1977); L.A. Law (1988–1993); Last of the Good Guys (1978); Life Goes On (1989); Lionheart (2003); Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (2003); Little Shepherd (2002); Living in Peril (1997); Living Single (1995); Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1994); Lou Grant (1978); M*A*S*H (1982); Madame's Place (1982); Mama's Family (1983–1987); Marked for Death (1990); Masters of Fantasy (1997); Matlock (1989–1990); Me and Mom (1985); Megas XLR (2004); Menu for Murder (1990); Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel (2008); Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001); Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (2002); Miracle Mile (1988); Modern Marvels (1995–1998); Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge - Special Edition (2010); Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (1991); Movers & Shakers (1985); Mr. Billion (1977); Mr. President (1987); Murder, She Wrote (1989); My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988); Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994); New Legends (2002); Newhart (1982–1985); Night Court (1984); Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996); Nostalgia Critic (2021); Now You Know (2002); Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000); Oh Yeah! Cartoons / Segment: Tutu the Superina (1998); On Our Own (1994); Opposites Attract (1990); Orphen: Scion of Sorcery (2000); Otherworld (1985); Paddington Bear (1989–1990); Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen (1990); Pinky and the Brain (1995–1997); Police Woman (1978); Porco Rosso (1992); Poseidon's Fury: Escape from the Lost City (1999); Problem Child (1994); Pryde of the X-Men (1989); Psychonauts (2005); Punky Brewster (1984–1986); Rafferty (1977); Remington Steele (1983–1985); Return to Krondor (1998); Revenant (1999); Rhythm & Blues (1992); Ribbits!: The Hero of Hoppers Landing (2002); Richie Brockelman, Private Eye (1978); Royal Match (1985); RTX Red Rock (2003); Samantha (1991); Santa Barbara (1989–1991); Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983–1987); Seinfeld (1991); She's with Me (1986); Shipshape (1978); Silk Stalkings (1996); Silver Spoons (1984–1985); Sioux City (1994); Skeleton Warriors (1994); Soap (1981); Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981); Soldier of Fortune (2000); Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (2002); Sparks (1998); Spider-Man: Secret Wars (1999); Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1997–1998); St. Elsewhere (1984); Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (2000); Star Trek: Armada II (2001); Star Trek: Bridge Commander (2002); Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988); State of Grace (2002); Stewardess School (1986); Street Hawk (1985); Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron (1993); Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage (1999); Sydney (1990); T2 3-D: Battle Across Time - Cyberdyne Queue Video (1995); T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996); Tales from the Crypt (1990); Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's (1987); Tales of Monkey Island (2010); Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 4 - The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood (2009); Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 5 - Rise of the Pirate God (2009); Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins (2000); Tenchu: Return from Darkness (2004); Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (2003); Terminator 2: Alternate Cut (2010); Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991); Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003); Tfor2: the Terminator 2 Show (2020–2021); The 5 Mrs. Buchanans (1994); The Addams Family (1993); The Adventures of Jesus and His Brothers (2000); The Bold and the Beautiful (1988); The Children Nobody Wanted (1981); The Companion (1994); The Curse of Monkey Island (1997); The Dentist (1996); The Dukes of Hazzard (1981); The Essential Goof (2002); The Fantastic Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor (1996–1998); The Fifth Floor (1978); The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993); The Further Adventures of SuperTed (1989); The Golden Girls (1990–1992); The Golden Palace (1993); The Good News (1998); The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2004); The Jeffersons (1979); The Jennie Project (2001); The Law and Harry McGraw (1987–1988); The Magical World of Disney (1979); The Main Event (1979); The Majestic (2001); The Making of 'Terminator' (1984); The Man with Two Brains (1983); The Mask (1996); The New Batman Adventures (1997); The New Gidget (1987); The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991); The Odd Couple II (1998); The Oldest Rookie (1987); The Paper Chase (1978); The Paul Williams Show (1979); The Pirates of Dark Water (1991); The Powers of Matthew Star (1982); The Practice (2003); The Prince (1996); The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996–1997); The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian (2002); The Secret of Monkey Island (1990); The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition (2009); The Streets of San Francisco (1977); The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries (1998); The Taming of the Shrew (1976); The Terminator (1984); The West Wing (2001); The Wild Thornberrys (2002); The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie (2001); The Wonder Years (1991); The Zeta Project (2001); Thirtysomething (1987); Three's Company (1982); Time Squad (2002); To Be or Not to Be (1983); Too Close for Comfort (1982); Touch and Go (1986); Toy Story 2 (1999); Toy Story Racer (2001); Voyagers! (1982); Walk Like a Man (1987); Webster (1986–1988); What-a-Mess (1995); What's Happening Now! (1986); What's Happening!! (1977); Who's the Boss? (1984–1986); Wing Commander Academy (1996); WIOU (1990); Within the Rock (1996); Wonder Woman (1977); Working (1998); World of Warcraft (2005); World of Warcraft: Legion (2016); X-Men Legends (2004); Zork: Grand Inquisitor (1997); Zorro (1997–1998); Zorro: The First Encounter (1998).

Recommended reading - Mildred Pierce (1941):

Mildred Pierce

By James M. Cain.

Published by Vintage Crime / Black Lizard.

Published 1941.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0679723218

ISBN-13: 978-0679723219

Description:

Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness. She used those attributes to survive a divorce and poverty and to claw her way out of the lower middle class. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for men and an unreasoning devotion to a monstrous daughter. Out of these elements James M. Cain created a novel of acute social observation and devastating emotional violence, with a heroine whose ambitions and suffering are never less than recognizable.