After having watched this film, I now have a favorite Joan Crawford movie. Although some reading this won't believe it, I think this movie is much better than Joan's Oscar-winning performance in MILDRED PIERCE and the movie might even be better than her very famous GRAND HOTEL--it's THAT good!!! In fact, I almost gave the film a 10, but considering how rarely I think it should be given, a 9 will suffice. In fact, it was so good that I began watching it after 1am and had planned on only seeing the first 10-15 minutes before bed. But, when the film ended around 3am, I was wide awake and thrilled.<br /><br />So why did I love this no-name, no-reputation movie so much? Well, it is perfectly written and the acting, especially by Wendell Cory is terrific. Plus, although I have never been an especially big fan of Crawford, you could tell the role was written for and about her! I have a hard time understanding WHY she agreed to do this film because it hits so close to home. In other words, the title character is pretty much the real Joan Crawford. Both were extreme perfectionists, very controlling, emotionally constricted and could not (or claimed they could not in the case of Harriet Craig) have kids. And, of course, both had serious problems having a normal intimate relationship with those around them. While the biographies I have read about Crawford all confirm what I just wrote, the degree to which she made her family's lives a living hell is open to conjecture. Her daughter, Christina, who wrote MOMMY DEAREST, would probably see an awful lot of her mother in this film. The only real difference I noticed was that Harriet didn't adopt any kids (whereas Joan Crawford bought kids apparently for photo-ops) and this movie focuses on her dominating and controlling relationship with her husband--not the kids. And, it focuses on how she so cruelly uses and damages those around him.<br /><br />However, while the film MOMMY DEAREST was anything but subtle and was also poorly executed, this film was expertly and intricately woven. The writers were geniuses. Harriet was like a spider spinning her web of deceit and control--seeing it happen made watching this film to its conclusion a must. So much damage and evil committed by this Borderline Personality/Obsessive-Compulsive (look it up in a Psychology book or the DSM-IV if you are interested). And, yet, ultimately the film draws to a wonderful and fitting conclusion.<br /><br />I loved this film--and it's nice to see a relatively low-budget film with no special effects hook you so well.