MELODIE’S MEDLEY by Melodie Johnson Howe Not to beat a dead horse (what a terrible expression) or a dead Mildred Pierce but the HBO series is sloooow and shot in amber or dark shadows. I feel like I need a flashlight to watch it. The director Sidney Pollock invited Billy Wilder to see his version […]

FAN MAIL by Melodie Johnson Howe I get fan mail. Some for my writing, but most from having been an actress. Let’s face it, a sexy actress. All of my movie fan mail is from men. The fan mail for my writing is from women. Most of the women want to know if there will […]

NOIR TO THE RESCUE by Melodie Johnson Howe Last week I left out the most important element in my column. Hollywood turned Mildred Pierce into a noir mystery, which the book was not. This is why the film worked so beautifully. Monte Beragon (Zackary Scott) wasn’t just a once wealthy man, a user and a […]

WHEN HOLLYWOOD GETS IT RIGHT by Melodie Johnson Howe I saw a trailer on TV about the remaking of Mildred Pierce to be released in spring as a five part mini-series on HBO. My heart sank, my stomach dropped, my chest tightened, my lips drew back, my heart, even though it had already sunk, now […]

THE QUICK READER by Melodie Johnson Howe I discovered in my library a very small paperback book called a Quick Reader titled Time Out for Murder. I can’t remember where I bought it. Inside are four mystery short stories, each preceded by a great illustration. From the photograph you can see how small the Quick […]

SNARK REPORTER by Melodie Johnson Howe Hello, this is your intrepid Hollywood reporter standing on the red carpet in her sweats, hair pulled back, and glasses on, taking time off from writing to tell you about the Oscars. I am surrounded by swishing jeweled-colored gowns and frozen smiles. It’s not that cold out here. Valentino […]

ANTICIPATION by Melodie Johnson Howe The sun is pushing through thick clouds, bullying its way through my office window and onto my desk. I can see my reflection in the monitor, on the “new page.” There is nothing as white as a new page. Wedding gown? Angel’s wings? First snow? First communion dress? No. This […]