Books

Why ‘Mommie Dearest’ Took a Rocky Road to Becoming a Cult Classic

IT TAKES A DIVA

When his wife Anne Bancroft was still in the running to play Joan Crawford, Mel Brooks saw right away the movie would be camp catnip. No one else did.

A photo illustration of Mara Hobel and Faye Dunaway in ‘Mommie Dearest’
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Everett Collection

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