Half a century of excellence
At the height of her fame in the 1940s, Joan Crawford was one of Hollywood's most successful and bankable stars. Yet she was often accused of being neurotic, overbearing, and melodramatic. But perhaps this was to be expected given her unhappy and impoverished childhood.
Joan Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas, on March 23, probably in 1904. The exact year of her birth has never been ascertained. Crawford endured a tough childhood, a period that include alleged sexual abuse by a man she thought for many years was her biological father.
From childhood, Crawford's ambition was to be a dancer. In 1922, after the family had relocated to Missouri, Crawford enrolled at college, giving her year of birth as 1906. Never an academic sort, she soon withdrew from classes to begin dancing in the choruses of traveling revues.
Her dancing got her noticed and after successfully passing a screen test, Joan Crawford began her long career in film. The year was 1925. Small bit parts in silent movies credited as Lucille LeSueur led to her first significant role under her own name in 'Sally, Irene and Mary' (1925). That same year she would change her name to Joan Crawford.
It was her role as Diana Medford in 1928's 'Our Dancing Daughters' that catapulted Joan Crawford to stardom. Themed around the flapper dance craze, the movie established her as a free-spirited all-American girl.
In June 1929, Crawford married Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (it's been suggested that Crawford married a saxophone player named James Welton in 1924, but the actress never mentioned this alleged union later in life.) An actor himself, he was the son of the famed Douglas Fairbanks, who was a founding member of United Artists and was also a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy. Crawford and Fairbanks Jr. divorced in 1933.
Crawford made a successful transition to films with dialogue in 'Untamed' (1929), starring opposite Robert Montgomery.
In 1931, Crawford costarred alongside Clark Gable in 'Dance, Fools Dance,' the first of eight she'd appear in opposite the soon-to-be "King of Hollywood."
Crawford admitted to feeling nervous appearing in the same film as such accomplished actors as Greta Garbo, John and Lionel Barrymore, and Wallace Beery, but despite her misgivings, 'Grand Hotel' was a huge success and further elevated Crawford's star status.
Crawford continued her reign as a popular, in-demand actress into the mid-1930s. The 1935 motion picture 'No More Ladies' saw her again costar with Robert Montgomery and her second husband Franchot Tone, whom she had recently married.
In 1947, she adopted two more children, whom she named Cindy and Cathy. Pictured is the actress with Christopher, Cathy, Cynthia, and Christina.
The late 1930s weren't so kind to Crawford, movie-wise. She was even described as "box-office poison" for a string of critical and box-office flops, though she was applauded for her role in 1939's 'The Women.' That same year she divorced second husband Franchot Tone. Crawford adopted her first child, Christina (pictured), in 1940. Thirty-eight years later Christina Crawford's sensational memoir and exposé 'Mommie Dearest' would describe in detail her alleged abusive relationship with her adoptive mother.
In July 1942, Crawford married Phillip Terry. The couple adopted two children, one of whom was later reclaimed by his birth mother. The other, named Phillip Terry Jr., was renamed Christopher by the actress after her split from Terry in 1946.
The success of 'Mildred Pierce' revived Joan Crawford's career. She had not been the first choice to star as the titular character—Bette Davis had turned down the role. The film was a huge critical and commercial success, and garnered Crawford the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Illness forced the actress to accept her Oscar while confined to bed but dressed to the nines. A bout of flu had apparently stricken Crawford. However, several years later she admitted to being fearful that Ingrid Bergman would trump the accolade and so she opted to stay away from the awards ceremony.
The 1940s proved successful and lucrative for Joan Crawford. She received a second Academy Award nomination for 'Possessed,' in which she costarred alongside Van Heflin.
Husband number four was Alfred Steel, at the time president of Pepsi-Cola. The pair tied the knot in Las Vegas on May 10, 1955. Crawford traveled extensively on behalf of her husband, promoting the brand across the nation. Steele died of a heart attack in 1959, after which Crawford was elected to the board of directors.
Crawford turned in a sterling performance as a successful woman who marries a murderous man in 'Sudden Fear.' The Academy thought so too, nominating her for a third time for the Best Actress Oscar.
The 1950s generally proved hit-and-miss for Crawford. Some films such as 1953's 'Torch Song' flopped big time. Others, notably, 'The Best of Everything' were well received. In fact, while she's not the star of this picture, Crawford later named the role as being one of her personal favorites.
'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' brought Crawford together with Bette Davis. A psychological horror-thriller, the movie starred Crawford as Blanche Hudson, an elderly, disabled former A-list movie star who lives in fear of her psychotic sister Jane (Davis).
Rumors of a long-running feud between the two stars had persisted for years, and after filming was completed their public comments against each other propelled this animosity into the public arena.
Ironically, the intensely bitter Hollywood rivalry between the film's two stars played an important role in the film's initial success. Ultimately, 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' met with critical acclaim and was a box-office success, with Davis receiving her 10th and final nomination for Best Actress at the Oscars.
By 1967, Joan Crawford was appearing on television in shows like 'The Lucy Show' and the TV movie anthology 'Night Gallery' (pictured). She also made a cameo appearance as herself in the first episode of 'The Tim Conway Show,' which aired on January 30, 1970. Image: NBC Television
Most of the 1960s witnessed a decline in Crawford's popularity, and her health. Prolonged hospital stays and an increasing reliance on alcohol damaged her reputation to a point where director Robert Aldrich was forced to replace her with Olivia de Havilland shortly after filming began on 'Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte' (1964). In her defense, Crawford claimed that the film's co-star, Bette Davis, had forged a campaign of harassment against her, forcing her to leave the production.
Joan Crawford's final film appearance was in 'Trog,' a low-budget British science fiction production that was quickly forgotten.
On February 2, 1970, in recognition of her 45-year career and more than 80 motion pictures, Joan Crawford was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award by John Wayne at the Golden Globes.
Joan Crawford's last official public appearance was on April 8, 1973 in New York. She appeared at Town Hall in Manhattan as the fourth legend in John Springer's 'Legendary Ladies' series. She received a standing ovation.
Joan Crawford died of a heart attack on May 10, 1977 in New York City. In her will, she bequeathed to her two youngest children, Cindy and Cathy, a modest cash sum. However, her two eldest children, Christopher and Christina, were disinherited.
In 1978, Christina Crawford (pictured) published a memoir in which she exposed her Hollywood film star mother as a cruel, abusive alcoholic. The book is regarded as the first tell-all celebrity memoir.
Three years later Faye Dunaway (pictured) portrayed Crawford in 'Mommie Dearest,' a film adaptation of the memoir. The film was a commercial failure and received mostly negative reviews from critics.
Joan Crawford was one of Hollywood's most recognized movie stars of the 1940s. Beginning her career in the silent era, she went on to triumph in films like 'Mildred Pierce' (1945) and, later, 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962). But Crawford had a darker side. While her long-running feud with Bette Davis is the stuff of legend, the allegations that she was an abusive and alcoholic mother forever tarnished her reputation. Nonetheless, she remains an iconic figure in Hollywood history.
Curious to know more? Click through for a look at the life and work of Joan Crawford.
Far better received was the 'Bette and Joan' episodes from the docudrama series 'Feud' that chronicled the toxic relation between Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon).
Sources: (Bustle) (Biography) (The Guardian)
The intriguing and complicated life of Joan Crawford
The Old Hollywood icon left us on May 10, 1977
CELEBRITY Retrospective
Joan Crawford was one of Hollywood's most recognized movie stars of the 1940s. Beginning her career in the silent era, she went on to triumph in films like 'Mildred Pierce' (1945) and, later, 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' (1962). But Crawford had a darker side. While her long-running feud with Bette Davis is the stuff of legend, the allegations that she was an abusive and alcoholic mother forever tarnished her reputation. Nonetheless, she remains an iconic figure in Hollywood history.
Curious to know more? Click through for a look at the life and work of Joan Crawford.