Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford launched a publicity campaign and built an image as a nationally known flapper by the end of the 1920s. By the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money. By the end of the 1930s, she was labeled "box office poison". After an absence of nearly two years from the screen, Crawford staged a comeback by starring in Mildred Pierce (1945), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1955, she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company, through her marriage to company president Alfred Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors but was forcibly retired in 1973. She continued acting in film and television regularly through the 1960s, when her performances became fewer; after the release of the horror film Trog in 1970, Crawford retired from the screen. Following a public appearance in 1974, after which unflattering photographs were published, Crawford withdrew from public life. She became more and more reclusive until her death in 1977.
Known For
Credits
- 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self (archive footage)
- 2012 · Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe as Self (archive footage)
- 2007 · Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema as Self (archive footage)
- 2006 · 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage as Self (archive footage)
- 2004 · Checking Out: Grand Hotel as Self / Flaemmchen (archive footage)
- 1983 · Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1975 · Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1972 · The Sixth Sense as Joan Fairchild
- 1972 · Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)
- 1971 · Great Performances as Self
- 1971 · Journey to Murder as Host
- 1968 · The Name of the Game as Committee Member (uncredited)
- 1966 · The Oscar as Joan Crawford
- 1965 · I Saw What You Did as Amy Nelson
- 1964 · The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Amanda True
- 1964 · The Big Parade of Comedy as Bobby (archive footage)
- 1964 · Strait-Jacket as Lucy Harbin
- 1962 · What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? as Blanche Hudson
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The Lucy Show as Joan Crawford
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1962 · The Virginian as Stephanie White
- 1960 · Route 66 as Morgan Harper
- 1959 · The Best of Everything as Amanda Farrow
- 1959 · Zwischen Glück und Krone as Self (archive footage)
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Stella Faring
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Sarah / Melanie Davidson Hobbs
- 1954 · The Secret Storm as Joan Borman Kane
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · The Damned Don't Cry as Ethel Whitehead
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- 1945 · Mildred Pierce as Mildred Pierce
- 1944 · Hollywood Canteen as Self
- 1938 · Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 6 as Self
- 1932 · Grand Hotel as Flämmchen
- 1932 · Letty Lynton as Letty Lynton
- 1931 · We're switching to Hollywood as Self
- 1930 · Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 1 as Self
- 1927 · Spring Fever as Allie Monte
- 1927 · The Unknown as Nanon Zanzi
- 1927 · The Understanding Heart as Monica Dale
- 1927 · Winners Of The Wilderness as René Contrecoeur
- 1925 · Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
- Future · Rebel Range as Stella Faring
- 2009 · 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year as Self (archive footage)
- 2006 · Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition as Self (archive footage)
- 1994 · That's Entertainment! III as (archive footage)
- 1989 · Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre as Self
- 1982 · Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid as (in "Humoresque") (archive footage)
- 1982 · Showbiz Ballyhoo as Self (archive footage)
- 1982 · Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! as Self (archive footage)
- 1976 · That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)
- 1974 · That's Entertainment! as (archive footage)
- 1967 · Berserk! as Monica Rivers
- 1963 · The Caretakers as Lucretia Terry
- 1961 · One Must Die as
- 1958 · Strange Witness as Ruth Marshall
- 1957 · The Story of Esther Costello as Margaret Landi
- 1955 · Queen Bee as Eva Phillips
- 1955 · Female on the Beach as Lynn Markham
- 1954 · A Star Is Born World Premiere as Self
- 1954 · Johnny Guitar as Vienna
- 1953 · At Home with Joan Crawford as Self
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Ann Howard
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Ruth Marshall
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Mary Andrews
- 1952 · This Woman Is Dangerous as Elizabeth Austin
- 1951 · Goodbye, My Fancy as Agatha Reed
- 1950 · Harriet Craig as Harriet Craig
- 1949 · It's a Great Feeling as Joan Crawford (uncredited)
- 1949 · Flamingo Road as Lane Bellamy
- 1942 · Reunion in France as Michele de la Becque
- 1940 · Susan and God as Susan Trexel
- 1940 · Strange Cargo as Julie
- 1939 · The Women as Crystal Allen
- 1939 · From the Ends of the Earth as Self
- 1939 · Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 as Joan Crawford
- 1939 · The Ice Follies of 1939 as Mary McKay
- 1938 · Mannequin as Jessie Cassidy
- 1937 · The Last of Mrs. Cheyney as Mrs. Fay Cheyney
- 1935 · I Live My Life as Kay Bentley
- 1933 · Fast Workers as Ivy Stevens (Archive Footage) (Uncredited)
- 1931 · The Stolen Jools as Joan Crawford
- 1931 · Dance, Fools, Dance as Bonnie Jordan
- 1930 · Montana Moon as Joan
- 1928 · Across to Singapore as Priscilla Crowninshield
- 1928 · Rose-Marie as Rose-Marie
- 1925 · The Only Thing as Party Guest (uncredited)
- 1925 · Proud Flesh as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Future · Because I Love Him as Margaret Hughes
- 2008 · Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood as Various Roles (archive footage)
- 2004 · The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made as Dr. Brockton (archive footage)
- 2003 · Complicated Women as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star as Self (archive footage)
- 2000 · Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces as Self (archive footage / uncredited)
- 1996 · Joan Crawford: Always the Star as Self (archive footage)
- 1984 · Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)
- 1972 · Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death as Joan Fairchild
- 1970 · Trog as Dr. Brockton
- 1969 · Night Gallery as Miss Menlo
- 1969 · Garbo, by Joan Crawford as Self - Host / Narrator (voice)
- 1969 · Journey to the Unknown as Self - Host
- 1968 · This was the MARY as Self/Narrator
- 1967 · The Karate Killers as Amanda True
- 1964 · Della as Della Chappell
- 1956 · Autumn Leaves as Millicent Wetherby
- 1953 · Torch Song as Jenny Stewart
- 1952 · Sudden Fear as Myra Hudson Blaine
- 1947 · Possessed as Louise Howell
- 1947 · Humoresque as Helen Wright
- 1941 · A Woman's Face as Anna Holm
- 1940 · A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
- 1940 · Hollywood: Style Center of the World as Self
- 1938 · The Shining Hour as Olivia Riley Linden
- 1937 · The Romance of Celluloid as Self (archive footage)
- 1936 · Love on the Run as Sally Parker
- 1935 · No More Ladies as Marcia Townsend Warren
- 1934 · Chained as Diane Lovering
- 1934 · Sadie McKee as Sadie
- 1933 · Today We Live as Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith
- 1932 · Rain as Sadie Thompson
- 1931 · This Modern Age as Valentine 'Val' Winters
- 1931 · Laughing Sinners as Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens
- 1930 · Paid as Mary Turner
- 1929 · The Hollywood Revue of 1929 as Self
- 1929 · Untamed as Alice "Bingo" Dowling
- 1929 · Our Modern Maidens as Billie Brown
- 1928 · Our Dancing Daughters as Diana 'Di' Medford
- 1928 · Four Walls as Frieda
- 1927 · Twelve Miles Out as Jane
- 1927 · The Taxi Dancer as Joselyn Poe
- Future · And One Was Loyal as Ann Howard
- 2017 · Bette and Joan as Self (archive footage)
- 2016 · Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western? as Self (archive footage)
- 2016 · Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other as Self (archive footage)
- 2016 · Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar' as Self (archive footage)
- 2012 · The Shirley Eder Tapes as Self
- 2011 · Possessed as (archive footage)
- 2010 · Flappers, Speakeasies, and the Birth of Modern Culture as
- 2007 · Girl 27 as Self (archive footage)
- 2007 · Tim Conway: Timeless Comedy as Self
- 2002 · Battle-Axe: the Making of 'Strait-Jacket' as Self (archive footage)
- 1994 · Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill as Self (archive footage)
- 1969 · The Big Rock Candy Mountain as Self
- 1964 · How to Plan a Movie Murder as Self
- 1959 · Woman on the Run as Susan Conrad
- 1947 · Daisy Kenyon as Daisy Kenyon
- 1947 · Through Many Windows as Self - Narrator
- 1946 · Blow-Ups of 1946 as Self
- 1943 · Above Suspicion as Frances Myles
- 1942 · They All Kissed the Bride as Margaret Johanna 'M.J.' Drew
- 1942 · Joan Crawford's Home Movies as Self
- 1941 · When Ladies Meet as Mary 'Minnie' Howard
- 1937 · The Bride Wore Red as Anni Pavlovitch
- 1937 · Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12 as Self (uncredited)
- 1936 · The Gorgeous Hussy as Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal
- 1934 · Forsaking All Others as Mary Clay
- 1933 · Dancing Lady as Janie Barlow
- 1931 · Possessed as Marian Martin aka 'Mrs. Moreland'
- 1930 · Our Blushing Brides as Jerry March
- 1929 · The Duke Steps Out as Susie
- 1928 · Dream of Love as Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 1928 · The Law of the Range as Betty Dallas
- 1928 · West Point as Betty Channing
- 1926 · The Merry Widow as Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
- 1926 · Paris as The Girl
- 1926 · The Boob as Jane
- 1926 · Tramp, Tramp, Tramp as Betty Burton
- 1925 · Sally, Irene and Mary as Irene O'Dare
- 1925 · Old Clothes as Mary Riley
- 1925 · The Midshipman as Extra - Driver of Police Car (uncredited)
- 1925 · The Circle as Young Lady Catherine
- 1925 · Pretty Ladies as Bobby
- 1925 · Lady of the Night as Body Double for Norma Shearer
- Future · The Road to Edinburgh as Mary Andrews
- 1925 · A Slave of Fashion as Mannequin (uncredited)
- 1925 · 1925 Studio Tour as Self
- Future · The Damned Don't Cry: The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel as