Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? – 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
- 2017 · Bette and Joan as Self (archive footage)
- 2016 · Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar' 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)
- 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self (archive footage)
- 2012 · The Shirley Eder Tapes as Self
- 2011 · Possessed as (archive footage)
- 2009 · 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year as Self (archive footage)
- 2008 · Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood as Various Roles (archive footage)
- 2007 · Girl 27 as Self (archive footage)
- 2007 · Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema as Self (archive footage)
- 2007 · Tim Conway: Timeless Comedy as Self
- 2006 · 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage as Self (archive footage)
- 2006 · Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition as Self (archive footage)
- 2004 · The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made as Dr. Brockton (archive footage)
- 2004 · Checking Out: Grand Hotel as Self / Flaemmchen (archive footage)
- 2003 · Complicated Women as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star as Self (archive footage)
- 2002 · Battle-Axe: the Making of 'Strait-Jacket' 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)
- 1994 · Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill as Self (archive footage)
- 1994 · That's Entertainment! III as (archive footage)
- 1989 · Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre as Self
- 1984 · Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)
- 1983 · Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1982 · Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid as (in "Humoresque") (archive footage)
- 1982 · Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! as Self (archive footage)
- 1976 · That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)
- 1975 · Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1974 · That's Entertainment! as (archive footage)
- 1972 · Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death as Joan Fairchild
- 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
- 1970 · Night Gallery as Miss Claudia Menlo
- 1970 · Trog as Dr. Brockton
- 1969 · Night Gallery as Miss Menlo
- 1969 · Garbo as Narrator
- 1969 · Journey to the Unknown as Self - Host
- 1969 · The Big Rock Candy Mountain as Self
- 1968 · The Name of the Game as Committee Member (uncredited)
- 1968 · This was the Mary as
- 1967 · Berserk! as Monica Rivers
- 1967 · The Karate Killers as Amanda True
- 1966 · The Oscar as Joan Crawford
- 1965 · I Saw What You Did as Amy Nelson
- 1965 · The Love Goddesses as (archive footage)
- 1964 · The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Amanda True
- 1964 · The Big Parade of Comedy as Bobby (archive footage)
- 1964 · Della as Della Chappell
- 1964 · Strait-Jacket as Lucy Harbin
- 1964 · How to Plan a Movie Murder as Self
- 1963 · The Caretakers as Lucretia Terry
- 1962 · What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? as Blanche Hudson
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1962 · The Lucy Show as Joan Crawford
- 1961 · Hollywood: The Selznick Years as Janie Barlow (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1960 · Route 66 as Morgan Harper
- 1959 · The Best of Everything as Amanda Farrow
- 1959 · Woman on the Run as Susan Conrad
- 1957 · The Story of Esther Costello as Margaret Landi
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Stella Faring
- 1956 · Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre as Sarah / Melanie Davidson Hobbs
- 1956 · Autumn Leaves as Millicent Wetherby
- 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
- 1954 · The Secret Storm as Joan Borman Kane
- 1953 · Torch Song as Jenny Stewart
- 1953 · At Home with Joan Crawford as Self
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Ann Howard
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Ruth Marshall
- 1953 · General Electric Theater as Mary Andrews
- 1952 · Sudden Fear as Myra Hudson Blaine
- 1952 · This Woman Is Dangerous as Elizabeth Austin
- 1951 · Goodbye, My Fancy as Agatha Reed
- 1950 · Harriet Craig as Harriet Craig
- 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
- 1949 · It's a Great Feeling as Joan Crawford (uncredited)
- 1949 · Flamingo Road as Lane Bellamy
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self (archive footage)
- 1947 · Daisy Kenyon as Daisy Kenyon
- 1947 · Through Many Windows as Self - Narrator
- 1947 · Possessed as Louise Howell
- 1947 · Humoresque as Helen Wright
- 1946 · Blow-Ups of 1946 as Self
- 1945 · Mildred Pierce as Mildred Pierce
- 1944 · Hollywood Canteen as Self
- 1943 · Above Suspicion as Frances Myles
- 1942 · Reunion in France as Michele de la Becque
- 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
- 1941 · A Woman's Face as Anna Holm
- 1940 · A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
- 1940 · Susan and God as Susan Trexel
- 1940 · Hollywood: Style Center of the World as Self
- 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 · The Shining Hour as Olivia Riley Linden
- 1938 · Mannequin as Jessie Cassidy
- 1937 · The Bride Wore Red as Anni Pavlovitch
- 1937 · The Romance of Celluloid as Self (archive footage)
- 1937 · Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12 as Self (uncredited)
- 1937 · The Last of Mrs. Cheyney as Mrs. Fay Cheyney
- 1936 · Love on the Run as Sally Parker
- 1936 · The Gorgeous Hussy as Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal
- 1935 · I Live My Life as Kay Bentley
- 1935 · No More Ladies as Marcia Townsend Warren
- 1934 · Forsaking All Others as Mary Clay
- 1934 · Chained as Diane Lovering
- 1934 · Sadie McKee as Sadie McKee
- 1933 · Dancing Lady as Janie Barlow
- 1933 · Fast Workers as Ivy Stevens (Archive Footage) (Uncredited)
- 1933 · Today We Live as Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith
- 1932 · Rain as Sadie Thompson
- 1932 · Grand Hotel as Flämmchen
- 1932 · Letty Lynton as Letty Lynton
- 1931 · Possessed as Marian Martin aka 'Mrs. Moreland'
- 1931 · This Modern Age as Valentine 'Val' Winters
- 1931 · We're switching to Hollywood as Self
- 1931 · Laughing Sinners as Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens
- 1931 · The Stolen Jools as Joan Crawford
- 1931 · Dance, Fools, Dance as Bonnie Jordan
- 1930 · Paid as Mary Turner
- 1930 · Our Blushing Brides as Jerry March
- 1930 · Montana Moon as Joan
- 1929 · Untamed as Alice "Bingo" Dowling
- 1929 · The Hollywood Revue of 1929 as Self
- 1929 · Our Modern Maidens as Billie Brown
- 1929 · The Duke Steps Out as Susie
- 1928 · Dream of Love as Adrienne Lecouvreur
- 1928 · Fashion News as Self (1929)
- 1928 · Our Dancing Daughters as Diana 'Di' Medford
- 1928 · Four Walls as Frieda
- 1928 · Across to Singapore as Priscilla Crowninshield
- 1928 · Rose-Marie as Rose-Marie
- 1928 · The Law of the Range as Betty Dallas
- 1928 · West Point as Betty Channing
- 1927 · Spring Fever as Allie Monte
- 1927 · Twelve Miles Out as Jane
- 1927 · The Unknown as Nanon Zanzi
- 1927 · The Understanding Heart as Monica Dale
- 1927 · The Taxi Dancer as Joselyn Poe
- 1927 · Winners Of The Wilderness as René Contrecoeur
- 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 · Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
- 1925 · The Only Thing as Party Guest (uncredited)
- 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 · A Slave of Fashion as Mannequin (uncredited)
- 1925 · Proud Flesh as Party Guest (uncredited)
- 1925 · 1925 Studio Tour as Self
- 1925 · Lady of the Night as Body Double for Norma Shearer
- Future · The Damned Don't Cry: The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel as