Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford

Highest Rated: 100% Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story (2007)

Lowest Rated: 14% Trog (1970)

Birthday: Mar 23, 1905

Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, USA

Joan Crawford was not an actress; she was a movie star. The distinction is a crucial one: She infrequently appeared in superior films, and her work was rarely distinguished regardless of the material, yet she enjoyed one of the most successful and longest-lived careers in cinema history. Glamorous and over the top, stardom was seemingly Crawford's birthright; everything about her, from her rags-to-riches story to her constant struggles to remain in the spotlight, made her ideal fodder for the Hollywood myth factory. Even in death she remained a high-profile figure thanks to the publication of her daughter's infamous tell-all book, an outrageous film biography, and numerous revelations of a sordid private life. Ultimately, Crawford was melodrama incarnate, a wide-eyed, delirious prima donna whose story endures as a definitive portrait of motion picture fame, determination, and relentless ambition.Born Lucille Fay Le Sueur on March 23, 1908, in San Antonio, TX, she first earned notice by winning a Charleston contest. She then worked as a professional dancer in Chicago, later graduating to a position in the chorus line of a Detroit-area club and finally to the Broadway revue Innocent Eyes. While in the chorus of The Passing Show of 1924, she was discovered by MGM's Harry Rapf, and made her movie debut in 1925's Lady of the Night. A series of small roles followed before the studio sponsored a magazine contest to find a name better than Le Sueur, and after a winner was chosen, she was rechristened Joan Crawford.Her first major role, in 1925's Sally, Irene and Mary, swiftly followed, and over the next few years she co-starred opposite some of the silent era's most popular stars, including Harry Langdon (1926's Tramp Tramp Tramp), Lon Chaney (1927's The Unknown), John Gilbert (1927's Twelve Miles Out), and Ramon Navarro (1928's Across to Singapore). Crawford shot to stardom on the strength of 1928's Our Dancing Daughters, starring in a jazz-baby role originally slated for Clara Bow. The film was hugely successful, and MGM soon doubled her salary and began featuring her name on marquees.Unlike so many stars of the period, she successfully made the transformation from the silents to the sound era. In fact, the 1929 silent Our Modern Maidens, in which she teamed with real-life fiancé Douglas Fairbanks Jr., was so popular -- even with audiences pining for more talkies -- that the studio did not push her into speaking parts. Finally, with Hollywood Revue of 1929 Crawford began regularly singing and dancing onscreen and scored at the box office as another flapper in 1930's Our Blushing Brides.However, she yearned to play the kinds of substantial roles associated with Greta Garbo and Norma Shearer and actively pursued the lead in the Tod Browning crime drama Paid. The picture was another hit, and soon similar projects were lined up. Dance Fools Dance (1931) paired Crawford with Clark Gable. They were to reunite many more times over in the years to come, including the hit Possessed. She was now among Hollywood's top-grossing performers, and while not all of her pictures from the early '30s found success, those that did -- like 1933's Dancing Lady -- were blockbusters.With new husband Franchot Tone, Crawford starred in several features beginning with 1934's Sadie McKee. She continued appearing opposite some of the industry's biggest male stars, but by 1937 her popularity was beginning to wane. After the failure of films including The Bride Wore Red and 1938's Mannequin, her name appeared on an infamous full-page Hollywood Reporter advertisement which listed actors deemed "glamour stars detested by the public." After the failure of The Shining Hour, even MGM -- which had just signed Crawford to a long-term contract -- was clearly worried. However, a turn as the spiteful Crystal in George Cukor's 1939 smash The Women restored some of Crawford's lustre, as did another pairing with Gable in 1940's Strange Cargo.Again directed by Cukor, 1941's A W

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story Actor — 2007
No Score Yet Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star Actor — 2002
No Score Yet Judy Garland's Hollywood Actor — 1997
100% That's Entertainment! III Actor — 1994
No Score Yet Hollywood's Golden Era: Leading Ladies Actor — 1989
No Score Yet World's Greatest Movie Challenge Actor — 1989
60% That's Entertainment, Part 2 Actor — 1976
100% That's Entertainment Actor — 1973
14% Trog Dr. Brockton — 1970
No Score Yet Night Gallery Actor — 1969
No Score Yet Berserk Monica Rivers — 1967
No Score Yet The Karate Killers Amanda True — 1967
No Score Yet I Saw What You Did Amy Nelson — 1965
88% Strait-Jacket Lucy Harbin — 1964
No Score Yet Fatal Confinement Actor — 1964
No Score Yet The Caretakers Lucretia Terry — 1963
92% What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Blanche Hudson — 1962
60% The Best of Everything Amanda Farrow — 1959
No Score Yet Story of Esther Costello Margaret Landi — 1957
89% Autumn Leaves Millicent Wetherby — 1956
No Score Yet Queen Bee Eva Phillips — 1955
No Score Yet Female on the Beach Lynn Markham — 1955
93% Johnny Guitar Vienna — 1954
No Score Yet Torch Song Jenny Stewart — 1953
100% Sudden Fear Producer — 1952
No Score Yet This Woman Is Dangerous Elizabeth 'Beth' Austin — 1952
No Score Yet Goodbye, My Fancy Agatha Reed — 1951
No Score Yet Harriet Craig Harriet Craig — 1950
No Score Yet The Damned Don't Cry Ethel Whitehead / Loran Hansen Forbes — 1950
No Score Yet It's a Great Feeling Herself — 1949
No Score Yet Flamingo Road Lane Bellamy — 1949
100% Daisy Kenyon Daisy Kenyon — 1947
89% Possessed Louise Howell — 1947
60% Humoresque Mrs. Helen Wright — 1946
86% Mildred Pierce Mildred — 1945
No Score Yet Hollywood Canteen Herself — 1944
No Score Yet Above Suspicion Frances Myles — 1943
No Score Yet Reunion in France Michele de la Becque — 1942
No Score Yet They All Kissed the Bride Margaret J. 'M.J.' Drew — 1942
100% A Woman's Face Anna Holm — 1941
No Score Yet When Ladies Meet Mary Howard — 1941
No Score Yet Susan and God Susan Trexel — 1940
75% Strange Cargo Julie — 1940
No Score Yet Ice Follies of 1939 Mary McKay — 1939
92% The Women Chrystal Allen — 1939
No Score Yet The Shining Hour Olivia Riley — 1938
No Score Yet Mannequin Jessie Cassidy — 1937
No Score Yet The Last Of Mrs.Cheyney Actor — 1937
No Score Yet The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Fay Cheyney — 1937
No Score Yet The Bride Wore Red Anni Pavlovitch — 1937
80% Love on the Run Sally Parker — 1936
No Score Yet The Gorgeous Hussy Peggy Eaton — 1936
No Score Yet No More Ladies Marcia Townsend Warren — 1935
No Score Yet I Live My Life Kay Bentley — 1935
No Score Yet Forsaking All Others Mary Clay — 1934
No Score Yet Chained Diane Lovering — 1934
No Score Yet Sadie McKee Sadie McKee Brennan — 1934
80% Dancing Lady Janie Barlow — 1933
No Score Yet Today We Live Diana — 1933
100% Rain Sadie Thompson — 1932
88% Grand Hotel Flaemmchen — 1932
No Score Yet Possessed Marian — 1931
No Score Yet The Stolen Jools Actor — 1931
No Score Yet Dance, Fools, Dance Bonnie Jordan — 1931
No Score Yet This Modern Age Valentine 'Val' Winters — 1931
No Score Yet Laughing Sinners Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens — 1931
No Score Yet Our Blushing Brides Geraldine 'Gerry' March — 1930
No Score Yet Montana Moon Joan Prescott — 1930
No Score Yet Paid Mary — 1930
No Score Yet Our Modern Maidens Billie — 1929
40% The Hollywood Revue of 1929 Herself — 1929
No Score Yet Our Dancing Daughters Diana 'Di' Medford — 1928
No Score Yet West Point Betty Channing — 1928
No Score Yet Four Walls Frieda — 1928
No Score Yet Spring Fever Allie Monte — 1927
No Score Yet Twelve Miles Out Jane — 1927
100% The Unknown Estrellita — 1927
No Score Yet Harry Langdon: The Forgotten Clown Actor — 1926
No Score Yet The Boob Jane — 1926
No Score Yet Lady of the Night Molly/Florence (uncredited) — 1925
No Score Yet Sally, Irene and Mary Irene — 1925
No Score Yet WAMPAS Baby Stars of 1926 Actor —

TV

Credit
100% The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
1964-1968 		Amanda 1967
No Score Yet Night Gallery
1970-1973 		Miss Menlo

QUOTES FROM Joan Crawford CHARACTERS

Mildred Pierce says: I was always in the kitchen. I felt as though I'd been born in a kitchen and lived there all my life, except for the few hours it took to get married.

Flaemmchen says: I'd like to be in the movies.

Blanche Hudson says: Yes, she's emotionally disturbed. She's unbalanced!

Jane Hudson says: It's just that nosy Mrs. Bates going on about your picture last night.

Blanche Hudson says: Oh, really, did she like it?

Jane Hudson says: [imitating Blanche's voice] Oh, really, did she like it?... She liked it!

Blanche Hudson says: You wouldn't be able to do these awful things to me if I weren't still in this chair.

Jane Hudson says: But you *are*, Blanche! You *are* in that chair!

Myra Hudson says: I was just wondering what I've done to deserve you.

Louise Howell Graham says: David! Take me with you. DAVID!

Veda Pierce says: Are you sure you want to know?

Mildred Pierce says: Yes.

Veda Pierce says: Then I'll tell you. With this money, I can get away from you.

Mildred Pierce says: Veda...

Veda Pierce says: From you and your chickens, pies and kitchens and everything that smells of grease. I can get away from this shack and its cheap furniture. And this town and its dollar-days and its women that wear uniforms and its men that wear overalls.

Mildred Pierce says: I think I'm really seeing you for the first time in my life and you're cheap and horrible.

Veda Pierce says: You think just because you've made a little money, you can get some new hairdo and some expensive clothes and turn yourself into a lady. But you can't. You'll never be anything but a common frump whose father lived over a grocery store and whose mother took in washing. With this money I can get away from all the rotting, stinking thing that makes me think of this place or you!

Mildred Pierce says: Veda!

Crystal Allen says: There's a name for you ladies, but it isn't used in high society -- outside of a kennel.