Our star for July had a career that spanned for more than 45 years and a filmography of 80 films. Lucille Fay LeSueur born March 23, 1905 as stated on imdb.com still her actual birthday remains somewhat a mystery to this day. Lucille said she was born in 1908, which would have made her just 16 when she contracted at MGM. Robert Osborne recalled their first meeting back in 1959 on the set of The Best of Everything. The introduction came via Diane Baker who had a starring role in the film. What surprised Robert was her stature a mere 5’3”, her red hair (he had only seen her in black and white films) and her hand shake grip. It was more reminiscent of John Wayne or Charles Bronson. He also said for a stranger she wasn’t dismissive with him, as she looked Robert straight in the eye when they spoke. And there was something else he said, she was extremely charming. When writing about her in his monthly column Osborne said he could still recall the strength of that handshake.
Born in San Antonio, Texas her father abandoned the family around the time of her birth and her mother made ends meet taking in laundry. She had a short-term stepfather (rumored to have slept with) and briefly changed her name to Billie Cassin. Billie learned the Charleston and began to win contests and left for Chicago and thence to New York and it was there she got her first break from producer Harry Rapf when he spotted her onstage in 1924, and from there her portrayal three years later in what would be her 21st film, Our Dancing Daughters that would make her a star. This film has her portraying a flapper although you mightn’t think of Joan Crawford as a hoofer but her Charleston winning contests aided her here. Her story was one of grit and determination as Joan had many setbacks some of her own making and some truth be told as Hollywood at the time didn’t have roles for actors especially women as they entered their 40’s. And most people today unfortunately think of her personified by Faye Dunaway’s 1981 portrayal of Joan in Mommie Dearest as a demonic parent stewarding and abusing her two adopted children (especially her daughter Christina) and the famous “wire hangers” scene. In her defense Joan was so poor that those “hangers” most likely reminded her of her life nearly destitute growing up. Her ‘psychic wound’ a therapist might speculate. Joan’s demands on the set made her difficult to work with and her ceremony about her star status made her persona non grata with some of her costars. See the mini series on Prime called Feud from 2017 starring Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford and Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis and you will get a real flavor of the two huge celebrities.
There were many stars that were luminaries in the silent era only to be forgotten once talkies became the rage. Crawford was one of those survivors. Joan also had a distinctive countenance that set her apart; sculptured cheekbones and full lips and broad shoulders that one director made a huge mistake about. Michael Curtiz with a long list of box office hits was also a tyrant. One day he became unhinged on the set of Mildred Pierce as he was convinced Joan was wearing shoulder pads. He ripped her dress off at the neckline only to discover she wasn’t. There was some amelioration though Joan won the Oscar that year for best actress.
Louie B. Mayer didn’t like the name Lucille or Billie and so he decided to have a name change contest in which he offered a prize of $1,000.00 Joan didn’t like it in fact she thought it sounded like “crawfish” and a costar Bill Haines nicknamed her Crawford Cranberry. Married 4 times her sexcapades were legendary. It was said that Bette Davis remarked that Joan slept with every male star except Lassie. Rumored to invite men places and show up naked it was also reported that Joan bedded her director Robert Aldrich, head of Warner Brothers, Jack. Married at 21 first to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 19 in 1929 they divorced in 1934. Sprinkled in was her on again off again affair with Clark Gable. Being that they starred in 8 films together their romance seemed to heat up whenever they were paired. Then there was the story that had Bette purportedly attracted to Franchot Tone. Hearing that Joan invited the star over she answered the door naked. They married but it lasted just 3 ½ years. Then there was Spencer Tracy, Jackie Cooper who was just 17 when she was 34 that sparked a huge controversy. That dalliance lasted 6 months. There were others of course but her last spouse Alfred Steele of four years had her sit on the board of Pepsi Cola after his death. It enabled her to pay off some of the debts he had saddled her with. Joan used sex as a weapon and based on the time in history it wielded a great power over men. Today of course it would be considered abuse but to Joan she didn’t see it that way it was all about control of her career and over men and the parts she would play.
After her stint at MGM Joan’s star took a higher trajectory when she signed with Warner Brothers. It was in this studio film audiences discovered Crawford’s wide range between intelligence, ruthlessness, vulnerability, codependence and pure power. Joan adroitly starred in the Film Noir genre 9 times. Memorable roles began in 1945’s Mildred Pierce (Oscar) Humoresque in 1946 and Possessed in 1947. Joan sensing that as age being a factor at the time moved from Warner and began to freelance and her work at RKO in 1952 had her back on top again with her 3rd Oscar nomination for her role in Sudden Fear and then of all things a western directed by the enigmatic Nicholas Ray in Johnny Guitar 1954 wherein she plays a incendiary saloon owner wrongly accused of murder. Joan’s career reached its final crest in 1962 in the famous pairing with archrival Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. After that film Joan was relegated to second-rate horror films but Joan was the consummate professional loyal to her fans and gave every role no matter the budget her level best.
Joan died of a heart attack at just 72 possibly fueled by heavy drinking. She disinherited both her adopted children Christina and son Christopher. One final note on Bette Davis, Joan said, “I don’t hate her, and I resent her. I don’t see how she built a career out of a set of mannerisms instead of real acting ability. Take away the pop eyes, the cigarette, and those funny clipped words, and what have you got? She’s phony, but I guess the public likes that”. Joan Crawford definitely an icon of the Silver Screen.
P.S.
In the MGM film Grand Hotel in 1932 starring Greta Garbo, John and Lionel Barrymore and a young Joan Crawford jousting formidably with Wallace Beery steals the movie. Catch it on TCM if you get a chance.
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