Tribute to Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 -- May 10, 1977), born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre.

Starting as a dancer in travelling 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 began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivalled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow. 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 and by the end of the 1930s she was labelled "box office poison", along with such other actors as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

In 1928, Crawford starred opposite Ramón Novarro in Across to Singapore, but it was her role as Diana Medford in Our Dancing Daughters (1928) that catapulted her to stardom. The role established her as a symbol of modern 1920s-style femininity that rivaled the image of her friend Clara Bow, the original IT girl, who was Hollywood's foremost flapper. A stream of hits followed Our Dancing Daughters, including two more flapper-themed movies, in which Crawford embodied for her legion of fans (many of whom were women) an idealized vision of the free-spirited, all-American girl. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of her:

Joan Crawford is doubtless the best example of the flapper, the girl you see in smart night clubs, gowned to the apex of sophistication, toying iced glasses with a remote, faintly bitter expression, dancing deliciously, laughing a great deal, with wide, hurt eyes. Young things with a talent for living.

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 Chairman 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 British 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 and became more and more reclusive until her death in 1977.

Crawford married four times. Her first three marriages ended in divorce; the last ended with the death of husband Al Steele.

Crawford was voted the tenth greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute.

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[oriana379]

Wonderful tribute! I still remember film " Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?". Joan Crawford and Betty Davies. They were really great!

[Shabannie]

@oriana379 Thank you for looking at Joan's video. I remember Baby Jane too.

--------Ellen

[JRudyLove]

Love it Ellen!! I know she has gotten a bad rep but I still like her acting!

xoxoxox

[Shabannie]

@JRudyLove Thank you for your nice comments. I wanted to show her early career so that we would be reminded of her long term popularity. Most people my age just remember the problems.

---------Ellen

[Shabannie]

@genia106 I put Joan on my to do list when I made my early Clark Gable video. I wanted to select pictures from her early movies, when she was a popular box office draw. Thank you for watching her video again.

--------Ellen

[genia106]

@Shabannie

I just watched your video again, you have some wonderful photos and the song is just perfect. BRILLIAN!

Smooch

G.

[JRudyLove]

@JRudyLove She was also such a gorgeous creature and those opinions about her came from not all her children, but I'm sure your aware of that :) xoxox

[Shabannie]

@Kievest F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of her: "Joan Crawford is doubtless the best example of the flapper, the girl you see in smart night clubs, gowned to the apex of sophistication, toying iced glasses with a remote, faintly bitter expression, dancing deliciously, laughing a great deal, with wide, hurt eyes. Young things with a talent for living." Perhaps I emphasized her young flapper life because of that quote. Bette Davis probably said that she should have stayed in silent movies. Ha.

[Shabannie]

@1958robert1  Thank you so much for your nice comments. I appreciate your visit to my channel.

--------Ellen

[Kievest]

Ellen, your video is a 10!!! The photos are fantastic especially at

1:10, 2:16 & 3:07!! Your presentation is elegant, seamless

& professional combining music & imagery into a smart,

cohesive whole. As much as I support self determination for

women, Joan Crawford was too prickly, arrogant & abusive

to be liked or loved by the general public. She was a castrating

female rather than an evolved one. Perhaps she had to be that

way to overcome the powers that be in Hollywood.. or her excuse.

TY!