Even people who disliked her - and there were many in Hollywood - have described her as "one hundred percent professional." She was incredibly hard working, never late, always prepared. If nothing else, she should be respected for what she achieved by her endless efforts.
Any woman who knew everyone's name and birthday on the set, paid for their medical care, and answered every fan letter can't be all that bad. She had her demons but who helped her? We love you Joan. You were a great star.
@@Lololol878 narcissistic people and their flying monkeys 🐒 will never realize the truth behind the mask . Joan was successful and she also abused her “daughter “ . You never really know someone until you love with them . Pretty shady how she treated Christina and Chris as kids . Joans success should never erase the evil truth
You sound naive.. you can remember any one’s name and birthdate, pay for the medical care and everything else and answer every fan letter and be a murderer.. how do any of those things make you a great person??
She really did 'light up the screen'. My generation only saw the caricature of the later Joan with the harsh eyebrows. It wasn't until I saw her earlier work (along with her incredible performance in Mildred Pierce) that I saw the reality of the vulnerable incandescent actress. Thanks for this.
So right, that is how people see Joan. No one sees her in silent movies, her dancing, her beauty, or her career in the 1930s. People see stars such as Joan and Betty Davis in middle age and remember them as such. On the show 'What's My Line' she answers a question that she danced. The compare sort of takes that back. Afterwards Joan tries to explain about dancing but it is never got acknowledged. The reason for this is that it was the early days of television and movies had yet to become the fodder of television, no one knew her early career. She was the first person to dance on screen with Fred Astaire, now when it comes to dancing that is an accomplishment.
Yeah, Diane, you are right, she had a spark, and she worked for it. Her older movies were good and she should have had more faith in herself. Happy New year to all ...Vickie
Yes! I always thought her eyebrow transformation really changed her face. It wasn't just age it always amazed me how one small thing on a person's face can make a huge transformation.
Anyone who expects a movie star to be just like their presented image will always be disappointed. Whatever else Joan Crawford was or was not, she was one helluva movie star. You have to admire her grit.
@@geminijohnson4019 I interpreted that comment as the fact that none of us really know the facts but can at least comment on her acting ability of which we can see on the screen. No need to judge what you don't know.
Some of y’all are letting one or two people’s account of her shape your whole image of her and discounting everyone else’s. She wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t a monster, either.
Al ways, you interpreted correctly. Rather than trivializing child abuse--which I did not do, no matter someone else's snap judgement of my comment--I only commented on her acting.
Joan Crawford and Betty Davis were d two best actresses of their generation and any generation to come.They were quintessential American actresses and icons, and would never be replaced.They also personified d best of America and will never be forgotten!
This Legend fought her way from poverty to be a great 🌟. She was determined to remain on top no matter what the cost. So many people have so much to say about her personal life and don't even know her. I can say film wise she is one of the greatest actresses to ever grace the screen. She became what she needed to be when ever the script demanded of her to do so. Never be another Joan.
Absolutely, and though her great rival Bette Davis (who was a greater star than Joan for her overall pictures) had been offered the part 1st & turned it down- as Mildred Pierce Joan was the better choice for her earthiness she put in that performance and yes deserved that Oscar finally in her career. Maybe -just maybe Barbra Stanwyck who was also considered for that part before Crawford could've done it justice even over Davis. But Joan killed it!
@@deborahking5692 who knows, alittle singing and especially dancing was another side of JCrawford alot don't really know. Although she didn't really sing in her film "Torch Song" because it was dubbed- but the dancing was all Joan Crawfords. Hmmm I don't recall her greatest rival Bette Davis could sing very well or really dance as extensively as Joan.
To anyone who likes this documentary, let me offer a friendly recommendation to listen to the podcast "You Must Remember This". It's all about Hollywood in its first century, and there's an entire season on Joan Crawford. So many of the things they're touching on here are explored within that podcast in such incredible detail. Anyway, if you like this, you'll LOVE that!
She is Queen bee literally !!!!!!!! Joan Crawford is the epitome of classic Hollywood. Her presence on screen is Sublime. And she was absolutely stunning. An amazing character actress. I have been capsulated by her charm and beauty.
@@krisswan748 there is no proof that the book is telling the truth. the daughter could have written it as revenge on Joan for not including her in her will.
I think if those actors of the past were to come out today they would blow away audiences all around the world and everyone would start acting and behaving like them. Their magic is timeless.
It's Glen Eaton What I really marvel at, is the black actors of that time. The good ones. Which are the only ones of course anyone really heard of because of the stark, almost laughable lack of opportunity. To be so beautiful as Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandrige, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier....even musicians like Hazel Scott..to act that brilliantly amidst absolutely constant degrading conditions every step of the way. Now that is brilliant.
I disagree. Most people nowadays lack the ability to discover nuance in the humanity portrayed by these dynamic actors of the past. They would be bored. People mistake contemporary over intellectualized dialogues, and tendencies towards darkness and negativity, as a performance having depth in its content. Actors shouldn’t generate this attempt at “depth” through these superficial mechanisms. It’s a slight of hand, it’s an inner power, seen in these actors of the past, that pulls us into the human dilemma.
The actresses of the golden Hollywood era fascinate me! I’m sorry to say but Joan Crawford and Bette Davis were very similar!both smoked and drank,their children wrote books about them,the top bosses in Hollywood treated them abysmal in the latter years of their lives but in the end they both wanted to just be loved and not forgotten. RIP to two formidable stars.you will never be forgotten ❤️
Joan was naturally talented. Not many actors or actresses are THAT good naturally. Hollywood used her up,and tossed her the f*** out. That's gotta be devastating as a career actress
I really have a lot of respect for Joan and anyone who fights their way to the top of their field. You can see a lot of vulnerability in her interviews
What I love about Crawford, is not so much her acting abilities, but her drive and determination to better herself. She really had no role model to emulate from her upbringing, so she had to learn and assimilate from others that she came in contact with as a young adult. What a lucky break she got when MGM hired her for a six month option contract (if they didn't like her, they could terminate her at the end of the six months). She was like a sponge, absorbing everything and everyone around her. MGM gave her voice lessons, taught her how to walk, how to dress, and molded her into a movie star, covering up and concealing her sorted past. This was a woman who craved a better social status for herself and fought like hell to achieve it. It's the good old American success story.
To me Joan Crawford was Queen of Hollywood! She was so beautiful in such a unique way that made her stand out There is something about Joan which makes you want more!
back then you'd say that and youd get smacked you dont tell people how to discipline their children no i dont think hitting your children is right but spanking them when the jump up on something and starts breaking glass or now adays out doing drugs is fine i mean by hand not objects. Now aday kids have no respect for anything anymore because someone spanks their child and is sent to jail for child abuse.
Agreed, Joan was among the very best - recently saw "Autumn Leaves" again after a long time and was amazed at just how great she was in that role. Her daughter has been vilified for writing her trashy book and rightly so, it's obvious now that it was a pack of lies.
I undersatnd your point of view but I judge her from her carreer ^perspective and not as a mother ...I am aware that she was not a good mother but shez wen trhue herself thue hell as a young girl,anymays they are all a bit crazy...One thing is sure Jan Crawford was a very good actress...
Sorry to hear that you were abused It is something awful for a child...My heart reach out to yours but still from a professional perspective she was the best.....Once again sorry for your experience I hope sincerely you have a better Life
Carl Gagnon I agree with your statement she might not have been the best mom in the world but as a parent your worried about two true things having a roof over your children's head and food in their belly. I fear more or less this woman was nothing more than a workaholic who was fighting off her own demons she didn't want her children to truly see so as an actress she pretended to be someone she thought she should be its not an accuse for actions but the woman was a very good actress maybe so very good at being so she believed her own self
There was a vulnerability deep inside Joan Crawford, an unquenchable thirst to be accepted. It shines thru in every role she played. I think this is the part of her I really appreciate seeing on screen. She made tremendous efforts to hide this part of her, but to those who carefully look, it shines thru nonetheless.
Joan Crawford was the epitome of a woman determined through sheer grit to succeed.whatever price was paid she was willing to pay it. Absolutely one of a kind. There will never be another like her.
JOAN CRAWFORD should have OSCARS for "Possessed" & " Sudden Fear" and should have been nomimated for "Autumn Leaves" & "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?", and her " Night Gallery" performance deserved an EMMY.
Thank you for posting this documentary that shows her determination not to play just any script handed to her. Right up to the end she gave Oscar worthy performances on any part she played. And many thanks to not focus on her first two adopted, ungrateful brats. Joan, you'll always be loved.
Something. Happened the way i understand it when Jone die she only left the twens money left nothing to christea and her brother..one guy talking said christea was jealous of Jone i say no it was the other way around ..no matter what was done. A parent will leave there child something..i believe Christea and her brother. For Jone putting a 4 year old child that a toddler still a baby up on a chair to warsh her own dishes every day ? A mother job is to take care of a baby not baby takeing care of oneself and thats that...
@@maryhodgson8604--4 is a preschooler not a toddler--she probably washed her own little plate and cup, but in any case who EXACTLY are we to judge another person? I think Joan had a very rough childhood and in her mind that was normal.
@@maryhodgson8604 You mean a top actress who was a star for about 4 decades was jealous of a failed actress whose only claim to fame is her mother? Touch some grass.
You have to give it to her , She came from nothing & clawed her way to the top . My mother was the first women head of the UAW in 1961 & I admire a strong women !!!
I'll give her that she was outed for her true nature, and that Hollywood is as phony as plastic. Strong women who claw their way to the top are rarely nice people. But some do admire a cold, self-serving bitch, being how superficial and shallow everything has become.
I was born 84 years after Joan was... I grew up with my baby boomer mom playing her movies for me to see... All my friends would say they loved Marilyn, Audrey Hepurn, Liz Taylor...(I do love me some Liz Taylor tho) But I would always choose Joan Crawford as my all time fav ❤
@@bardowl8209 but in Joan's case she was a kind, humanitarian, charitable woman. Don't be taken in by the spoilt, bitter little girl who wrote her "true" story please.
I was surprised to know in her early life, how hard she had worked, to get to where I always saw the completed picture. Like acting had just come so naturally to her. In all her movies, Joan Crawford, was a FIRST CLASS ACTRESS, the best.
She also had a whole lot of trauma from her childhood and youth, this can also change the neural pathways in the brain ways that show sooner or later...
@@gozerthegozarian9500 It sure can. That's why I mostly just go by what they presented to us onscreen, and she always gave her very best. So whatever happened behind closed doors was her business. And I'm in no position to judge, because I'm no better than the next person. At least she gave examples of how to be your best, in onscreen, so that is sufficient.
Have always loved Joan Crawford in Grand Hotel. Her scenes with John Barrymore are so nuanced & natural-her stunning beauty in the early 1930’s was mesmerizing.
She invented FABULOUSNESS....lived everyday in full Joan Crawford drag. Legend. Diva. Hardest working woman in Hollywood. The fact that other actresses are said to have loathed her.....well...that is definitely proof that they felt her threat. This was a Boss.❤
My favorite Crawford movies/performances: Rain, Grand Hotel, The Women, Strange Cargo, A Woman's Face, Mildred Pierce, Possesed, Humoresque, Flamingo Road, The Damned Don't Cry, Sudden Fear, Johnny Guitar, Queen Bee, Female on the Beach, The Best of Everything, Baby Jane, Strait Jacket, I Saw What you Did, and Night Gallery (Mrs.Menlow) directed by Steven Spielberg. And there are a bunch of MGM films I haven't yet seen.
You know, I love Joan Crawford. 💖💖💖. Every movie she was wonderful. Every interview I have seen she was so charming. And to this day I won’t use, … ever, … WIRE HANGERS!! 😱😱😱
For years I only knew Joan Crawford through Faye Dunaway's portrayal. Then I started watching Joan's movies and interviews and realized Dunaway didn't begin to capture Crawford's aura and spirit. Faye played it so loud and dramatic she completely missed what made Crawford truly frightening: an icy sort aloofness, like she could cut you down without saying anything, with just one look. The other thing Dunaway couldn't capture was a certain fragility and hesitancy in Joan. You sense it in the cadence of her beautiful voice even when she's acting tough.
Joan Crawford has always been one of my all-time favorite movie stars. Christina Crawford should be ashamed of herself for tarnishing her mother's image and memory by writing that mostly-fictitious book. Hearing all of her other children give interviews through the years told a different story of the truth that Joan was a very good mother. Even though Joan Crawford was actually before my time, I watch every silver screen production she made right up until her death in 1977. I was 16 years old when she died. I was so saddened to hear of her death when my mother told me. No one in film today other than Meryl Streep or the late Elizabeth Taylor can come close to Joan Crawford's acting talent and presence. Rest in Peace, Lucille!
This was a wonderful documentary and put together very well. Makes me wish sometimes that I was from another generation... That generation of the 'Joan Crawford's' so to speak. The women was so gorgeous.. stunning.. eloquent beyond anything I've ever seen!!
Her confidence shined brightly, her cold attitude is what became her most remembered Characters. She was ahead of her time......We need more stars and utilize the glamour of the past back into movies....
Joan was very striking. She showed so much class. I find it interesting how a very visibly old and aged man describes Joan’s aging as one like “the legend of an elephant” that goes away to die.
today they squat their fat butts and have thunder thighs, move their arms around and call that dancing, NO. dancers stay in shape, thin, and its all about the legs.
JOAN CRAWFORD is the best actress I've ever seen and I discovered her accidentally. From that point I read everything about her, listened to all her interviews and watched all her movies! She was such a fascinating actress, always giving breathtaking performances. Just because of curiosity I read the book of Christina and I was shocked about how Tina dared to do such a thing to her mother that devoted her life to those children especially after her death when Joan couldn't defend herself! I never believed a word of it.....! It is so sad to see some comments that practically call her the most horrible things without even knowing the truth. That is why everyone should watch this amazing documentary about her life and that explains a lot of things about her life. There are no words to describe this woman. Her charm, romantic lightness, beauty and jaw-dropping glamour were astonishing. She had boundless energy, good looks, tenacity and charisma.(from the book Just Joan). And of course as Drew Caspar once said:" Even now, years later, decades later, you cannot take your eyes off of her on the screen". Even George Cukor said:" Joan was one of the people that made Hollywood the place that touched the imagination of the world" Joan is the ultimate movie star and a person worth to remember for her vitality, generosity, courage and powerful image on the silver screen and not for the nasty book that her daughter wrote out of jealousy of her mothers life and success! We love you Joan! Greetings from Greece ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
One in a million, woman, earthy and straight up honest. Stunning blue eyed statuetes. Tremendous presence. Independent and hard working. A one in a million......
I have loved many of the movie goddesses of the past and present, but for me, Joan has always been my favorite. A fascinating person on and off camera.
@@babbsdahms7576 That's fine. How we see entertainers is highly subjective, I simply have a different opinion. Speaking of range, very few actor's career's have spanned 6 decades across several different genres. How's that for versatility! Obviously she wasn't tiring to generations of fans, which is how she was able to sustain a career for that length of time. The very fact that an actor who's career started in 1925, ended in 1970, and passed on in 1977, is STILL being written about and talked about in 2020 across technology that didn't even exist during her lifetime speaks for itself! She's widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time for a reason. Personally, I'm a HUGE movie fan and love too may actor across time to name, but for many reasons, Lucille Fay LeSueur is my favorite. :-)
@@cjqnsnyc Joan is my personal favorite as well. Putting aside her film resume, acting prowess, and Oscar-winning iconography, as well as her much talked-about personal life, what I honestly find most fascinating about Crawford is the stunning visual imagery she conjures up by virtue of her breathtaking face and posture. Her close-ups are mesmerizing to behold, and again, that face, that impossibly beautiful work of art, of planes and angles, of chiseled cheekbones, dramatic eyebrows, stylized lips and bright, expressive eyes is what stops me in my tracks every single time. Perhaps it has to do with her early training in silent films, but her visual imagery on film, her eyes and lips, so quick to mirror her emotions, are all so uniquely beautiful, that all I can do is stare at her every second she appears on screen. Few actors have ever had that kind of a face, a face that on its own acts as her calling card and most powerful vehicle, or that kind of star quality and staying power across space and time.
When Douglas Fairbanks Jr arrived back in Hollywood after WWII, with a most distinguished record in the Navy and undercover, and decorations all across his chest (and for all I know up and down both arms), he was greeted by his ex-wife Joan Crawford, who said 'darling! Have you heard the news? I'm at Warner Brothers now!' He knew then that he was back in Hollywood.
She was a good dancer but due to an accident she suffered in her adolescence, she never managed to shine as number one. But as an actress, she did become the Queen.
I love that comment about Joan not being a fighter! .. ah .. except for that incredible stunt she pulled at the 1963 Oscars, accepting for Anne Bancroft (the evening Bette didn't win!). .. Ah, .. no. I think Joan knew how to fight!
Though Bette Davis' part as "Baby Jane" was the meatier in that picture, Joan Crawford's was still very compelling and unique and she should've at least been nominated. And had she atleast been nominated and lost to Davis (had Bette won), she might not have gone on that rampage and stuck it to Davis by sabotaging Bette's chance to have won by championing Ann Bancrofts performance in "The Miracle Worker". And yep, look how it turned out, Bancroft won, Joan accepted the award in front of every1 that night and looking like she won after all- which added to Davis hatred of her. But Joan knew what she was doing .
David Murray Maclean Sounded like Betty was nasty to Joan, because she liked one of Joan’s paramours. Betty was married at the time, pretty selfish of her. Joans career had a lot to do with dancing and comedy as well as drama.
I feel that "stunt" is over-exaggerated by film gossip columnists and even by Bette... Most of what Better said later, after Joan's death, is not true... Joan didn't travel with the Oscar for a year, as Bette claimed, but she returned the Oscar to Anne Bancroft almost a month after the Oscars... Bette herself accepted and posed with Kim Hunter's Oscar backstage, as if it was hers, because that was norm those years for people who accepted Oscar on someone else's behalf... Also, if Joan had the influence to sway Academy away from Bette, why couldn't she influence them to nominate herself???
@@gauravw6947 you do make interesting points about the somewhat hypocritical behavior of them both & true it was the common pracice to pose with for the public. But I will tell you, some years ago a good book came out about the goings ons leading up to Oscar night & winners: "Inside Oscar". And "Alternate Oscars", which looked over the years of Academy Awards and whom this Hollywood insider felt right deserved their Oscar or who should've really won or been nominated, but wasn't. 2 Interesting works. But some years ago also, there were a man & woman, long time Hollywood insiders, who were planning on releasing a book about the secret balloting or votings for all categories. They said What made this intriguing was it showed how close some came to being nominated for anything from Best Picture, Actor, Actress etc etc. Among the several they mentioned who came VERY CLOSE was Cher for her performance in "Mask" and Joan Crawford in "...Baby Jane". Accordingly to them Joan got nudged out by 2 votes by Geraldine Paige. WOW! she came that close. Maybe her attitude would've been different if she'd atleast gotten a nod. But I don't remember these potential authors or if it was ever released. Do you have any idea? I'd love to find it.... Thanks😃
Queen Bee that great! Ms Joan Crawford was a very strong confident & Queen B**** My favorite is what ever happened to Baby Jane Hudson! As a Black woman in my late 50's now, Ms Joan was deep, had the ability to strike fear! I am a fan!
Like Joan Crawford or not she was a STAR, She has Hollywood and a true STAR in every sence of the word. We've all heard if the bad stuff, but watch just about any of her movies and you'll see a great 'movie star' performance. I liked her.
Crawford was truly a bigger then life presence on the screen. Whatever film she starred in, one's eyes are intensely fixated on her. So many posters here, list her obvious body of work, but fail to mention her performance in Harriet Craig.
I know there is a lot of controversy over Joan Crawford but I did read a lot more than Mommy Dearest and watched interviews with all her children and I came away with the 4 children Ms. Crawford adopted either were raised differently or someone is not honest. The 2 youngest said they never experienced anything their older sister claimed and deeply loved her and the older 2 said differently. No one will never know for sure now. But I do like to celebrate good films and I do commend Ms. Crawford for Mildred Pierce and a Woman's Face. Worth watching if one is an old movie buff as I am. Ms. Crawford passed a long while ago and is in God's hands so lets leave it there folks.
Kim Clayton I believe that the 2 younger children Who describe a different home life and mother are telling the truth. however it does not mean that I think the older two are lying. They simply had a different relationship with their mother. And they grew up at different times and while the older two were away at boarding or military school. --//// And I like what you say at the end of your comment. ------ Even though I believe Christina, which makes me feel that Joan was pretty horrible, she deserves empathy and compassion like any other human being. she had a pretty tough upbringing as well. And I don't think you learn the best life skills or parenting skills from Hollywood.
nobody knows but Joan and Christina! everyone thinks we read so many stories and we know it all. I read different stories from one side said all this was true and others who said this wasn't. Joan's ex husband who DID live in the house has stated he can't believe what Christina wrote about Joan that he must of lived in a different house or something because that was not true. he stated this . He owes Joan nothing so what would he gain from making all that up what he has said? you made the best comment on here because I am so tired of reading from no it all!! No one really knows and I know I don't either just what I read! If Joan is guilty like you said then it is in gods hands now. people need to get over themselves because they don't know!!
please extend your research to the dynamics of a narcissistic family and when you understand the veil of the empath's and the horrors of the scapegoat (usually the narcissist that wont sumit) draw a deductive conclusion.
I only saw a cold type of beauty until saw her and Gable. Something warm came through the screen. Then to find that she married one leading man and had a love- affair with the other. I can appreciate a woman with such true allure. Not quite Stanwyck for my taste, but not to be overlooked.
Watching this, all I can think of is the movie Mommy Dearest. I could swear in some of the black and white pictures Christina looked like she had a blackeye. 😢
Joan Crawford is very beautiful in the movie of the hotel: her smile is radiant, her eyes are enormously expressive and with thin eyebrows modern for that period, her skin is perfect Truly a new beauty who managed to recreate her look at every decade remaining always interesting despite her short stature
A VERY Joan Crawford-positive bio. It's a nice PR piece. No one wanted to examine her family and personal life too closely in this particular documentary. But that's ok, because every word about her as an actress is true. She was great. Those huge, soulful eyes that cried on cue. The voice. The cheekbones! The chameleon roles she played. I'll admit that I haven't seen all her movies, but she definitely earned her Oscar in "Mildred Pierce." Ann Blyth was completely awesome in that, too. Both she and Bette Davis deserved Best Actress awards for "Baby Jane." The problem is, it would have required a tie, and they would have had to SHARE the award! Wouldn't THAT have been a hoot? Also, one of my favorite movies (to this day) is "The Women," and Crawford was fantastic in that. BTW, if you loved her in "Mildred Pierce," please read the book. It is excellent. And then watch the HBO miniseries version with Kate Winslet and Evan Rachel Wood. They are both wonderful too, and the miniseries follows the plot of the novel very faithfully.
I liked your analysis of Joan Crawford. She was a great Hollywood star! 😍 A so-so actress, and seemingly a kind of a mess of a person WITH KIDS. Otherwise, she is acclaimed for her vast generosity.
She had such huge beautiful eyes. She was a great actress too🙌🙌. My favorite movies with her are: "Mildred Pierce" as well as "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." Joan got better looking as she got older. I'd love to see a Betty Davis documentary. She was something else.
Even people who disliked her - and there were many in Hollywood - have described her as "one hundred percent professional." She was incredibly hard working, never late, always prepared. If nothing else, she should be respected for what she achieved by her endless efforts.
Actually there weren’t that many at all. Dare I say none of us goes through life being adored by everyone.
Joan Crawford studied all her roles while Bette Davis and Kate Hepburn only played exaggerations of themselves!!
Any woman who knew everyone's name and birthday on the set, paid for their medical care, and answered every fan letter can't be all that bad. She had her demons but who helped her? We love you Joan. You were a great star.
I agree Emjay.
Oh yes, and abused her daughter.
@@Lololol878 if you believe that deranged daughter...
@@Lololol878 narcissistic people and their flying monkeys 🐒 will never realize the truth behind the mask . Joan was successful and she also abused her “daughter “ . You never really know someone until you love with them . Pretty shady how she treated Christina and Chris as kids . Joans success should never erase the evil truth
You sound naive.. you can remember any one’s name and birthdate, pay for the medical care and everything else and answer every fan letter and be a murderer.. how do any of those things make you a great person??
She really did 'light up the screen'. My generation only saw the caricature of the later Joan with the harsh eyebrows. It wasn't until I saw her earlier work (along with her incredible performance in Mildred Pierce) that I saw the reality of the vulnerable incandescent actress. Thanks for this.
So right, that is how people see Joan. No one sees her in silent movies, her dancing, her beauty, or her career in the 1930s. People see stars such as Joan and Betty Davis in middle age and remember them as such. On the show 'What's My Line' she answers a question that she danced. The compare sort of takes that back. Afterwards Joan tries to explain about dancing but it is never got acknowledged. The reason for this is that it was the early days of television and movies had yet to become the fodder of television, no one knew her early career. She was the first person to dance on screen with Fred Astaire, now when it comes to dancing that is an accomplishment.
Yeah, Diane, you are right, she had a spark, and she worked for it. Her older movies were good and she should have had more faith in herself. Happy New year to all ...Vickie
That's how I saw her, she looked old to me and not all that pretty, but looking at her younger performances she was gorgeous, those huge luminous eyes
Uu
Yes! I always thought her eyebrow transformation really changed her face. It wasn't just age it always amazed me how one small thing on a person's face can make a huge transformation.
Anyone who expects a movie star to be just like their presented image will always be disappointed. Whatever else Joan Crawford was or was not, she was one helluva movie star. You have to admire her grit.
Child abuse shouldn't be trivialized or made to seem insignificant and that's what you did..."Whatever else"?
@@geminijohnson4019 I interpreted that comment as the fact that none of us really know the facts but can at least comment on her acting ability of which we can see on the screen. No need to judge what you don't know.
Though an incredibly bad person
Some of y’all are letting one or two people’s account of her shape your whole image of her and discounting everyone else’s. She wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t a monster, either.
Al ways, you interpreted correctly. Rather than trivializing child abuse--which I did not do, no matter someone else's snap judgement of my comment--I only commented on her acting.
Joan Crawford and Betty Davis were d two best actresses of their generation and any generation to come.They were quintessential American actresses and icons, and would never be replaced.They also personified d best of America and will never be forgotten!
Joan would have LOVED this documentary!
0
This Legend fought her way from poverty to be a great 🌟. She was determined to remain on top no matter what the cost. So many people have so much to say about her personal life and don't even know her. I can say film wise she is one of the greatest actresses to ever grace the screen. She became what she needed to be when ever the script demanded of her to do so. Never be another Joan.
Mildred Pierce is an amazing film ... and Miss. Crawford deserved the Oscar.
Absolutely, and though her great rival Bette Davis (who was a greater star than Joan for her overall pictures) had been offered the part 1st & turned it down- as Mildred Pierce Joan was the better choice for her earthiness she put in that performance and yes deserved that Oscar finally in her career. Maybe -just maybe Barbra Stanwyck who was also considered for that part before Crawford could've done it justice even over Davis. But Joan killed it!
@@timmehallaenious910 Agreed! MP is one of my favorite films!
I like JC singing ,dancing why would that one man say she couldn't.
@@deborahking5692 who knows, alittle singing and especially dancing was another side of JCrawford alot don't really know. Although she didn't really sing in her film "Torch Song" because it was dubbed- but the dancing was all Joan Crawfords. Hmmm I don't recall her greatest rival Bette Davis could sing very well or really dance as extensively as Joan.
I have always loved Joan Crawford. She was an amazing actress. I love to sit relax & watch an old movie. Joan Crawford is one of my favorite actresses
I love Joan and Bette as actresses. My mother raised me on their films, but Joan was absolutely gorgeous!!
To anyone who likes this documentary, let me offer a friendly recommendation to listen to the podcast "You Must Remember This". It's all about Hollywood in its first century, and there's an entire season on Joan Crawford. So many of the things they're touching on here are explored within that podcast in such incredible detail. Anyway, if you like this, you'll LOVE that!
I have to check it out. Thanks.
Thank u will check it out!
It is a great podcast!
Thank you
Lux Radio Theater is very good also!
Happy birthday Joanie! March 23rd 2024
She is Queen bee literally !!!!!!!! Joan Crawford is the epitome of classic Hollywood. Her presence on screen is Sublime. And she was absolutely stunning. An amazing character actress. I have been capsulated by her charm and beauty.
Love Joan Crawford. Always have, always will. She's timeless.
To me, the Joan Crawford of the
Early 1930's, was the most beauti-
Ful and talented actress, of the
Golden era of Hollywood.
I couldn't agree with you more. SADIE McKee, Chained & Letty Lynton are 3 of my favourites from the 30s.
Given the choice to watch a Joan Crawford movie for the third time or a different movie for the first time, I'll pick Joan...every time!
Better Davis and Joan Crawford movies. I love to watch them.
Yes yes yes ❤
Here in 2020 as a Gen Z. She is timeless.
Check out Mommy Dearest! Her most eye opening work to date.
@Freely Burning, someone needs to after that kind of documented child abuse, princess.
Freely Burning, yes we all bow to the ones that don’t understand sarcasm... 🙄
C. Vanderbilt- your so full of shit
Freely Burning 1. /.
Love listening to her audio book, she really is a superstar! 2023 Ms Joan, you'll always have fans that adore you 💖💖💖
I love Joan Crawford. Thank you for entertaining us for many happy decades.
That’s why she was so abusive to her daughter how could you like a person like that
@@krisswan748 there is no proof that the book is telling the truth. the daughter could have written it as revenge on Joan for not including her in her will.
@@paula9175 their isn’t her son and two daughters denied that even happened
Joan was FABULOUS. I love her! She had a marvelous face and those eyes and her acting was top notch. My alltime favorite Actress. ❤️❤️
She is fantastic. Even in her not so great movies, she was alway ace!
Joan and Bette both queens of Hollywood and their better then today's actors
sho nuff
Well Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange are just as good if not better than them two we're in they're Era.
@@AHMAD-2324 WELL TODAY HAS GREAT ACTORS BUT LOOK AT TODAY ACTORS THEIR HEROES ARE BETTE AND JOAN
Phenomenal actress! I love her strength, beautiful, and uniqueness.
Mildred Pierce is an excellent movie. Very great performance by Joan Crawford and the daughter, Ann Blyth.
reina coffee I like that as one of her best. I haven’t seen all of her movies though.
I’ve only seen the modern version would luv to see the one with Joan
@@Starae336 Which is the modern version? Who was in it, I didn't know there was one.
@@Starae336 you must see it!
Her best movie IMO was Harriet Craig.
Together with Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford is the most important star ever. Rip.
I think if those actors of the past were to come out today they would blow away audiences all around the world and everyone would start acting and behaving like them. Their magic is timeless.
It's Glen Eaton What I really marvel at, is the black actors of that time. The good ones. Which are the only ones of course anyone really heard of because of the stark, almost laughable lack of opportunity. To be so beautiful as Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandrige, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier....even musicians like Hazel Scott..to act that brilliantly amidst absolutely constant degrading conditions every step of the way. Now that is brilliant.
I agree
@@formerlyarandompropernameb9327 love Sidney Poitier ✨️❤️
I disagree. Most people nowadays lack the ability to discover nuance in the humanity portrayed by these dynamic actors of the past. They would be bored. People mistake contemporary over intellectualized dialogues, and tendencies towards darkness and negativity, as a performance having depth in its content. Actors shouldn’t generate this attempt at “depth” through these superficial mechanisms. It’s a slight of hand, it’s an inner power, seen in these actors of the past, that pulls us into the human dilemma.
@@sonjastanger5858❤️❤️
“I love playing a bitch” omg to hear that from Joan Crawford is a classic... Classy, Strong and Vulnerable a true legend.
She loved 'being' a bitch to her children. Stupid fucking bitch. lolz
Yes that was the first time I ever heard that she made that statement. She was the best. She will live on forever.
Playing yourself honey
@@KanishQQuotes 😁😁😁.
@@roberthenderson4347I don't care if she walked on water, if she abused her children, she is not to be admired.
The ONE and ONLY - Joan Crawford!💕
The actresses of the golden Hollywood era fascinate me! I’m sorry to say but Joan Crawford and Bette Davis were very similar!both smoked and drank,their children wrote books about them,the top bosses in Hollywood treated them abysmal in the latter years of their lives but in the end they both wanted to just be loved and not forgotten. RIP to two formidable stars.you will never be forgotten ❤️
Bette's daughter was beyond spoiled, Bette adored her.
Beautiful tribute ,thank you !!!!
They'll surely be forgotten, and their children will be remembered forever. Lol.
They were both aries women.
MsAlkato Poor Joan..😔Never heard she was sexually abused...Do you know who was the victimizer?
Joan was naturally talented. Not many actors or actresses are THAT good naturally. Hollywood used her up,and tossed her the f*** out. That's gotta be devastating as a career actress
I really have a lot of respect for Joan and anyone who fights their way to the top of their field. You can see a lot of vulnerability in her interviews
How many damn ads can you guys squeeze into a 50 minutes video? This is a record.
They must have solved that 🤨 I've just finished watching the documentary and not even a single ad showed up
What I love about Crawford, is not so much her acting abilities, but her drive and determination to better herself. She really had no role model to emulate from her upbringing, so she had to learn and assimilate from others that she came in contact with as a young adult. What a lucky break she got when MGM hired her for a six month option contract (if they didn't like her, they could terminate her at the end of the six months). She was like a sponge, absorbing everything and everyone around her. MGM gave her voice lessons, taught her how to walk, how to dress, and molded her into a movie star, covering up and concealing her sorted past. This was a woman who craved a better social status for herself and fought like hell to achieve it. It's the good old American success story.
Nui jI’m niniimm
Ok
“…..sordid past…”
Incredible documentary. Reminds of the old A&E biographies before the channel turned to garbage.
Next month will be 8 years since I got rid of tv.
@@marilynwillett804 When I was a child, some parents- they fancied themselves progressives- would brag about not owning a TV.
To me Joan Crawford was Queen of Hollywood!
She was so beautiful in such a unique way that made her stand out
There is something about Joan which makes you want more!
Tobias Crawford yes I agree 100%. There’s just something about Joan
Joan Crawford remains one of the best actress of all times.....Thank god we have the chance to still watch her movies....Love you Joan
back then you'd say that and youd get smacked you dont tell people how to discipline their children no i dont think hitting your children is right but spanking them when the jump up on something and starts breaking glass or now adays out doing drugs is fine i mean by hand not objects. Now aday kids have no respect for anything anymore because someone spanks their child and is sent to jail for child abuse.
Agreed, Joan was among the very best - recently saw "Autumn Leaves" again after a long time and was amazed at just how great she was in that role. Her daughter has been vilified for writing her trashy book and rightly so, it's obvious now that it was a pack of lies.
I undersatnd your point of view but I judge her from her carreer ^perspective and not as a mother ...I am aware that she was not a good mother but shez wen trhue herself thue hell as a young girl,anymays they are all a bit crazy...One thing is sure Jan Crawford was a very good actress...
Sorry to hear that you were abused It is something awful for a child...My heart reach out to yours but still from a professional perspective she was the best.....Once again sorry for your experience I hope sincerely you have a better Life
Carl Gagnon I agree with your statement she might not have been the best mom in the world but as a parent your worried about two true things having a roof over your children's head and food in their belly. I fear more or less this woman was nothing more than a workaholic who was fighting off her own demons she didn't want her children to truly see so as an actress she pretended to be someone she thought she should be its not an accuse for actions but the woman was a very good actress maybe so very good at being so she believed her own self
An actress with class, grace, beauty and just a true Hollywood Royalty
I like to binge on Crawford movies on Saturday mornings. Have watched them all.
What is your favorite Joan Crawford movie?
@@harperstacey9604 Mildred Pierce and Our Dancing Daughters.
There was a vulnerability deep inside Joan Crawford, an unquenchable thirst to be accepted. It shines thru in every role she played. I think this is the part of her I really appreciate seeing on screen. She made tremendous efforts to hide this part of her, but to those who carefully look, it shines thru nonetheless.
Joan Crawford was the epitome of a woman determined through sheer grit to succeed.whatever price was paid she was willing to pay it. Absolutely one of a kind. There will never be another like her.
Agreed! It takes an awful lot of character to push through and prevail like that, especially with stage fright.
I think she should have won her second Oscar for her performance in Possessed.
MateoPapiChulo I agree, but it should have been her third. Her first should have been A Woman’s Face 👍🏼
Nope. Humoresque or Johnny Guitar 😍
No. She won it for Mildred Pierce, but it was because of her performance in A Woman's Face the previous year.
I agree. She should've got it for that or A Woman's Face, 1941.
@Eric Gregory The second!
All the obstacles.and still became a star.i give her credit
JOAN CRAWFORD should have OSCARS for "Possessed" & " Sudden Fear" and should have been nomimated for "Autumn Leaves" & "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?", and her " Night Gallery" performance deserved an EMMY.
I agree! Loved her in "A Woman's Face," and "Johnny Guitar."
Glad you mentioned "Autumn Leaves"!
Thank you for posting this documentary that shows her determination not to play just any script handed to her. Right up to the end she gave Oscar worthy performances on any part she played. And many thanks to not focus on her first two adopted, ungrateful brats. Joan, you'll always be loved.
She was a great actress, I do believe the book written by her daughter Christina. Abuse isn’t just physical it is also mental and emotional.
Something. Happened the way i understand it when Jone die she only left the twens money left nothing to christea and her brother..one guy talking said christea was jealous of Jone i say no it was the other way around ..no matter what was done. A parent will leave there child something..i believe Christea and her brother. For Jone putting a 4 year old child that a toddler still a baby up on a chair to warsh her own dishes every day ? A mother job is to take care of a baby not baby takeing care of oneself and thats that...
Agreed
@@maryhodgson8604 how could Joan be jealous of spoilt, plain little Christina?
@@maryhodgson8604--4 is a preschooler not a toddler--she probably washed her own little plate and cup, but in any case who EXACTLY are we to judge another person? I think Joan had a very rough childhood and in her mind that was normal.
@@maryhodgson8604 You mean a top actress who was a star for about 4 decades was jealous of a failed actress whose only claim to fame is her mother? Touch some grass.
Joan Crawford is timeless. ❤️
i love hearing her story .No matter who tells it..A legend..
I think, more than just about any American actress, that Joan Crawford epitomized the term, "Movie Star" more than just about anyone.
She was the movie stars Movie Star!
You have to give it to her , She came from nothing & clawed her way to the top . My mother was the first women head of the UAW in 1961 & I admire a strong women !!!
what about strong men? or do you like weaklings?
What does that have to do about Joan Crawford ? Or are you just a troll trolling ? If so move along Troll !!!
I'll give her that she was outed for her true nature, and that Hollywood is as phony as plastic. Strong women who claw their way to the top are rarely nice people. But some do admire a cold, self-serving bitch, being how superficial and shallow everything has become.
@@marilynwillett804 who mentioned men ? No one shoo
I was born 84 years after Joan was... I grew up with my baby boomer mom playing her movies for me to see... All my friends would say they loved Marilyn, Audrey Hepurn, Liz Taylor...(I do love me some Liz Taylor tho) But I would always choose Joan Crawford as my all time fav ❤
Joan Crawford was truly the queen of Hollywood, in my eyes. Her ambition was infectious! And she was beyond gorgeous!
Orion Never describe her as ‘ gorgeous’! Neither was that Norma Shearer! 😏
Ruby nope. She will always be described as such!!!! Norma Shearer was too!!!! 😁
Bette Davis was the queen of Hollywood.
@@SymphonyBrahms that's your opinion. You're entitled to it.
Such a strong, statuesque, beautiful, talented, hard-working woman.
often accompanies being a sociopathic, narcissistic, heartless, cruel, abusive bitch.
Classic beauty.
@@bardowl8209 but in Joan's case she was a kind, humanitarian, charitable woman. Don't be taken in by the spoilt, bitter little girl who wrote her "true" story please.
Saint Joan should be anointed as such.@@ticketyboo2456
If ever there was a Great Actress......it was Joan Crawford......XXXXXXXXXX
I was surprised to know in her early life, how hard she had worked, to get to where I always saw the completed picture. Like acting had just come so naturally to her. In all her movies, Joan Crawford, was a FIRST CLASS ACTRESS, the best.
She also had a whole lot of trauma from her childhood and youth, this can also change the neural pathways in the brain ways that show sooner or later...
@@gozerthegozarian9500 It sure can. That's why I mostly just go by what they presented to us onscreen, and she always gave her very best. So whatever happened behind closed doors was her business. And I'm in no position to judge, because I'm no better than the next person. At least she gave examples of how to be your best, in onscreen, so that is sufficient.
i like these old films better than the newer stuff they have on tv now.
I love Joan what a hell of a woman.She was ahead of every body else. That's what made her so great her appeal.What woman!
Have always loved Joan Crawford in Grand Hotel. Her scenes with John Barrymore are so nuanced & natural-her stunning beauty in the early 1930’s was mesmerizing.
She invented FABULOUSNESS....lived everyday in full Joan Crawford drag. Legend. Diva. Hardest working woman in Hollywood. The fact that other actresses are said to have loathed her.....well...that is definitely proof that they felt her threat. This was a Boss.❤
RIP Joan Crawford ♥️
Joan crawford was loved by millions of fans.
My favorite Crawford movies/performances: Rain, Grand Hotel, The Women, Strange Cargo, A Woman's Face, Mildred Pierce, Possesed, Humoresque, Flamingo Road, The Damned Don't Cry, Sudden Fear, Johnny Guitar, Queen Bee, Female on the Beach, The Best of Everything, Baby Jane, Strait Jacket, I Saw What you Did, and Night Gallery (Mrs.Menlow) directed by Steven Spielberg. And there are a bunch of MGM films I haven't yet seen.
I love them all too! I really love "Female On The Beach".
You know, I love Joan Crawford. 💖💖💖. Every movie she was wonderful. Every interview I have seen she was so charming.
And to this day I won’t use, … ever, … WIRE HANGERS!! 😱😱😱
For years I only knew Joan Crawford through Faye Dunaway's portrayal. Then I started watching Joan's movies and interviews and realized Dunaway didn't begin to capture Crawford's aura and spirit. Faye played it so loud and dramatic she completely missed what made Crawford truly frightening: an icy sort aloofness, like she could cut you down without saying anything, with just one look. The other thing Dunaway couldn't capture was a certain fragility and hesitancy in Joan. You sense it in the cadence of her beautiful voice even when she's acting tough.
I will always LOVE 💞 you, Joan Crawford! True Hollywood Royalty...🤗
What a gorgeous woman she was.
Joan Crawford has always been one of my all-time favorite movie stars. Christina Crawford should be ashamed of herself for tarnishing her mother's image and memory by writing that mostly-fictitious book. Hearing all of her other children give interviews through the years told a different story of the truth that Joan was a very good mother. Even though Joan Crawford was actually before my time, I watch every silver screen production she made right up until her death in 1977. I was 16 years old when she died. I was so saddened to hear of her death when my mother told me. No one in film today other than Meryl Streep or the late Elizabeth Taylor can come close to Joan Crawford's acting talent and presence.
Rest in Peace, Lucille!
Joan continue live...She is Immortal!
This was a wonderful documentary and put together very well. Makes me wish sometimes that I was from another generation... That generation of the 'Joan Crawford's' so to speak. The women was so gorgeous.. stunning.. eloquent beyond anything I've ever seen!!
Her confidence shined brightly, her cold attitude is what became her most remembered Characters. She was ahead of her time......We need more stars and utilize the glamour of the past back into movies....
Joan was very striking. She showed so much class. I find it interesting how a very visibly old and aged man describes Joan’s aging as one like “the legend of an elephant” that goes away to die.
I can't imagine anyone else as Mildred Pierce.
I can.
Hillary Rodham Clinton 😈
@@stuartlee6622 🤣🤣🤣
Joan was perfect for Mildred Pierce because she was playing herself
The remake was terrible too.
I think Irene Dunne would have done that role proud.
What a beautiful history of a magnificent woman
*Mildred Pierce*, Sudden Fear, Johnny Guitar and Baby Jane.
Good ole Joan ;)
She always gave 110%.
You forgot Harriet Craig and Homorequse...
Ever see her in "Dancing Lady"? so talented! Man, she could dance! She starred with Clark Cable.
today they squat their fat butts and have thunder thighs, move their arms around and call that dancing, NO. dancers stay in shape, thin, and its all about the legs.
My favorite actress ever, I just cannot get enough of Joan Crawford. Such a classy lady she was!
Class and abuse often go hand-in-hand.
@@bardowl8209 like stupidity and a big mouth? Thanks for proving that!
@@bardowl8209 abuse is that why 3 out of her 4 kids denied what their sister wrote ?
There are those from Hollywood came out and said it was true!!@@coolsummers7668
The definition of Hollywood movie star starts with Joan Crawford
What an incredible woman.
JOAN CRAWFORD is the best actress I've ever seen and I discovered her accidentally. From that point I read everything about her, listened to all her interviews and watched all her movies!
She was such a fascinating actress, always giving breathtaking performances. Just because of curiosity I read the book of Christina and I was shocked about how Tina dared to do such a thing to her mother that devoted her life to those children especially after her death when Joan couldn't defend herself! I never believed a word of it.....! It is so sad to see some comments that practically call her the most horrible things without even knowing the truth. That is why everyone should watch this amazing documentary about her life and that explains a lot of things about her life.
There are no words to describe this woman. Her charm, romantic lightness, beauty and jaw-dropping glamour were astonishing. She had boundless energy, good looks, tenacity and charisma.(from the book Just Joan). And of course as Drew Caspar once said:" Even now, years later, decades later, you cannot take your eyes off of her on the screen". Even George Cukor said:" Joan was one of the people that made Hollywood the place that touched the imagination of the world"
Joan is the ultimate movie star and a person worth to remember for her vitality, generosity, courage and powerful image on the silver screen and not for the nasty book that her daughter wrote out of jealousy of her mothers life and success!
We love you Joan!
Greetings from Greece
❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
Christina told the truth. Deal with it.
Ignorant GASLIGHTING is all I glanced over above. Cringe 😬.
Thank you for representing a great example of a “Flying Monkey”. 🙉
@@SymphonyBrahms
So much victim shaming. Cringe 🤢.
One in a million, woman, earthy and straight up honest. Stunning blue eyed statuetes. Tremendous presence. Independent and hard working. A one in a million......
I have loved many of the movie goddesses of the past and present, but for me, Joan has always been my favorite. A fascinating person on and off camera.
She play the same part over & over. Not very versatile. Little tiring. Other actresses had a larger range.
@@babbsdahms7576 That's fine. How we see entertainers is highly subjective, I simply have a different opinion. Speaking of range, very few actor's career's have spanned 6 decades across several different genres. How's that for versatility! Obviously she wasn't tiring to generations of fans, which is how she was able to sustain a career for that length of time. The very fact that an actor who's career started in 1925, ended in 1970, and passed on in 1977, is STILL being written about and talked about in 2020 across technology that didn't even exist during her lifetime speaks for itself! She's widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time for a reason. Personally, I'm a HUGE movie fan and love too may actor across time to name, but for many reasons, Lucille Fay LeSueur is my favorite. :-)
@@cjqnsnyc aaa
@@babbsdahms7576 I'm not quite sure what that means.
@@cjqnsnyc Joan is my personal favorite as well. Putting aside her film resume, acting prowess, and Oscar-winning iconography, as well as her much talked-about personal life, what I honestly find most fascinating about Crawford is the stunning visual imagery she conjures up by virtue of her breathtaking face and posture. Her close-ups are mesmerizing to behold, and again, that face, that impossibly beautiful work of art, of planes and angles, of chiseled cheekbones, dramatic eyebrows, stylized lips and bright, expressive eyes is what stops me in my tracks every single time. Perhaps it has to do with her early training in silent films, but her visual imagery on film, her eyes and lips, so quick to mirror her emotions, are all so uniquely beautiful, that all I can do is stare at her every second she appears on screen. Few actors have ever had that kind of a face, a face that on its own acts as her calling card and most powerful vehicle, or that kind of star quality and staying power across space and time.
I loved her as Sadie;see Grand Hotel ,this film is great!!!
Sadie is RAIN!
I think that was John Barrymore's last film. He was Lionel Barrymore's brother, and Lionel is Drew Barrymore's grandfather.
@@lisaorten9499 Lionel is her great-uncle. John is her great-grandfather. Either way, quite a pedigree.
Really enjoyed the “early times”...I never got “The Beauty”, her looks, power-eyebrows always scared the hell out of me. Now, I get it. TU.
Ditto
Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck are my favorite actresses
Joan Crawford was a beautiful woman and she was a fanatic actress
Ed
Ed Fulmer Sr she's a man IDIOT!
grow balls. Fool!
She was an ugly witch and a troll lol
@@samuelparker9882 ...and ur a woman. Ur point being?
was ugly
THERE WAS ALWAYS A GOOD SLAP TO BE HAD IN A JOAN CRAWFORD MOVIE!,
I love 'Rain,' 'The Women,' 'Humoresque,' and 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane'?
Strait Jacket has to be one of my favourite films with her. ❤
When Douglas Fairbanks Jr arrived back in Hollywood after WWII, with a most distinguished record in the Navy and undercover, and decorations all across his chest (and for all I know up and down both arms), he was greeted by his ex-wife Joan Crawford, who said 'darling! Have you heard the news? I'm at Warner Brothers now!' He knew then that he was back in Hollywood.
Hilarious. Stephen Bogart (son of Bogie/Bacall) remarked, "I forget that it's Hollywood.... and you *applaud everything*". Ludicrous, ain't it.
I know kids like to throw around the word iconic sometimes, but they’d truly what Joan was. Iconic.
Crawford was mesmerizing on screen. You can't take your eyes off her.
So....she was a bad dancer but at the same time a good dancer lol I adore Joan
You really hear it both ways -- people either love or hate her.
She was a good dancer but due to an accident she suffered in her adolescence, she never managed to shine as number one. But as an actress, she did become the Queen.
I love that comment about Joan not being a fighter! .. ah .. except for that incredible stunt she pulled at the 1963 Oscars, accepting for Anne Bancroft (the evening Bette didn't win!). .. Ah, .. no. I think Joan knew how to fight!
Though Bette Davis' part as "Baby Jane" was the meatier in that picture, Joan Crawford's was still very compelling and unique and she should've at least been nominated. And had she atleast been nominated and lost to Davis (had Bette won), she might not have gone on that rampage and stuck it to Davis by sabotaging Bette's chance to have won by championing Ann Bancrofts performance in "The Miracle Worker". And yep, look how it turned out, Bancroft won, Joan accepted the award in front of every1 that night and looking like she won after all- which added to Davis hatred of her. But Joan knew what she was doing .
David Murray Maclean Sounded like Betty was nasty to Joan, because she liked one of Joan’s paramours. Betty was married at the time, pretty selfish of her. Joans career had a lot to do with dancing and comedy as well as drama.
I feel that "stunt" is over-exaggerated by film gossip columnists and even by Bette... Most of what Better said later, after Joan's death, is not true... Joan didn't travel with the Oscar for a year, as Bette claimed, but she returned the Oscar to Anne Bancroft almost a month after the Oscars... Bette herself accepted and posed with Kim Hunter's Oscar backstage, as if it was hers, because that was norm those years for people who accepted Oscar on someone else's behalf... Also, if Joan had the influence to sway Academy away from Bette, why couldn't she influence them to nominate herself???
@@gauravw6947 you do make interesting points about the somewhat hypocritical behavior of them both & true it was the common pracice to pose with for the public. But I will tell you, some years ago a good book came out about the goings ons leading up to Oscar night & winners: "Inside Oscar". And "Alternate Oscars", which looked over the years of Academy Awards and whom this Hollywood insider felt right deserved their Oscar or who should've really won or been nominated, but wasn't. 2 Interesting works. But some years ago also, there were a man & woman, long time Hollywood insiders, who were planning on releasing a book about the secret balloting or votings for all categories. They said What made this intriguing was it showed how close some came to being nominated for anything from Best Picture, Actor, Actress etc etc. Among the several they mentioned who came VERY CLOSE was Cher for her performance in "Mask" and Joan Crawford in "...Baby Jane". Accordingly to them Joan got nudged out by 2 votes by Geraldine Paige. WOW! she came that close. Maybe her attitude would've been different if she'd atleast gotten a nod. But I don't remember these potential authors or if it was ever released. Do you have any idea? I'd love to find it.... Thanks😃
@@timmehallaenious910 I had no idea about it... Thanks for the knowledge...
Queen Bee that great! Ms Joan Crawford was a very strong confident & Queen B**** My favorite is what ever happened to Baby Jane Hudson! As a Black woman in my late 50's now, Ms Joan was deep, had the ability to strike fear! I am a fan!
They don't make Movie Stars like this anymore. Unfortunately. ❤
She was a great actress and all but what made me love her more is the fact that....... She was a true friend.
She was so beautiful ❤️ and a real MOVIES 🎥 STAR ⭐ RIP Joan Crawford!!! 🙏✝️🕊️✨
the most magnetic beauty in Hollywood
Greta Garbo.
Like Joan Crawford or not she was a STAR, She has Hollywood and a true STAR in every sence of the word.
We've all heard if the bad stuff, but watch just about any of her movies and you'll see a great 'movie star' performance. I liked her.
She is a true star. Such a grand woman. We love you Joan!
Crawford was truly a bigger then life presence on the screen. Whatever film she starred in, one's eyes are intensely fixated on her. So many posters here, list her obvious body of work, but fail to mention her performance in Harriet Craig.
I recently saw that film for the first time and I thought it was FANTASTIC!
I know there is a lot of controversy over Joan Crawford but I did read a lot more than Mommy Dearest and watched interviews with all her children and I came away with the 4 children Ms. Crawford adopted either were raised differently or someone is not honest. The 2 youngest said they never experienced anything their older sister claimed and deeply loved her and the older 2 said differently. No one will never know for sure now. But I do like to celebrate good films and I do commend Ms. Crawford for Mildred Pierce and a Woman's Face. Worth watching if one is an old movie buff as I am. Ms. Crawford passed a long while ago and is in God's hands so lets leave it there folks.
Kim Clayton I believe that the 2 younger children Who describe a different home life and mother are telling the truth. however it does not mean that I think the older two are lying. They simply had a different relationship with their mother. And they grew up at different times and while the older two were away at boarding or military school. --////
And I like what you say at the end of your comment. ------
Even though I believe Christina, which makes me feel that Joan was pretty horrible, she deserves empathy and compassion like any other human being. she had a pretty tough upbringing as well. And I don't think you learn the best life skills or parenting skills from Hollywood.
nobody knows but Joan and Christina! everyone thinks we read so many stories and we know it all. I read different stories from one side said all this was true and others who said this wasn't. Joan's ex husband who DID live in the house has stated he can't believe what Christina wrote about Joan that he must of lived in a different house or something because that was not true. he stated this . He owes Joan nothing so what would he gain from making all that up what he has said? you made the best comment on here because I am so tired of reading from no it all!! No one really knows and I know I don't either just what I read! If Joan is guilty like you said then it is in gods hands now. people need to get over themselves because they don't know!!
please extend your research to the dynamics of a narcissistic family and when you understand the veil of the empath's and the horrors of the scapegoat (usually the narcissist that wont sumit) draw a deductive conclusion.
Kim Clayton: it's called denial...
I only saw a cold type of beauty until saw her and Gable. Something warm came through the screen. Then to find that she married one leading man and had a love- affair with the other. I can appreciate a woman with such true allure. Not quite Stanwyck for my taste, but not to be overlooked.
Watching this, all I can think of is the movie Mommy Dearest. I could swear in some of the black and white pictures Christina looked like she had a blackeye. 😢
Joan Crawford is very beautiful in the movie of the hotel: her smile is radiant, her eyes are enormously expressive and with thin eyebrows modern for that period, her skin is perfect
Truly a new beauty who managed to recreate her look at every decade remaining always interesting despite her short stature
A VERY Joan Crawford-positive bio. It's a nice PR piece. No one wanted to examine her family and personal life too closely in this particular documentary. But that's ok, because every word about her as an actress is true. She was great.
Those huge, soulful eyes that cried on cue. The voice. The cheekbones! The chameleon roles she played. I'll admit that I haven't seen all her movies, but she definitely earned her Oscar in "Mildred Pierce." Ann Blyth was completely awesome in that, too. Both she and Bette Davis deserved Best Actress awards for "Baby Jane." The problem is, it would have required a tie, and they would have had to SHARE the award! Wouldn't THAT have been a hoot? Also, one of my favorite movies (to this day) is "The Women," and Crawford was fantastic in that.
BTW, if you loved her in "Mildred Pierce," please read the book. It is excellent. And then watch the HBO miniseries version with Kate Winslet and Evan Rachel Wood. They are both wonderful too, and the miniseries follows the plot of the novel very faithfully.
I liked your analysis of Joan Crawford. She was a great Hollywood star! 😍
A so-so actress, and seemingly a kind of a mess of a person WITH KIDS. Otherwise, she is acclaimed for her vast generosity.
She had such huge beautiful eyes. She was a great actress too🙌🙌. My favorite movies with her are: "Mildred Pierce" as well as "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." Joan got better looking as she got older. I'd love to see a Betty Davis documentary. She was something else.