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
Spielberg
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2017
Bette and Joan
Self (archive footage)
2017
Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western?
Self (archive footage)
2016
Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other
Self (archive footage)
2016
Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar'
Self (archive footage)
2016
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014
The Shirley Eder Tapes
Self
2012
Possessed
(archive footage)
2011
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Self (archive footage)
2009
Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood
Various Roles (archive footage)
2008
Girl 27
Self (archive footage)
2007
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Self (archive footage)
2007
Tim Conway: Timeless Comedy
Self
2007
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
Self (archive footage)
2006
Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition
Self (archive footage)
2006
The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made
Dr. Brockton (archive footage)
2004
Checking Out: Grand Hotel
Self / Flaemmchen (archive footage)
2004
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
2003
Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star
Self (archive footage)
2002
Battle-Axe: the Making of 'Strait-Jacket'
Self (archive footage)
2002
Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces
Self (archive footage / uncredited)
2000
Joan Crawford: Always the Star
Self (archive footage)
1996
Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Kill
Self (archive footage)
1994
That's Entertainment! III
(archive footage)
1994
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre
Self
1989
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(archive footage)
1984
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
(in "Humoresque") (archive footage)
1982
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
Self (archive footage)
1982
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
1976
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
1975
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage)
1974
Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death
Joan Fairchild
1972
The Sixth Sense
Joan Fairchild · (1 episode)
1972
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Self (archive footage)
1972
Great Performances
Self · (1 episode)
1971
Journey to Murder
Host
1971
Trog
Dr. Brockton
1970
Night Gallery
Miss Menlo
1969
Garbo
Self - Host / Narrator (voice)
1969
Journey to the Unknown
Self - Host
1969
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
Self
1969
The Name of the Game
Committee Member (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1968
This was the Mary
1968
Berserk!
Monica Rivers
1967
The Karate Killers
Amanda True
1967
The Oscar
Joan Crawford
1966
I Saw What You Did
Amy Nelson
1965
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Amanda True · (1 episode)
1964
The Big Parade of Comedy
Bobby (archive footage)
1964
Della
Della Chappell
1964
Strait-Jacket
Lucy Harbin
1964
How to Plan a Movie Murder
Self
1964
The Caretakers
Lucretia Terry
1963
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Blanche Hudson
1962
The Lucy Show
Joan Crawford · (1 episode)
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (1 episode)
1962
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Janie Barlow (archive footage) (uncredited)
1961
Route 66
Morgan Harper · (1 episode)
1960
The Best of Everything
Amanda Farrow
1959
Woman on the Run
Susan Conrad
1959
Zwischen Glück und Krone
Self (archive footage)
1959
Strange Witness
Ruth Marshall
1958
The Story of Esther Costello
Margaret Landi
1957
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Stella Faring · (1 episode)
1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Sarah / Melanie Davidson Hobbs · (1 episode)
1956
Autumn Leaves
Millicent Wetherby
1956
Queen Bee
Eva Phillips
1955
Female on the Beach
Lynn Markham
1955
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Self
1954
Johnny Guitar
Vienna
1954
The Secret Storm
Joan Borman Kane · (318 episodes)
1954
Torch Song
Jenny Stewart
1953
At Home with Joan Crawford
Self
1953
The Oscars
Self · (8 episodes)
1953
General Electric Theater
Ann Howard · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Ruth Marshall · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Mary Andrews · (1 episode)
1953
Sudden Fear
Myra Hudson Blaine
1952
This Woman Is Dangerous
Elizabeth Austin
1952
Goodbye, My Fancy
Agatha Reed
1951
Harriet Craig
Harriet Craig
1950
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self · (1 episode)
1950
The Damned Don't Cry
Ethel Whitehead
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (5 episodes)
1950
It's a Great Feeling
Joan Crawford (uncredited)
1949
Flamingo Road
Lane Bellamy
1949
Daisy Kenyon
Daisy Kenyon
1947
Through Many Windows
Self - Narrator
1947
Possessed
Louise Howell
1947
Humoresque
Helen Wright
1947
Blow-Ups of 1946
Self
1946
Mildred Pierce
Mildred Pierce
1945
Hollywood Canteen
Self
1944
Above Suspicion
Frances Myles
1943
Reunion in France
Michele de la Becque
1942
They All Kissed the Bride
Margaret Johanna 'M.J.' Drew
1942
Joan Crawford's Home Movies
Self
1942
When Ladies Meet
Mary 'Minnie' Howard
1941
A Woman's Face
Anna Holm
1941
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
Self
1940
Susan and God
Susan Trexel
1940
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Self
1940
Strange Cargo
Julie
1940
The Women
Crystal Allen
1939
From the Ends of the Earth
Self
1939
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8
Joan Crawford
1939
The Ice Follies of 1939
Mary McKay
1939
The Shining Hour
Olivia Riley Linden
1938
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 6
Self
1938
Mannequin
Jessie Cassidy
1938
The Bride Wore Red
Anni Pavlovitch
1937
The Romance of Celluloid
Self (archive footage)
1937
Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12
Self (uncredited)
1937
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
Mrs. Fay Cheyney
1937
Love on the Run
Sally Parker
1936
The Gorgeous Hussy
Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal
1936
I Live My Life
Kay Bentley
1935
No More Ladies
Marcia Townsend Warren
1935
Forsaking All Others
Mary Clay
1934
Chained
Diane Lovering
1934
Sadie McKee
Sadie
1934
Dancing Lady
Janie Barlow
1933
Fast Workers
Ivy Stevens (Archive Footage) (Uncredited)
1933
Today We Live
Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith
1933
Rain
Sadie Thompson
1932
Grand Hotel
Flämmchen
1932
Letty Lynton
Letty Lynton
1932
Possessed
Marian Martin aka 'Mrs. Moreland'
1931
This Modern Age
Valentine 'Val' Winters
1931
We're switching to Hollywood
Self
1931
Laughing Sinners
Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens
1931
The Stolen Jools
Joan Crawford
1931
Dance, Fools, Dance
Bonnie Jordan
1931
Paid
Mary Turner
1930
Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 1
Self
1930
Our Blushing Brides
Jerry March
1930
Montana Moon
Joan
1930
The Hollywood Revue of 1929
Self
1929
Untamed
Alice "Bingo" Dowling
1929
Our Modern Maidens
Billie Brown
1929
The Duke Steps Out
Susie
1929
Dream of Love
Adrienne Lecouvreur
1928
Our Dancing Daughters
Diana 'Di' Medford
1928
Four Walls
Frieda
1928
Across to Singapore
Priscilla Crowninshield
1928
Rose-Marie
Rose-Marie
1928
The Law of the Range
Betty Dallas
1928
West Point
Betty Channing
1928
Spring Fever
Allie Monte
1927
Twelve Miles Out
Jane
1927
The Unknown
Nanon Zanzi
1927
The Understanding Heart
Monica Dale
1927
The Taxi Dancer
Joselyn Poe
1927
Winners Of The Wilderness
René Contrecoeur
1927
Paris
The Girl
1926
The Midshipman
Extra - Driver of Police Car (uncredited)
1925
The Circle
Young Lady Catherine
1925
The Damned Don't Cry: The Crawford Formula - Real and Reel
The Merry Widow
Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)
1926
The Boob
Jane
1926
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
Betty Burton
1926
Sally, Irene and Mary
Irene O'Dare
1925
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
1925
The Only Thing
Party Guest (uncredited)
1925
Old Clothes
Mary Riley
1925
Pretty Ladies
Bobby
1925
A Slave of Fashion
Mannequin (uncredited)
1925
Proud Flesh
Party Guest (uncredited)
1925
1925 Studio Tour
Self
1925
Lady of the Night
Body Double for Norma Shearer
1925