Born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas, but christened Joan Crawford by Hollywood, she exemplified the 1920s carefree "flapper" era to a 'T'. Her beauty and vivacity catapulted her to stardom in the late 1920s in the hugely popular silent classic "Our Dancing Daughters". Ever since that point, the resilient actress with the ever expressive eyes, the famous overpainted lips and the will of steel created for herself one of the most legendary and enduring Hollywood personae of all time. Receiving 3 best actress oscar nominations throughout her long career and winning once for the 1945 classic noir "Mildred Pierce", joan seemed to personify the ideal american woman of every decade, from the uprorious 1920s right up until her death as a semireclusive corporate widow on may 10th, 1977. Her 5th and last marriage was to Pepsi Cola chairman Alfred Steele, who died in 1959. She was described by some as "the face" owing to her classically beautiful features and even the great Hollywood studio photographer George Hurrell dubbed her "camera proof" as she photographed perfectly from every angle. She also won a British BAFTA award for the 1957 movie "The Story of Esther Costelllo." She's best remembered for classic roles in "Our Dancing Daughters," "Grand Hotel," "The Women," "Mildred Pierce," "Humoresque," "Possessed," "Harriet Craig," "Sudden Fear" and the 1962 horror classic "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" Her film career spanned nearly 50 years.
Movie | Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar' | Self (archive footage) | 2016-09-20 |
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Movie | Possessed | (archive footage) | 2011-07-22 |
Movie | 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year | Self (archive footage) | 2009-07-02 |
Movie | Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood | Various Roles (archive footage) | 2008-03-03 |
Movie | Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema | Self (archive footage) | 2007-05-23 |
Movie | Girl 27 | Self (archive footage) | 2007-07-27 |
Movie | Checking Out: Grand Hotel | Self / Flaemmchen (archive footage) | 2004-02-03 |
Movie | Complicated Women | Self (archive footage) | 2003-05-06 |
Movie | Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star | Self (archive footage) | 2002-08-01 |
Movie | Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces | Self (archive footage / uncredited) | 2000-10-24 |
Movie | The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
Movie | Joan Crawford: Always the Star | Self (archive footage) | 1996-09-30 |
Movie | The Casting Couch | (archive footage) | 1995-01-01 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! III | (archive footage) | 1994-07-01 |
Movie | Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre | Self | 1989-06-26 |
Movie | Terror in the Aisles | Blanche Hudson (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1984-10-26 |
Movie | Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1983-02-25 |
Movie | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | (in "Humoresque") (archive footage) | 1982-05-21 |
Movie | That's Entertainment, Part II | (archive footage) | 1976-05-16 |
Movie | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! | (archive footage) | 1974-06-21 |
Movie | Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self (archive footage) | 1972-01-10 |
Series | The Sixth Sense | Unknown | 1972-01-15 |
Movie | Trog | Dr. Brockton | 1970-10-24 |
Movie | Night Gallery | Miss Menlo | 1969-11-08 |
Series | The Name of the Game | Unknown | 1968-09-20 |
Movie | The Karate Killers | Amanda True | 1967-04-07 |
Movie | Berserk | Monica Rivers | 1967-11-01 |
Movie | The Oscar | Joan Crawford | 1966-03-04 |
Movie | I Saw What You Did | Amy Nelson | 1965-07-21 |
Movie | The Love Goddesses | (archive footage) | 1965-03-03 |
Movie | Della | Della Chappell | 1964-08-08 |
Movie | Strait-Jacket | Lucy Harbin | 1964-01-19 |
Movie | The Big Parade of Comedy | (archive footage) | 1964-09-02 |
Series | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Amanda True | 1964-09-22 |
Movie | The Caretakers | Lucretia Terry | 1963-08-21 |
Series | The Lucy Show | Unknown | 1962-10-01 |
Movie | What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? | Blanche Hudson | 1962-10-12 |
Series | Route 66 | Unknown | 1960-10-07 |
Movie | The Best of Everything | Amanda Farrow | 1959-10-09 |
Movie | The Story of Esther Costello | Margaret Landi | 1957-11-06 |
Movie | Autumn Leaves | Millicent Wetherby | 1956-08-01 |
Series | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | Queen Bee | Eva Phillips | 1955-11-07 |
Movie | Female on the Beach | Lynn Markham | 1955-08-19 |
Series | The Secret Storm | Joan Borman Kane | 1954-02-01 |
Movie | A Star Is Born World Premiere | Self | 1954-09-28 |
Movie | Johnny Guitar | Vienna | 1954-05-26 |
Series | General Electric Theater | Unknown | 1953-02-01 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
Movie | At Home with Joan Crawford | Self | 1953-04-20 |
Movie | Torch Song | Jenny Stewart | 1953-10-01 |
Movie | This Woman Is Dangerous | Elizabeth Austin | 1952-02-09 |
Movie | Sudden Fear | Myra Hudson Blaine | 1952-08-07 |
Movie | Goodbye, My Fancy | Agatha Reed | 1951-05-19 |
Movie | The Damned Don't Cry | Ethel Whitehead | 1950-05-13 |
Series | The Colgate Comedy Hour | Unknown | 1950-09-10 |
Movie | Harriet Craig | Harriet Craig | 1950-11-02 |
Movie | Flamingo Road | Lane Bellamy | 1949-04-30 |
Movie | It's a Great Feeling | Joan Crawford (uncredited) | 1949-08-01 |
Movie | Humoresque | Helen Wright | 1947-01-25 |
Movie | Possessed | Louise Howell | 1947-05-29 |
Movie | Daisy Kenyon | Daisy Kenyon | 1947-12-25 |
Movie | Blow-Ups of 1946 | Self | 1946-12-31 |
Movie | Mildred Pierce | Mildred Pierce | 1945-10-20 |
Movie | Hollywood Canteen | Self | 1944-12-15 |
Movie | Above Suspicion | Frances Myles | 1943-05-31 |
Movie | They All Kissed the Bride | Margaret Johanna 'M.J.' Drew | 1942-06-11 |
Movie | Reunion in France | Michele de la Becque | 1942-12-25 |
Movie | A Woman's Face | Anna Holm | 1941-05-09 |
Movie | When Ladies Meet | Mary 'Minnie' Howard | 1941-08-29 |
Movie | Hollywood: Style Center of the World | Self | 1940-05-29 |
Movie | Strange Cargo | Julie | 1940-03-01 |
Movie | Susan and God | Susan Trexel | 1940-06-07 |
Movie | A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound | Self | 1940-10-24 |
Movie | The Ice Follies of 1939 | Mary McKay | 1939-03-10 |
Movie | Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 | Joan Crawford | 1939-04-08 |
Movie | From the Ends of the Earth | Self | 1939-05-28 |
Movie | The Women | Crystal Allen | 1939-09-01 |
Movie | Mannequin | Jessie Cassidy | 1938-01-21 |
Movie | The Shining Hour | Olivia Riley Linden | 1938-11-18 |
Movie | The Romance of Celluloid | Self (archive footage) | 1937-08-27 |
Movie | The Last of Mrs. Cheyney | Mrs. Fay Cheyney | 1937-02-19 |
Movie | The Bride Wore Red | Anni Pavlovitch | 1937-10-08 |
Movie | The Gorgeous Hussy | Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal | 1936-08-28 |
Movie | Love on the Run | Sally Parker | 1936-11-20 |
Movie | No More Ladies | Marcia Townsend Warren | 1935-06-14 |
Movie | I Live My Life | Kay Bentley | 1935-10-04 |
Movie | Chained | Diane Lovering | 1934-08-31 |
Movie | Sadie McKee | Sadie McKee | 1934-05-09 |
Movie | Forsaking All Others | Mary Clay | 1934-12-23 |
Movie | Today We Live | Diana 'Ann' Boyce-Smith | 1933-03-03 |
Movie | Fast Workers | Ivy Stevens (Archive Footage) (Uncredited) | 1933-03-10 |
Movie | Dancing Lady | Janie Barlow | 1933-11-24 |
Movie | Letty Lynton | Letty Lynton | 1932-04-30 |
Movie | Rain | Sadie Thompson | 1932-10-12 |
Movie | Grand Hotel | Flämmchen | 1932-05-25 |
Movie | The Stolen Jools | Joan Crawford | 1931-04-04 |
Movie | Laughing Sinners | Ivy 'Bunny' Stevens | 1931-05-30 |
Movie | Dance, Fools, Dance | Bonnie Jordan | 1931-02-07 |
Movie | We're switching to Hollywood | Self | 1931-06-09 |
Movie | Possessed | Marian Martin aka 'Mrs. Moreland' | 1931-11-21 |
Movie | This Modern Age | Valentine 'Val' Winters | 1931-08-29 |
Movie | Montana Moon | Joan | 1930-03-20 |
Movie | Paid | Mary Turner | 1930-12-30 |
Movie | Our Blushing Brides | Geraldine 'Gerry' March | 1930-07-19 |
Movie | Our Modern Maidens | Billie Brown | 1929-09-08 |
Movie | The Duke Steps Out | Susie | 1929-03-19 |
Movie | The Hollywood Revue of 1929 | Self | 1929-11-23 |
Movie | Untamed | Alice "Bingo" Dowling | 1929-11-23 |
Movie | Rose-Marie | Rose-Marie | 1928-02-11 |
Movie | West Point | Betty Channing | 1928-01-07 |
Movie | The Law of the Range | Betty Dallas | 1928-01-21 |
Movie | Across to Singapore | Priscilla Crowninshield | 1928-04-07 |
Movie | Our Dancing Daughters | Diana 'Di' Medford | 1928-09-01 |
Movie | Dream of Love | Adrienne Lecouvreur | 1928-12-01 |
Movie | Fashion News | Self (1929) | 1928-11-06 |
Movie | The Taxi Dancer | Joselyn Poe | 1927-02-05 |
Movie | Winners Of The Wilderness | René Contrecoeur | 1927-01-15 |
Movie | The Understanding Heart | Monica Dale | 1927-02-26 |
Movie | Twelve Miles Out | Jane | 1927-07-08 |
Movie | The Unknown | Nanon | 1927-05-29 |
Movie | Spring Fever | Allie Monte | 1927-10-22 |
Movie | The Boob | Jane | 1926-05-17 |
Movie | Tramp, Tramp, Tramp | Betty Burton | 1926-03-21 |
Movie | Bardelys the Magnificent | Court Gossip (uncredited) | 1926-09-30 |
Movie | The Merry Widow | Ballroom Dancer (uncredited) | 1926-09-27 |
Movie | A Slave of Fashion | Mannequin (uncredited) | 1925-08-23 |
Movie | Proud Flesh | Party Guest (uncredited) | 1925-04-27 |
Movie | 1925 Studio Tour | Self | 1925-04-09 |
Movie | Pretty Ladies | Bobby | 1925-09-06 |
Movie | Lady of the Night | Body Double for Norma Shearer | 1925-02-23 |
Movie | The Only Thing | Party Guest (uncredited) | 1925-11-22 |
Movie | Sally, Irene and Mary | Irene O'Dare | 1925-12-27 |
Movie | Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ | Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited) | 1925-12-25 |
Movie | Old Clothes | Mary Riley | 1925-11-09 |
Movie | The Midshipman | Extra - Driver of Police Car (uncredited) | 1925-10-04 |
Movie | The Circle | Young Lady Catherine | 1925-09-22 |