The Silver Screen Oasis

Joan Crawford had a great face. Her profile conjures up images of Aphrodite painted on ancient grecian urns, and the frontal view, with those gigantic eyes and stern lip-line project an elegance and dignity on screen. Even in her later films she was photogenic, eye-brows and all ...

But for me, Crawford is a strange egg. I neither adore her nor do I dislike her. I watch her because the films are good films, regardless of her presence or not. She does possess a strong confidence that glows in movies, evident even from her silent flapper days when she was *supposed* to be a dancer, and well into the forties when she became one of the best actresses around. But I've seen more of her silent, transitional, and precode films than her later ones so I'm unqualified to address the lighting used on her when she got older ... That's an acute observation though John ...

Her screen name was selected by the voting public in 1925 in a lengthly and degrading contest that finally produced the decidedly unmelodic "Joan Crawford" ...

Crawford: "I hate it ... It sounds like crawfish" ...
Bill Haines: "Just be happy it wasn't cranberry" ...

John, I feel somewhat as you do----I love Joan Crawford movies, even if she herself is not one of my tippy top favorites. However, I do admire her tremendously for how hard she worked to better herself and for the genuine joy that seems to emanate from her in her early films. You can really tell she LOVED being in the movies. I think that's wonderful.

I was so happy TCM aired Harriet Craig and Autumn Leaves because I had never seen them before and I recorded them, along with Flamingo Road (a favorite). I enjoyed both, especially Autumn Leaves but oh, that awful haircut! Bad, bad mistake. She was a very attractive woman but that hair was ghastly, making her look too masculine and harsh even when her character is supposed to be sympathetic.

Joan Crawford was the ultimate "movie star." She really had a way with the facial expressions and body "gestures-"carried over from silent movies(?) She always seemed to inject these qualities into all her roles...thus rising above the occasional banal dialogue. I'm always entranced with her performances.
I was thrilled to see (for the first time) "Harriet Craig," "Autumn Leaves" and "Trog." I also taped "Berserk" and can't wait to see that too.
I wish her day had included "Queen Bee," "Female On The Beach" and "I Saw What You Did."
I agree with you, MissGoddess...Her "haircut" in "Autumn Leaves" was awful!

Hi Everyone,

I am glad to see & read here that Miss Crawford is being honoured and not maligned as in so many, many threads.
It seems that several 'fans of movies', who are not old enough or savvy enough to have been alive and cognizant of her career are passing judgement on her private life when they know nothing about it at all.
They all know "Mommydearest" but not Joan!!

I knew Joan Crawford vaguely - fairly well, but not that well -- and I can tell you she was always polite, gracious and smiling.
She would request but not order, as when I served as her bartender at the Oscars in 1963. She was very pleasant to know and to work for.

I saw that movie and Faye Dunaway looked like a cartoon character not anything like the real person. I was disgusted with her and the movie. Trash!!

I think Joan got her domineering reputation, like Robert Osborne said before "Harriet Craig", from these later movies she played in
Starting with "Harriet Craig" and even moreso with "Queen Bee", she portrayed what Christina elaborated on as a whole person and not just an actresses roles.
My governess, Laura, once met Joan and Christina and Christopher in Bullocks department store and said that Christina was a 'little madame' and Christopher was 'sulky' but Joan was pleasant and charming.

Anyway, I have always championed Joan Crawford, even when it was not "done"..... And, I will continue to not hear an unpleasant word about her.....

Larry

Larry wrote:I saw that movie and Faye Dunaway looked like a cartoon character not anything like the real person. I was discusted with her and the movie. Trash!!

Miss Dunaway agrees with you...

I was glad they showed Possessed (1947) on her day last week. I always felt that film was an almost perfect overview of her style. She really runs the gamut of emotions here. Van Heflin and Massey are also great in their roles.

She might have won the Oscar for Pierce, but I always felt Possessed was the one she should have won for.

Vecchiolarry wrote:I am glad to see & read here that Miss Crawford is being honoured and not maligned as in so many, many threads.
It seems that several 'fans of movies', who are not old enough or savvy enough to have been alive and cognizant of her career are passing judgement on her private life when they know nothing about it at all.
They all know "Mommydearest" but not Joan!!

Hi Larry ...

I think some of my post (after reading that again) might come off sounding a bit maligning, so let me post again. I love Joan Crawford. I said I didn't adore her; that's a word I reserve for Garbo alone, but Crawford is still a top favorite. I will say I think she was miscast a few times that I saw early on as in "Rain" which I am still unable to watch without comparing it to Swanson's, and "Dancing Lady" which she is good in, but really didn't demonstrate to me that she was any sort of dancing lady. There was a lot of editing going on during her routines. Good but out of her element ...

I didn't think "Chained", "The Gorgeous Hussy" or "Mannequin" did her much good except to keep her busy and in the spotlight ... I totally agree about "Mommie Dearest". Really a sad misrepresentation, not to mention the absolute nonsensical lie that is ...

I actually have "Letty Lynton" 1933 on the way from my friend Gary S as I write. That should at least be interesting ...

IMDb wrote:This film has been unavailable since a Federal court ruled on 17 January 1936 that the script used by MGM too closely followed the play "Dishonored Lady" by Edward Sheldon without acquiring the rights to this play or giving credit.

On 28 July 1939 the 2nd Court of Appeals awarded one-fifth of the net of "Lettie Lyton" to the plaintiffs (Edward Sheldon and Margaret Ayer Barnes) in their plagiarism action against MGM, MGM Distributing Company, Lowe's Inc. and Culver Exchange Corporation. It was said to be the first copyright decision ever to direct the apportionment of profits on the relative basis as has prevailed in the instance of patent suits wherein a patent has been appropriated. On November 7, 1939 M-G-M petitioned the United States Supreme Court to overturn the Court of Appeals ruling stating that the questions arising in the suit are predicated solely upon the copyright laws of the U.S., and not the patient laws. The M-G-M lawyers charged 8 errors in the decision.

precoder wrote:I actually have Letty Lynton 1933 on the way from my friend Gary S as I write. That should at least be interesting ...

I've long been wanting to see this movie and have had opportunities to get ahold of copies, but they're always poor quality video to DVD transfers, so I hold off. There've been rumors that the copyright problems are finally being worked out, and there have been some screenings in the past few years. That lends hope. I'll be interested to hear how about the quality of the Letty you recieve, precoder.

Moraldo Rubini wrote:I've long been wanting to see this movie and have had opportunities to get ahold of copies, but they're always poor quality video to DVD transfers, so I hold off. There've been rumors that the copyright problems are finally being worked out, and there have been some screenings in the past few years. That lends hope. I'll be interested to hear how about the quality of the Letty you recieve, precoder.

Mommy taught me to share ... so I'll let you know about that ...

I won't be disappointed if you decide to continue to hold off, because he said it's a six or seven out of ten but said he thought the movie was good ...

I also have a much better copy of "Moulin Rouge" 1934 on the way. A copy that seems to have surfaced just recently and is circulating around. That one I have but it's dreadfully bad quality. Since I collect everything Boswell Sisters, it's a must. And it's only the film I've ever seen from Darryl Zanuck's upstart production company, 20th Century Pictures ~ OMG it even gets a rare song from Russ Columbo ...

Dear Precoder,

I was not singling you out as maligning Joan Crawford in any way....
Your views of her movies and performances are valid and I share some of those views also.

I was pointing to a general populous opinion of her by people who have heard or read gossip about her private life and her nature as a vile personality and bad mother. They cannot possibly know what she was like unless they knew her personally and well. They did not but continue their "Mommydearest" labelling of her.

Her movies and performances are fair game to criticize by you or anyone else, as you've seen these films and have an opinion on them.
And, I will never trounce on you for your opinion(s) on a performer's films - - only their private reputations, unless you are a knowledgeable friend or acquaintance of said personality.

Cheers & carrry on viewing!!

Larry

Actually I was singling myself out ... As I said after reading it again I realized I didn't completety state my intended opinion anyway. You brought my oversight to my attention ...

I like Joan. Not better than Bette, but I like her and her movies, especially those from the 30's and 40's I've seen. Not a great actress, but entertaining. I think my favorite movie of hers is probably "Dancing Lady" or maybe "Grand Hotel" (not many women can hold their own in a movie with Greta Garbo, even if they didn't have a single scene together)or "The Women" (she and Rosalind Russell are the only reasons to watch that movie, imho).

She was quite beautiful when she was younger, but I don't get the thing with the eyebrows she started doing as she approached 50 and beyond. She was still great looking--why would she do that?

Tracey

traceyk wrote:I like Joan. ... The Women (she and Rosalind Russell are the only reasons to watch that movie, imho).

I suppose Norma Shearer is a matter of taste in this great comedy, but are Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell the only reasons to watch? I have to toss out these reminders:

Marjorie Main is a gust of fresh air. "Them big strong redheaded men are fierce!" And singing "On Top of Old Smokey"? Come on!

Paulette Goddard sparkles like a cold, cut diamond. "Where I spit no grass grows."

The close-ups of Virginia Grey alone are priceless, then add her repartee with Joan Crawford and you have platinum.