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Joan Crawford
(Grand Hotel)

- By Annie M. -

 
 
Introduction

Joan Crawford born Lucille Fay LeSueur on the 23rd of March 1905, she was born into poverty and her father Thomas LeSueur left before she was even born. She had a sister Daisy who died as an infant before Lucille was born and a brother Hal Hayes LeSueur born in 1904. After a hard school life Lucille became a dancer, she won many trophies for dancing and earned a job as a chorus girl which was where she was dicoverd by a talent scout from MGM.

Lucille recived many bit parts in silent movie, in one of the movies she was a double for her future rival Norma Shearer. Louis B Mayer wanted Lucille to change her name as he thought LeSueur sounded too much like sewer, there was a compition in a movie magazine for people to submit sutible names for the new young actress and Joan Crawford was born. In 1928 Joan starred in a film called Our Dancing Daughters which is a film that represents the flappers of the jazz era, the film was a sucsess and MGM realised they had a star in the making after this Joan was given more significant roles in movies.

In 1932 Joan was offerd the part of Flaemmchen in Grand Hotel, she would appear along side her idol Greta Garbo, sadly they had no scenes together. Joan continued to make many movies for MGM until 1943 when her contract was terminated by mutual consent. She signed a $500,000 contract with Warner Bros, after taking sometime off and turning down Bette Davis's rejected scrips, Joan fell apon one script for a film called Mildred Pierce 1945, she agreed to make the film which turned out to be a huge hit and won Miss Crawford an Oscar for best actress. Joan remained with Warner until 1952 when she asked to be released from her contract. Joan when to to make a film for RKO called Sudden Fear, the film was a hit, and Joan was again nominated for an Oscar. Joan returned to MGM for her next film, Torch Song, which was Joan's first full colour movie. After starring in many pictures through out the 50's, Joan read the book Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? She met up with Bette Davis who at the time was appearing on broadway and suggested that it maybe a project for the two of them. Six months later Baby Jane was in the making, the film was a massive box office hit and earned several Oscar nominations. Joan was offered parts in other B horror movies including Strait Jacket and I Saw What You Did. In 1970 Joan's last film was released, Trog, in which Joan plays a scientist conducting experiments on a troglodyte.

In 1971 Joan released her autobiograph and life guide My Way Of Life. September 23, 1974, was Joan's final public appearance, in an event at NYC's Rainbow Room to honor Rosalind Russell. After seeing unflattering press photos of herself published the next day, she was horrified, saying "If that's how I look, they won't see me again." And the public didn't. Joan Crawford died on the 10 th of May 1977 from acute coronary occlusion; she had been wasting away for months from cancer.

 
 
Grand Hotel
  
 
The Garbo - Crawford Encounters
  
 
The Fictitiously Story
  
 
Joan and Garbo Trivia
  
 
Crawford on Garbo
  
 
The Garbo TV Documentary
  
 
 
SOURCES
Karen Swenson – A life Apart
Barry Paris – Garbo
Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy – by Mark A. Vieira
Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud - Shaun Considine
IMDB – International Movie Database
 
 
  
Filmpartner - Introduction
  

 

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