JOAN CRAWFORD BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Joan Crawford was born on March 23rd, 1905 in San Antonio, Texas with the birth name Lucille Fay LeSueur.  Her parents separated before her birth and she grew up in a broken home.  She was raised by three different men that had all played a fatherly role in her life.  As a child she was highly fond of dancing and dreamed of a job in show business.  By the age of sixteen she was working in a laundry to help out financially for her school tuition. 
 
When she won a dance contest in 1923, she was able to find employment as a chorus girl in Chicago, Detroit and in Michigan.  In 1925, Crawford decided to relocate to Hollywood, California.  

It was not long after her arrival in Hollywood that she got a small part in the film, "Pretty Ladies" (1925) which was followed by three other small roles.  In 1928, Crawford finally got a decent break into the industry with a role in the film, "Our Dancing Daughters" (1928) which was a decent success.  She was also forced by MGM to change her real name to Joan Crawford as her stage name at this time.
 
As the era of "talkies" entered, Crawford had no difficulty making the switch from silent films to this new era and she had a strong voice to back up her beautiful looks.  Her first sound film was, "Untamed" (1929) which again was another success and her career was well on its way to star status. 
 
As she entered the 1930's, Crawford was one of MGM's top stars.  Such films as, "Grand Hotel" (1932), "Sadie McKee" (1934), "No More Ladies" (1935) and "Love on the Run" (1936) kept her in the publics eye and as a highly desired actress.  However, as the years progressed to the 1940's, Crawford felt she was not getting starring roles that she deserved due to new comers in the industry and so therefore, she left MGM and chose to sign a contract with Warner Brothers.
 
This was a very smart move as she was cast in the film, "Mildred Pierce" (1945) earning Crawford her first and only Oscar for Best Actress.  More leading film roles followed such as, "Humoresque" (1946) and "Possessed" (1947) for which she was again nominated for a best actress award, but did not win this time.
 
In 1952, Crawford again was nominated for another Best Actress Award for her role in, "Sudden Fear" (1952), but again she did not win the Oscar.  After the film, "Trog" (1970) which was a flop, Crawford began to pull away from the industry. In 1974 when a horrible photograph was taken of her, she completely retired from the industry.  She became highly addicted to Vodka and just a couple years later on, May 10th, 1977, Joan Crawford passed away from pancreatic cancer in New York City at the age of seventy two.  She is interred in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
 
Joan Crawford followed in her mother's footsteps unable to stay with only one man.  She married a total of five times.  Her first husband was James Welton from 1923 to 1924.  Her second marriage was to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. from 1929 through 1933.  Joan then married again to Franchot Tone from 1935 through 1939.  Her fourth time to wed was to Phillip Terry from 1942 through 1946, producing 2 children from this marriage.  Crawford's final marriage was to Alfred Steele from 1956 through 1959 when he passed away.  None of Joan's Children were biological, as she was prone to miscarriages so a total of four children were adopted by her, Christina, Christopher and twins, Cindy and Cathy.  
 
Joan Crawford was voted the 47th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly, and AFI's "100 Years 100 Stars", she was ranked the #10 Female Greatest Screen Legend.

A star was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor Joan Crawford for her contributions to the Motion Picture Industry.

 
Filmography

1972 The Sixth Sense
1972 Beyond the Water's Edge 
1971 The Name of the Game
1970 Trog 
1970 The Virginian
1969 Rod Serling's Night Gallery
1969 Journey to the Unknown
1968 The Secret Storm
1968 Journey to Midnight
1967 Berserk 
1967 The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1965 I Saw What You Did
1964 Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte 
1964 Strait-Jacket 
1964 Della 
1963 Route 66
1963 The Caretakers
1962 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 
1961 The Foxes 
1959-1961 Zane Grey Theater
1959 The Best of Everything
1959 The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial
1959 Woman on the Run 
1954-1959 G.E. True Theater 
1957 The Story of Esther Costello
1956 Autumn Leaves 
1955 Queen Bee 
1955 Female on the Beach 
1954 Johnny Guitar 
1953 Torch Song
1953 The Revlon Mirror Theater 
1952 Sudden Fear 
1952 This Woman Is Dangerous 
1951 Goodbye, My Fancy 
1950 Harriet Craig 
1950 The Damned Don't Cry 
1949 Flamingo Road 
1947 Daisy Kenyon
1947 Possessed 
1946 Humoresque 
1945 Mildred Pierce
1943 Above Suspicion 
1942 Reunion in France
1942 They All Kissed the Bride 
1941 When Ladies Meet 
1941 A Woman's Face 
1940 Susan and God
1940 Strange Cargo 
1939 The Women 
1939 The Ice Follies of 1939
1938 The Shining Hour 
1937 Mannequin 
1937 The Bride Wore Red 
1937 The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
1936 Love on the Run 
1936 The Gorgeous Hussy 
1935 I Live My Life 
1935 No More Ladies 
1934 Forsaking All Others
1934 Sadie McKee 
1933 Dancing Lady 
1933 Today We Live 
1932 Rain 
1932 Letty Lynton 
1932 Grand Hotel 
1931 Possessed 
1931 This Modern Age 
1931 Laughing Sinners 
1931 Dance, Fools, Dance 
1930 Paid 
1930 Our Blushing Brides 
1930 Montana Moon 
1930 Great Day 
1929 Untamed 
1929 Our Modern Maidens 
1929 IITide of Empire 
1929 The Duke Steps Out 
1928 Dream of Love 
1928 Our Dancing Daughters 
1928 Four Walls 
1928 Across to Singapore
1928 Rose-Marie 
1928 The Law of the Range 
1927 West Point 
1927 Spring Fever 
1927 Twelve Miles Out 
1927 The Unknown 
1927 The Understanding Heart 
1927 The Taxi Dancer
1927 Winners of the Wilderness
1926 Paris
1926 The Boob 
1926 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp 
1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ 
1925 Sally, Irene and Mary 
1925 The Only Thing 
1925 Old Clothes 
1925 The Circle 
1925 The Merry Widow 
1925 A Slave of Fashion 
1925 Pretty Ladies